AMD Zen 6 'Medusa Point' Ten-Core Mobile CPU Surfaces in Early Geekbench Leak

An AMD engineering sample believed to be the first credible leak of a Zen 6-based processor has appeared on Geekbench, revealing key details about the company's next-generation mobile CPU architecture. The chip, identified as "AMD Eng Sample: 100-000001713-31_N," surfaced in benchmark results posted by the BenchLeaks bot on March 16, 2026.

Ten-Core Configuration Breaks Existing Patterns

The most striking aspect of this leak is the processor's core configuration. The chip features ten cores and 20 threads, a configuration that doesn't exist in AMD's current mobile lineup. This immediately rules out Strix Point and other existing architectures, as AMD's current mobile parts use either 8-core or 12-core configurations.

Running in an "AMD Plum-MDS1" system, the processor's identification provides additional context. "Plum" has been previously linked to AMD's FP10 socket for next-generation mobile parts, while "MDS1" strongly suggests a connection to the rumored "Medusa Point" family. Industry leakers have indicated that "MDS1" and "MDS2" would refer to the big and little variants of Medusa Point processors, following AMD's established naming pattern seen with Strix Point and Krackan Point.

Cache Configuration Confirms New Architecture

Perhaps the most definitive evidence pointing to Zen 6 origins is the processor's cache configuration. The ten-core CPU appears to have 32MB of L3 cache, a specification that cannot be achieved with AMD's current mobile architectures.

"Chips that use the standard Zen CCDs, including the Ryzen AI Max and 'Fire Range' desktop-on-laptop CPUs, have 32MB of L3 cache per CCD, but there's no way to have ten cores with one CCD as it stands," notes the analysis. This cache configuration alone essentially confirms this as a Zen 6 processor, as it represents a significant departure from AMD's established mobile architecture patterns.

OPN Trace Links to Medusa Point

The processor's Ordering Part Number (OPN) - "100-000001713-31_N" - provides another crucial data point. While this specific OPN isn't yet listed in public AMD databases, it appears in NBD Data shipping logs when searched.

A listing at NBD directly connects the "1713" OPN to Medusa Point, the FP10 BGA package, and a 28W TDP. Interestingly, the NBD listing describes 1713 as "4C4D," which would imply the chip has four Zen 6 cores and four Zen 6C dense cores. This suggests AMD may be adopting a strategy similar to Intel's, potentially including low-power CPU cores in the processor I/O die.

The chiplet design approach for Medusa Point also appears confirmed, marking a departure from the monolithic designs of Strix and Gorgon processors. This aligns with previous leaks indicating AMD's continued evolution of its mobile processor architecture.

Early Engineering Sample Performance

As an early engineering sample, the processor's benchmark performance provides limited insight into final capabilities. The chip was tested with very conservative clock rates, peaking at just over 2 GHz while maintaining around 1.39 GHz for most of the testing.

"There's simply no way 3nm parts are limited to circa 2 GHz clock rates in their final form," the analysis notes. The Geekbench 6 results show a single-core score of 1,210 and a multi-core score of 7,323, though these figures are considered preliminary given the engineering sample status.

2026 Launch Timeline Taking Shape

AMD has committed to launching the Zen 6 architecture in 2026, with the release timeline becoming clearer. The EPYC "Venice" processors for the server market are expected to arrive first in 2026, while consumer parts will likely follow later.

Medusa Point mobile chips, along with Olympic Ridge desktop parts, are expected to be announced at CES 2026, with releases shortly after. This positions them to compete against Intel's Nova Lake processors, which are shaping up to be formidable competitors.

"We're expecting Olympic Ridge to go head-to-head against Intel's Nova Lake, which looks like it will be a beast CPU; we can't wait for the showdown early next year," the report concludes.

The leak provides the first concrete evidence of AMD's Zen 6 mobile strategy, confirming the chiplet design approach and suggesting significant architectural evolution from the current generation. As with all early engineering samples, final specifications and performance characteristics may differ substantially from what this leak reveals.