From TechRadar · · 1m 40s
AMD's AI rack needs new data centers
AMD is building a massive rack for AI agents with 32,768 CPU cores, but traditional data centers may not be able to handle it.
In brief
AMD is building a massive rack for AI agents with 32,768 CPU cores, but traditional data centers may not be able to handle it. AMD's Helion Agentic AI Rack, arriving November 2026, packs 32,768 cores and 74 petaflops of power, forcing data centers to overhaul infrastructure for power, cooling and networking…
AMD builds a monster AI rack
AMD is developing the Helion Agentic AI Rack, supporting up to 32,768 Zen 6 x86 CPU cores, 16 Instinct MI350P accelerators, and 74 petaflops of FP4 computing performance.
Three types of AI workloads
AMD groups agent workloads into personal assistants, enterprise applications, and technical computing, each with different processing requirements and power consumption needs.
Different processors for each job
Personal agents use 256-core Venice processors at 400W. Enterprise workloads use 256-core Venice at 600W. Technical computing uses 96-core high-frequency Venice processors.
Enterprise rack separates the work
The enterprise configuration separates agent execution, inference, and general-purpose computing into distinct server nodes, with an integrated token router directing requests across models.
Data centers face major challenges
Traditional data centers built for standard cloud computing lack the power delivery, cooling capacity and network infrastructure needed for these configurations with up to 102 Tbps of bandwidth.
Infrastructure must adapt
Data centers must allocate rack space, power and cooling to different server configurations instead of deploying identical systems, and may need compatible networking equipment and software.
Arrival set for November 2026
The Helion Agentic AI Rack is scheduled for availability in November 2026, but AMD has not disclosed complete facility upgrade costs or cooling requirements.
The takeaway
AMD's Helion Agentic AI Rack, arriving November 2026, packs 32,768 cores and 74 petaflops of power, forcing data centers to overhaul infrastructure for power, cooling and networking.
