The Real Reason Behind AMD's Delay in Releasing ZEN 5 Processors: Model Number Misprint

AMD previously announced a delay in releasing the RYZEN 9000 series desktop processors based on the ZEN 5 architecture. The company stated that the initial inventory sent to channel partners did not meet all quality expectations, necessitating a delay in the launch to correct the issue.

Typically, recalling inventory from dealers is akin to a product recall, indicating a serious issue. However, unexpectedly, the problem turned out to be a printing error on the CPU's silkscreen.

A video posted by a user @丢口袋的机器猫 on Bilibili showed that the silkscreen of AMD RYZEN 7 9700X was mistakenly printed as AMD RYZEN 9 9700X, a clear mistake that AMD had to correct.

Besides the 9700X, the AMD RYZEN 5 9600X also had a printing error, with processors also mistakenly labeled as RYZEN 9. For AMD, failing to recall and correct these errors could potentially lead to false advertising.

Given the occurrence of such silkscreen errors, it's plausible that similar printing mistakes could also exist on the CPU's packaging. If so, AMD must recall these CPUs to correct the silkscreen and replace any packaging with errors.

The correction process for these issues is not overly complicated. The silkscreen problem can be fixed by erasing and re-etching or reprinting, while packaging with printing errors can simply be discarded and replaced with newly printed boxes. The entire process will just take some time.

It's also worth mentioning that AMD, in its statement, highlighted issues with the testing process of the RYZEN 9000 series desktop processors, which could lead to a small volume of products not meeting quality standards entering the market.

Therefore, the silkscreen may not be the only issue; there could be other hardware quality problems that need to be addressed, with more details likely to be revealed in further leaks.