Details of AMD Ryzen 5 2600E and Ryzen 7 2700E leaked

Low-power variants of mainstream Ryzen CPUs will take on Intel Core 'T' 35W microprocessors

Details of two new Ryzen variants have been leaked, with two further second-generation parts intended for lower-power platforms. The Ryzen 5 2600E and Ryzen 7 2700E will take on the Intel Core ‘T'-suffixed series of microprocessors that run at a standard TDP of 35 watts, configurable down to 25W.

Both the Intel Core ‘T' and AMD Ryzen ‘E' CPUs are identical to their mainstream equivalents, except for the lower wattage and consequent lower clock speeds.

Hence the Ryzen 2600E is the low-power counterpart to the Ryzen 5 2600X, AMD's fastest hexacore 12-thread part, which requires 95W and runs at a standard 3.6GHz and retails for around £200. The Ryzen 5 2600E, in contrast, is a 45W part but runs at a standard 3.1GHz.

The Ryzen 7 2700E, meanwhile, also requires 45W compared to 105W for the mainstream desktop part, and runs at a frequency of 2.8GHz compared to the full-fat Ryzen 7 2700X's 3.7GHz. However, the Ryzen 7 is an eight-core, 16-thread part.

Pricing, according to WCCFTech, will shadow Intel's ‘T'-series of CPUs.

The leaks, which have subsequently been confirmed, come after AMD in April launched similar low-power APUs with integrated Vega GPUs, intended for mobile devices.

Like the 'E'-suffixed Ryzens, the Ryzen 3 2200GE and Ryzen 5 2400GE chips boast a TDP of 35 watts, but also have AMD's Vega graphics integrated in the core.

The AMD Ryzen 3 2200GE and Ryzen 5 2400GE followed in the footsteps of the Ryzen 3 2200G and Ryzen 5 2400G, which pack the same number of cores and threads, along with integrated graphics, but at a much lower power consumption.

At the same time, AMD Epyc-based server CPUs have started rolling off the production lines in China, the product of its joint venture with Haiguang Information Technology.

Dubbed Dhyana and based on the Zen microarchitecture, the deal between AMD and Haigung required a fair degree of legal dexterity to pull off, both to remain within the bounds of AMD's x86 licensing agreement with Intel, as well as US technology export controls.

Intel, for example, was barred from selling Xeon CPUs into China in 2015 as a result of claims that they would be used in China's nuclear and military programmes.

According to Tom's Hardware, AMD stayed the right side of the line, legally, by establishing a joint venture in a company called THATIC, to whom it licensed x86 and other technology.

THATIC founded HMC and Haigung, with Haigung doing the design while HMC is responsible for manufacturing. With AMD holding a controlling 51 per cent stake in HMC, the company remains compliant with its x86 server-licensing obligations. It also holds a 30 per cent stake in Hygon. THATIC holds the remainder of the shares.

However, the Dhyana Epyc CPUs are bound solely for the Chinese market, with AMD benefiting from royalties on sales.

Meanwhile, Via Technologies, which holds the third x86 licence as a result of its acquisition of Cyrix, is planning to re-enter the market in 2019 in partnership with China's Zhaoxin, a joint venture between Via and the Shanghai Municipal Government.