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AMD headquarters in Sunnyvale, California

Earlier this week, we reported on rumors that AMD's Zen might have slipped into Q4 2016. Since and then, we've heard the fleck could really launch in the Q1 2017 timeframe — and now, there'south farther reason to call up that something happened to AMD'southward adjacent-generation CPU timetable. Now, it's been reported that Jim Keller, who returned to AMD to helm its new CPU subsequently a stint with Apple, has left the company to "pursue other opportunities."

Keller wasn't just responsible for the Zen CPU architecture; he was likewise leading the squad that designed AMD's still-upcoming ARM-based K12 CPU, which isn't expected to launch until 2017. AMD sought to downplay the impact of this proclamation and told Hexus.internet that "Jim'southward departure is not expected to impact our public product or engineering roadmaps, and we remain on rail for "Zen" sampling in 2016 with first full twelvemonth of acquirement in 2017." Mark Papermaster will now footstep in and head Keller'due south team.

An uncertain impact

The articulatio genus-jerk style to read this annunciation is that Jim Keller was fired because Zen is coming in half dozen-7 months late. That'due south entirely possible, and it wouldn't be the first fourth dimension an AMD executive left to pursue "other opportunities" for reasons that but became articulate months after they were gone. Dirk Meyer's difference every bit 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, once Bulldozer had hitting shop shelves, information technology became clear that tablets and mobile products hadn't been the only problem.

AMD-Zen-01

AMD's Zen CPU

When you consider the differences between the AMD that Keller came back to in 2012 and the AMD he left in 2015, in that location's no shortage of factors that might take caused a break-up. In 2012, AMD was clearly planning to enter the ARM marketplace and launch its own custom ARM core (and Keller'south well-nigh recent expertise was in ARM SoCs, not x86 processors). In 2015, 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 grit in less than a year

As recently as 2014, AMD had a public roadmap for a common socket platform between x86 and ARM cores that would span the two, with an HSA-enabled version of the Jaguar architecture that might have helped plug the holes in AMD's roadmap between now and Zen'southward launch in 2017. Past 2015, those plans had been canceled. The contempo graphics reorganization and rumors of substantial private equity 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 it being evidence of a substantial problem in AMD's product pipeline.

One thing we've heard from multiple knowledgeable sources is that Zen is finalized. We don't know if the architecture has taped out or not, simply at least the vast majority of the work is already consummate. I'1000 reminded of a quote attributed to Robert Palmer, the ex-CEO of Digital. "Designing microprocessors is like playing Russian roulette. You lot put a gun to your head, pull the trigger, and find out four years later if you blew your brains out."

Keller'due south departure will non be well-received. Hither's hoping it had more than to practise with differences over the company's focus as opposed to Zen itself. AMD is out of fourth dimension for putting its own business firm in guild.