AMD AM6 socket said to feature 22% more pins than AM5 but retain the same size and cooler compatibility

Looks like AMD is going to increase the pin count on its next generation AM6 socket once again. However, users may still be able to use AM5 compatible coolers as the socket size overall might not change enough to make a significant difference. The new socket is still a couple years away from reaching the public but it will support AMD’s seventh gen Zen architecture, as well as the latest PCIe standards.

According to a report by Bits and Chips citing sources, AMD’s AM6 socket will have higher pin density compared to AM5 at a total of 2,100 pins. AM5 has 1,718 pins which means the newer socket will come with a 22% increase. The report points to a couple of images from an AMD patent showing a socket with high density pins. While it’s hard to make out from images, and the patent is unavailable, the arrangement of the pins looks different from the current gen socket.

Interestingly, the new socket is said to be similar to the AM5 socket in size. AMD has apparently been able to increase the pin density without increasing the overall size of the socket which means current gen CPU coolers should work with the AM6 socket. The higher density of pins will also allow support for DDR6 memory and PCIe 6.0. It is also said to be compatible with AMD’s Zen 7 architecture, and the CPUs based on the architecture are said to come with impressive upgrades over Zen 6 based CPUs.

A prolific leaker had claimed back in June that Zen 7 CPUs will get a healthy core count increase to as many as 32 cores, thanks to dual 16-core CCDs. With Hyperthreading, the CPUs would feature 64 threads. These CPUs will also have “tons of V-Cache,” according to the leaker.

The Bits and Chips reports concludes that the AM6 will be commercialized in 2028, which is when the Zen 7 is expected to be ready.