Zen is the codename for an upcoming computer processor microarchitecture from
AMD, expected for release in October 2016. Zen will be the successor to AMD's previous
28nm Excavator processor architecture. Zen will be present in both APUs and high-end CPUs from AMD starting in late 2016, and will be compatible with the upcoming AM4 socket. Previously, AMD's processor product line was scattered across several different types of sockets, such as
AM3+,
FM2+, and
AM1. With the creation of Zen, the differences and issues present with previous sockets was removed due to Zen being more
SoC-like in nature, making it possible to integrate a wide array of components and controllers that would previously differentiate sockets into the processors themselves, removing the need for different types of motherboards and sockets to support them.