Hardware
AMD details Zen 6 architecture with 12-core chiplets and 3D V-Cache
New EPYC Venice server chips reveal a denser Zen 6 design, with more cores per chiplet, bigger caches and a claimed IPC uplift, hinting at future Ryzen desktop CPUs.
Still
Crunchy. Wednesday, 11 November 2026
YESTERDAY, STILL WORTH KNOWING
AMD details its Zen 6 chip architecture, the PlayStation 5 passes 100 million shipped, and AI datacentre growth strains power, fibre supplies and security rules.
Chips and consoles
AMD, the chipmaker, has published a technical deep dive on its Zen 6 CPU architecture via its new EPYC "Venice" server chips. A single Zen 6 core complex die, built on TSMC's N2P manufacturing node, packs 12 full-fat performance cores where Zen 5 maxes out at eight, with 48 MB of L3 cache per complex. That matters for desktops because current chips with more than eight cores must spread them across two complexes, which can add latency. The shrunk "c" variant fits 32 cores per complex, double the Zen 5c figure. AMD claims up to a 27% IPC uplift (instructions processed per clock, a speed measure) over Zen 5 in certain server workloads. There is a 3D V-Cache variant too, stacking extra cache to reach 96 cores with 1152 MB of L3; for comparison, the eight-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D has 96 MB in total and is already a formidable gaming chip. Venice ships now, but consumer Ryzen timing is unconfirmed, though speculation points to the first half of 2027.
Sony's PlayStation 5 has officially passed 100 million consoles shipped, reached on 10 November, nearly six years after its November 2020 launch. That puts it nearly on par with the original PlayStation's 102.4 million, still chasing the PlayStation 4's 117 million. The figure counts units shipped to retailers rather than sold to players, and quarterly sales are gradually declining: Sony sold 2.6 million in the most recent quarter, down from 4 million a year earlier.
AI datacentres strain power and supplies
AI datacentre developers in the US, UK and mainland Europe have proposed building on-site gas-fired power stations totalling up to 181GW, almost four times Great Britain's peak electricity demand, according to research reported by the Guardian, because grid connections are too slow.
The same boom is squeezing fibre-optic cable that Ukraine needs for jamming-proof tethered drones, a representative of Ukrainian defence firm BlueBird Tech told Ars Technica. Prices have risen roughly six to ten times, and Ukraine acquired only 72 miles of cable in August 2025 while Russia imported 328,000 miles that month.
Money and security
CoreWeave, an AI computing rental firm, is funding its expansion through customer prepayments and contract-backed loans rather than unsecured debt, which chief executive Michael Intrator said it will not tap at current yields. It reported $3.66 billion quarterly revenue, up 168%, alongside a $709 million net loss.
Germany has reportedly banned commercially available Chinese-made drones, including models from DJI, the world's largest drone maker, from its military bases with immediate effect, according to reports, over concerns such technology could transmit sensitive information to Beijing. Der Spiegel reported that the drones were acquired by military units with limited oversight. The defence ministry was not immediately available for comment.