- AMD has unveiled its future plans with Zen 5 and Zen 6 architectures.
- Intel aims to lead the CPU server market with Granite Rapids-AP.
- AMD faces strong competition from Intel in the coming years.
AMD has recently revealed its roadmap for future CPU and GPU architectures at an event in Los Angeles. With major developments on the horizon, including the anticipated Zen 6 and Zen 6c processors, AMD aims to maintain its competitive edge in the tech industry.
However, Intel is set to challenge AMD’s dominance with its upcoming Granite Rapids-AP CPUs, potentially disrupting the market for the first time in a decade.
AMD’s 2024 Lineup: Zen 5, RDNA 3.5, and XDNA 2
AMD’s upcoming releases for 2024 include three major architectures: Zen 5, RDNA 3.5, and XDNA 2.
The Zen 5 architecture is poised to bring significant improvements to AMD’s CPU lineup, promising a 16% increase in instructions per clock (IPC) and a 33% boost in core count.
These enhancements are driven by advancements in fetch and decode processes, wider dispatch and execution engines, and improved cache bandwidth.
AMD plans to offer two variants of Zen 5 cores: performance-oriented Zen 5 and area-optimized Zen 5c.
This approach aims to balance cost efficiency and system management simplicity, catering to diverse computing needs.
RDNA 3.5: A Leap in Graphics Performance
In the realm of graphics, AMD’s RDNA 3.5 architecture represents a significant upgrade. The Radeon 780M, based on RDNA 3.5, is expected to deliver a 19-32% performance boost compared to previous-generation Ryzen CPUs.
According to ServeTheHome, the RDNA 3.5 GPU IP block incorporates efficiency improvements from AMD’s collaboration with Samsung on mobile GPUs, bringing those enhancements to integrated graphics.
XDNA 2: AMD’s AI Ambitions
AMD is also making strides in the AI space with its XDNA 2 NPU, built on Xilinx technology. This neural processing unit will be integrated into the Ryzen AI 300 series of mobile processors, benefiting from the Zen 5 architecture and RDNA 3.5 graphics.
This integration aims to enhance AI capabilities in AMD’s mobile processors, positioning the company as a formidable player in the AI-driven market.
Challenges from Intel: Granite Rapids-AP
Despite AMD’s ambitious plans, Intel is poised to reclaim the top spot in the CPU server market with its upcoming Granite Rapids-AP line.
Set to launch within weeks, this 128 P-core processor series could mark the first time in a decade that Intel surpasses AMD in server CPU performance.
Industry analysts speculate that Intel might unveil Granite Rapids-AP during the Intel Innovation event in September.
AMD’s Response: Turin Family and Zen 6
In response to Intel’s challenge, AMD is preparing its Turin family of processors, underpinned by Zen 5 and Zen 5c architectures.
These processors are expected to debut at Supercomputing 2024 in November, bringing AMD and Intel to P-core count parity in data centers for the first time in seven years, according to ServeTheHome.
Looking further ahead, AMD has confirmed the release of its next-generation Zen 6 and Zen 6c architectures in 2025.
While details remain scarce, the company reiterated its commitment to these future processors during the Los Angeles event, first teased at Computex 2024.