AMD Zen is mainly a 2017 story, very limited volume towards end of 2016

The server market is one of the main targets AMD is after with Zen, but the company also shared a couple of details about the desktop version during the company's second-quarter earnings cal. In response to a question from a financial analyst, AMD CEO Lisa Su explained that the company is very focused on the server launch for the first half of 2017.

The consumer version of Zen should launch before that, but it seems Zen isn't going to be out there this year in big volume as some people expected. Su said AMD may ship some limited volume towards the end of the fourth quarter, but this will depend on several factors like customer readiness. She also commented that a notebook version of Zen, with integrated graphics, will arrive sometime in 2017.

Matthew D. Ramsay - Canaccord Genuity, Inc.
Thank you for the color and it's good to hear. I guess another question on Zen, more in the PC markets, because I think your prepared remarks focused a bit more on server, but maybe you could give us a little bit of an update in the timing of desktop and notebook potential launches. It just seems to me, going into the holiday season, it's still a little unclear as to where Zen is going to land relative to holiday ramps in the Western markets and to Chinese New Year. So any color around that would be really helpful. Thank you.

Lisa T. Su - President, CEO & Non-Independent Director
No, that's a fair question, Matt. We have been very focused on the server launch for first half of 2017. Desktop should launch before that. In terms of true volume ability, I believe it will be in the first quarter of 2017. We may ship some limited volume towards the end of the fourth quarter, based on how bring up goes and the customer readiness. But again, if I look overall at what we're trying to do, I think the desktop product is very well positioned for that high end desktop segment, that enthusiast segment in both channel and OEM, which is very much a segment that AMD knows well and so that's where we would focus on desktop. You should expect a notebook version of Zen, with integrated graphics in 2017, and that development is going on as well. And so, I think it's just a time of a lot of activity around the Zen and the different Zen product families.