



Should you build a PC now or wait for what is around the corner? That is the perpetual question that DIY system builders face, and generally speaking, we typically recommend pulling the trigger rather than playing the never-ending waiting game. That said, if you are eyeing up a Ryzen build, rumor has it AMD is only a few months away from launching a new generation of Ryzen processors built on a 12-nanometer low-power (12nm LP) manufacturing process.Chatty sources working for companies that build motherboards have told Digitimes that AMD will release its next-generation Pinnacle Ridge processors in February of next year. It's said AMD will kick things off at the higher-end with Pinnacle 7, followed by mid-range Pinnacle 5 and entry-level Pinnacle 3 processors a month later, all en route to AMD claiming nearly a third of the desktop CPU market.It remains to be seen if AMD will actually call its new CPUs Pinnacle 7, 5, and 3. Pinnacle Ridge is the successor to Summit Ridge, the codename for current generation Ryzen processors (Ryzen 7, 5, and 3). Recently leaked reports point to Pinnacle Ridge being built on a 12nm LP node versus 14nm FinFET, with a performance uplift and presumably better power efficiency. And unless AMD deviates from its previously stated game plan, the next batch of CPUs will socket AM4 processors.That said, motherboard makers say AMD is prepping a new 400 series chipset, with X470 or B450 motherboards scheduled to hit store shelves in March 2018.The latest chatter fits within the timeline observed in a leaked roadmap that surfaced yesterday at a Spanish website. According to that roadmap, Pinnnacle Ridge is slated for 2018, followed by Matisse (Zen 2) in 2019. It is rumored that Zen 2 will be built on a 7nm FinFET process , though given the trouble that Intel has experienced in getting to 10nm ( Cannon Lake ), it would not shock us if Zen 2 ended up being delayed. Following that, AMD is currently slated to launch Zen 3 (7nm+) in 2020.