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AMD has not publicly confirmed a reported plan to use Samsung Foundry for some 4nm-class Zen 5c processors. The November 2023 report described a specific product program, not a broad move of AMD’s CPU or GPU manufacturing away from TSMC. A separate 2026 report about future AMD CPUs suggests the companies have continued discussions, but it does not prove the earlier order was completed.
What the reported foundry split involves
In November 2023, Tom’s Hardware, citing DigiTimes and South Korean reporting, said Samsung Foundry had reportedly won an AMD order for processors based on Zen 5c. The account described a dual-foundry plan for a product codenamed Prometheus: Samsung’s 4nm-class process for basic versions and TSMC’s 3nm process for more advanced versions.
The report did not identify retail model numbers, production volumes, a shipping date, or the precise Samsung process variant. It also did not establish that the reported order proceeded to volume production. “Moving” should therefore be read as a reported arrangement for this program, not as a confirmed transfer of existing TSMC production.
What is—and is not—known about Prometheus
Prometheus is a reported codename, not a confirmed retail chip
The cited coverage associated Prometheus with AMD Zen 5c processors, but did not provide a model number or a public AMD announcement tying the codename to a shipping product. It is not evidence that Samsung makes any currently available Ryzen processor.
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The split was described by product tier
In the reported plan, Samsung’s 4nm-class manufacturing was for basic versions, while TSMC’s 3nm process was for more advanced versions. That description does not establish which products belong to each tier or whether the planned split was finalized.
Why AMD might consider Samsung Foundry
More manufacturing capacity
TrendForce said TSMC’s capacity at 5/4nm and below was expected to remain full through the end of 2026, while Samsung’s comparable foundry orders were increasing. That market context gives chip designers a reason to consider additional manufacturing partners, although it does not confirm why AMD made any particular decision.
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TrendForce projected that global foundry-industry output would grow 24.8% in 2026 to approximately $218.8 billion. Those are industry-wide projections, not AMD order figures.
Pricing and the cost of a second source
Reuters reported in August 2026 that Samsung raised prices for some advanced foundry services by as much as 15%. For SF4, the reported increases were 10%–15% for customers in China and the United States and 5%–10% for customers in Taiwan. These figures describe regional pricing changes; they do not reveal what AMD would pay or whether the changes affected the reported Prometheus arrangement.
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Adding another foundry can diversify supply, but a design still has to be adapted and qualified for the manufacturing process. That entails engineering work and validation. The available reporting does not establish the yield, performance, or cost outcome for AMD’s reported program.
Samsung and TSMC in the reported arrangement
| Factor | Samsung Foundry | TSMC |
|---|---|---|
| Process and reported tier | 4nm-class process for basic Prometheus versions, according to the November 2023 report | 3nm process for more advanced Prometheus versions, according to the November 2023 report |
| Capacity context | TrendForce said comparable Samsung orders were increasing in 2026 | TrendForce expected TSMC 5/4nm-and-below capacity to be full through the end of 2026 |
| Pricing context | Reuters reported regional SF4 price increases in August 2026; AMD’s price was not stated | No comparable TSMC price figure for this reported AMD program was stated |
| AMD-program yield or performance result | Not established in the cited coverage | Not established in the cited coverage |
The table summarizes the reported plan and market context; it does not show a confirmed production allocation or prove that the two process options deliver equivalent results.
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Does this mean a Ryzen chip will perform differently?
There is no reported benchmark or confirmed retail model that would support a performance conclusion. A foundry or process label alone does not establish how a finished processor performs, and the report did not identify a shipping Ryzen product made under the proposed arrangement.
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Manufacturing claims need to be tied to an exact chip. For example, later coverage describes the Ryzen 7 9800X3D as using TSMC N4P and N6 chiplets. That model-specific description is not evidence about Prometheus or Samsung-made Ryzen processors.
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Does the 2026 report confirm the earlier order?
No. A 2026 report said AMD was in talks with Samsung to build some future CPUs from 2028 because of capacity constraints. It indicates continued interest in Samsung as a manufacturing partner, but talks about future CPUs do not establish that Samsung completed the earlier reported Prometheus order.
As of the reporting described here, the key unanswered points are whether AMD completed the original order, the exact Samsung node variant, wafer volume, production site, which products would ship, and whether any performance difference resulted.
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