Bottom line: According to one of AMD’s partner system integrators, Advantech, the chip maker has made a new generation of embedded SoCs based on the Ryzen 5000-series. It’s not too different from the mainstream series, but it does contain the first 10-core Zen 3 part.
Two years ago, AMD updated the Ryzen Embedded lineup with the V2000-series based on the Zen 2 architecture and the then-concurrent Ryzen 3000-series. This third generation has shifted to a nomenclature based on the mainstream processors branded the Ryzen 5000E-series.
It features four models that borrow their names — but confusingly, not all their specs — from their mainstream X-suffix counterparts. From top to bottom, the 5950E is a 12-core / 24-thread model with four cores and eight threads less than the 5950X. The 5900E is a similarly peculiar 10-core / 20-thread model with two fewer cores and four fewer threads than the 5900X.
The embedded series returns to normality with the 5800E and 5600E, which share the specs of the 5800X and 5600X. Advantech divulged one clock speed number for each processor (see table below) without saying whether they were a base clock or a boost clock, but they’re all in base clock territory.
| Model | Cores / Threads | Clock Speed | TDP | L3 Cache |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 9 5950E | 12 / 24 | 3.4 GHz | 105W | 64 MB |
| Ryzen 9 5900E | 10 / 20 | 3.7 GHz | 105W | 64 MB |
| Ryzen 7 5800E | 8 / 16 | 3.7 GHz | 100W | 32 MB |
| Ryzen 5 5600E | 6 / 12 | 3.6 GHz | 65W | 32 MB |
Embedded processors differ from non-embedded processors in a few ways, making them more useful for long-term edge deployments. The most critical is the integrated GPU. Unfortunately, we know nothing about this series. Embedded processors are also more power efficient, stable, and rated for longer lives. They tend to be available for purchase and are supported longer, which in AMD’s case usually means 10 years.
Advantech designed the series to pair up with its new AIMB-522 motherboard, which is pretty interesting in its own right. It’s a Micro-ATX, green as grass X570 motherboard, boasts excellent connectivity, including two 2.5 Gb and two 1 Gb Ethernet ports, eight USB 3.2 Gen2 and four USB 3.0 Gen2 and three USB 2.0 ports, an M.2 slot, some SATA slots, and some server-related ports.
Advantech seems to think that the 5000E-series is already shipping, at least to AMD’s partners. That may or may not be the case, but given that embedded processors are rarely available for individual purchase anyway, they’re mostly just cool on paper.