AMD has introduced Helion, a new 21-inch rack reference design based on the Open Compute Project (OCP) ORv4 specification. The system is designed to support high-density computing, accommodating up to 128 EPYC 9996 Venice processors, which provides a total of 32,768 Zen 6 cores in a single rack.
The Helion architecture is built to comply with the OCP Data Center Modular Hardware System (DC-MHS) standard. It supports both air cooling and direct liquid cooling solutions. The rack is designed to house 44 OpenU modules, with each module measuring 21 mm in width and 48 mm in height.
While AMD provides the reference design to the OCP community, it will not manufacture the racks itself. Instead, OEM and ODM partners will bring the hardware to market. AMD plans to disclose the list of manufacturing partners during the upcoming OCP Global Summit.
The system is primarily optimized for CPU-intensive tasks, such as managing isolated environments for AI agents. However, the architecture remains flexible, allowing for a hybrid configuration that supports up to 16 MI350P GPUs and offers network bandwidth of up to 102 Tbps.
AMD expects the Helion racks to become available in the first half of 2027. This timeline aligns with the broader rollout of processors based on the Zen 6 architecture, which are scheduled for mass deployment starting in late 2026.
