AMD’s server CPUs arrive on mainstream PC motherboards — EPYC 4004 CPUs with 3D V-Cache for AM5 platform already on sale at eBay

A few days ago, a rumor circulated that AMD was prepping EPYC 4004-series processors based on the Zen 4 architecture in the AM5 form factor. Today, an enthusiast from ChipHell forums said that he had spotted these CPUs on eBay. Since the information comes from an unofficial source, throw a pinch of salt over the information.

Since AMD’s EPYC 4004-series processors come in AM5 packaging, we believe they will replicate core count specifications from their desktop brethren, so do not expect them to have more than 16 cores or feature an EPYC I/O die. After all, packaging caters to particular CCDs and IODs in terms of physical dimensions, power supply, and I/O capabilities.

Meanwhile, assuming these EPYC CPUs are real, expect them to use premium silicon and support essentially the same features as AMD’s Ryzen Pro 7000-series processors, perhaps without remote management. Meanwhile, AMD’s EPYC 4004-series products could target data-intensive applications, such as small business servers, branch servers, backup and storage servers, development/testing servers, or dedicated applications servers, where high processing power and extended availability are required. Servers in tower form factor are still quite a thing, despite the pervasiveness of the cloud.

A close look at AMD’s Zen 4 lineup indicates that the company could address those tower servers with a separate product lineup. AMD currently offers multiple Zen 4-based processors, including EPYC 9004-series in SP5 packaging for datacenters and HPC; EPYC 9704-series in SP5 form-factor for cloud datacenters; EPYC 8004-series in SP6 form-factor for telecom and edge servers; Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7000W/WX for extreme workstations; Ryzen Pro CPUs for commercial client PCs; and Ryzen processors for regular client machines.

An avid reader would ask what the critical difference between AMD’s EPYC 4004-series and AMD’s Ryzen Pro 7000-series CPUs will be. The warranty terms will be the main difference between these processors: the Ryzen Pro family is designed for business and commercial desktops/laptops for eight – 12 hours per day, whereas EPYCs work 24/7, 365 days a year. But this is our speculation, of course.

These CPUs were not available at eBay as of press time. Furthermore, the screenshot demonstrated by the ChipHell forums users indicates the same price for all of these CPUs ($2,000), which seems a bit unrealistic.