Rumor has it that AMD is working on a new high-end desktop (HEDT) platform featuring a consumer-oriented 16-core Ryzen CPU. This is said to be based on an X399 socket, taking on Intel’s X99 high performance server platform.

The report comes via the infamous Chiphell forums, which states that AMD could unveil its HEDT platform in a couple of months, most likely at this year’s Computex event. The flagship CPU will have 16 cores and 32 threads, with support for quad-channel DDR4 memory. The alleged X399 platform will sit between AMD’s Ryzen desktop CPU and the upcoming Naples server platform.

The Naples CPU features up to 32 cores and 8 channel memory, which means the new platform will be half of what the Zen based server processor has to offer. If this is accurate, we would likely see a single Naples CPU socket with a motherboard that is locked to quad-channel memory configurations.

Read More: Simulated 4-core Ryzen 5 vs Core i7 7700K Benchmark Comparison

Here’s a copy of the quote from the Chiphell thread [Google translated]:

Public knowledge by now but AMD has a new HEDT platform coming out in a couple of months. You’ll see more of it at Computex I believe. It’s a 16 core /32 Thread, quad channel behemoth. And it is insanely quick in the tests that Ryzen is already excelling at. So Cinebench, and all other related productivity programs. The gaming issues that were causing the Ryzen AM4 CPUs to behave erratically to say the least have been ironed out. It’s akin to a newer revision on a newer platform. This should be competing with the Xeon and of course 6950X Intel offers for $1700~$1800USD, but at about $1,000 USD if not less for some Skews. Coming soon. CPUs are pretty big physically, about twice the size of current 6950X CPUs and a bit more perhaps. And if you were hoping for pins, nope it’s strictly LGA! It’s NOT 8 channel, but Quad. Will be a splendid competition between X299 and this AMD platform. Skylake-X is pretty good, not revolutionary but a meaningful step up in IPC and the clocks are pretty high as well. If Intel will have a 32 core part to compete on X299 remains to be seen, but the HEDT platform is going to change quite a bit in the next 4 to 6 months.?

The Ryzen desktop CPUs are currently suffering from memory limitation issues which are degrading their performance, especially in gaming tasks. According to the report, AMD’s 16-core Ryzen CPU will utilize a newer revision, which has these issues “ironed out.” Moreover, the CPU could be priced competitively at around $1000, posing a serious threat to Intel Xeon as well as the $1700 10-core 6950X.

Keep in mind that the X399 socket is no more than a concept right now. AMD has not confirmed the existence of any new CPU platforms other than AM4 and Naples CPU platforms so take this with the usual grain of salt.

That being said, a platform like X99 is not some that AMD can’t create given how flexible and scalable the Zen architecture is. What’s your take on this? Do you think a 16-core Ryzen CPU could be a reality?