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AI Chips & Compute

AMD's 256-core EPYC 9996 Is Most Expensive Ever; TechRadar Warns Against Cheap Athlon Silver 10 Laptops from Asus, Lenovo, HP

TechRadar reported that AMD's 256-core EPYC 'Venice' 9996 is its most expensive processor ever launched, with 600W, 1GB cache, PCIe 6.0 and MRDIMM support, likely enterprise-only until after 2030. Separately, TechRadar warned that cheap AMD Athlon Silver 10 laptops from Asus, Lenovo and HP are not worth buying.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-02 07:21

TechRadar described the EPYC 9996 as a 256-core 'monster' and said it carries the 'Venice' designation. The processor is rated at 600W and has 1GB cache. The report also said the chip supports PCIe 6.0 and MRDIMM.

According to TechRadar, PCIe 6.0 and MRDIMM are cutting-edge enterprise-only technologies. The report said those features probably will not come to consumers until after 2030. TechRadar also said the EPYC 9996 is AMD's most expensive processor ever launched.

The 256-core count and 1GB cache are the chip's headline specifications in the TechRadar report. The 'Venice' name identifies the processor within AMD's EPYC line. TechRadar reported that the chip's enterprise-only features include PCIe 6.0 and MRDIMM, alongside the 600W power envelope.

In the second report, TechRadar focused on budget laptops rather than enterprise hardware. It said Asus, Lenovo and HP are selling cheap laptops with AMD Athlon Silver 10 processors. The report's headline told readers 'for your own sake, do not spend your money' and described the machines as 'inferior e-waste.'

TechRadar's warning was direct: the publication advised against spending money on the Athlon Silver 10 systems. The three vendors named were Asus, Lenovo and HP. The report grouped the laptops under the AMD Athlon Silver 10 name and characterized them as cheap.

The two reports were published by TechRadar on October 1, 2026. One dealt with an enterprise server processor that TechRadar said is AMD's most expensive ever launched and unlikely to reach consumers until after 2030. The other dealt with low-cost consumer laptops that the publication said buyers should avoid.

TechRadar's EPYC report emphasized enterprise-only features, including PCIe 6.0 and MRDIMM, and a 600W power envelope. Its laptop report emphasized a warning to consumers. The EPYC 9996 has 256 cores and 1GB cache; the laptops use AMD Athlon Silver 10 processors and are sold by Asus, Lenovo and HP.