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AMD headquarters in Sunnyvale, California

Before this week, we reported on rumors that AMD's Zen might have slipped into Q4 2022. Since then, we've heard the flake could actually launch in the Q1 2022 timeframe — and now, at that place'south further reason to think that something happened to AMD's next-generation CPU timetable. Now, information technology's been reported that Jim Keller, who returned to AMD to helm its new CPU afterward a stint with Apple, has left the company to "pursue other opportunities."

Keller wasn't but responsible for the Zen CPU compages; he was as well leading the team that designed AMD's still-upcoming ARM-based K12 CPU, which isn't expected to launch until 2022. AMD sought to downplay the impact of this proclamation and told Hexus.net that "Jim'due south divergence is not expected to impact our public product or technology roadmaps, and nosotros remain on track for "Zen" sampling in 2022 with first full year of acquirement in 2022." Mark Papermaster will now step in and head Keller's squad.

An uncertain impact

The genu-jerk way to read this announcement is that Jim Keller was fired considering Zen is coming in 6-7 months late. That'due south entirely possible, and information technology wouldn't be the first time an AMD executive left to pursue "other opportunities" for reasons that only became clear months afterwards they were gone. Dirk Meyer's departure as CEO didn't brand much sense at the time, and it was widely reported that he was forced out over disagreements related to the tablet and mobile markets. Later, in one case Bulldozer had hit store shelves, it became articulate that tablets and mobile products hadn't been the only problem.

AMD-Zen-01

AMD'due south Zen CPU

When you lot consider the differences between the AMD that Keller came back to in 2022 and the AMD he left in 2022, there'south no shortage of factors that might have caused a break-up. In 2022, AMD was clearly planning to enter the ARM market place and launch its ain custom ARM core (and Keller's nearly recent expertise was in ARM SoCs, not x86 processors). In 2022, the K12 and Cortex-A57 CPUs that Sunnyvale once championed scarcely warrant a mention.

amd-project-skybridge-arm-x86

Skybridge went from mission-critical to dust in less than a year

Equally recently as 2022, AMD had a public roadmap for a common socket platform betwixt x86 and ARM cores that would bridge the two, with an HSA-enabled version of the Jaguar architecture that might have helped plug the holes in AMD'south roadmap between now and Zen's launch in 2022. By 2022, those plans had been canceled. The recent graphics reorganization and rumors of substantial private disinterestedness investments could be further indications that AMD's new focus isn't what Keller signed on to shepherd, and that he's decided to pursue other opportunities without information technology being prove of a substantial problem in AMD'south product pipeline.

One affair we've heard from multiple knowledgeable sources is that Zen is finalized. Nosotros don't know if the architecture has taped out or not, only at to the lowest degree the vast majority of the piece of work is already complete. I'm reminded of a quote attributed to Robert Palmer, the ex-CEO of Digital. "Designing microprocessors is like playing Russian roulette. You put a gun to your head, pull the trigger, and notice out 4 years later if you lot blew your brains out."

Keller's departure will not be well-received. Here'south hoping information technology had more to do with differences over the company'due south focus equally opposed to Zen itself. AMD is out of time for putting its own house in order.