Monday, November 27th 2023

AMD Phoenix AM5 APUs to Get Ryzen 8000 Series Branding, Company Readies 5000GT Series for AM4

AMD is giving final touches to its first APUs for the Socket AM5 desktop platform. A report by Sakhtafzar Magazine suggests that the company could give processor models in the series Ryzen 8000G numbering, instead of the previously thought 7000G series. The company is preparing as many as 14 processor models spanning the 4 nm "Phoenix" and "Phoenix 2" monolithic dies. Both chips combine "Zen 4" CPU cores with an iGPU based on the RDNA 3 graphics architecture. While the current Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael" desktop processors feature integrated graphics, AMD doesn't consider them APUs, as their iGPU are just about enough for non-gaming desktop use cases. APUs are designed for entry-level gaming.

The "Phoenix" silicon has up to 8 "Zen 4" CPU cores, and an iGPU with up to 12 RDNA3 compute units. This chip is powering the Ryzen 5 8600G, Ryzen 7 8700G, their PRO variants, and their respective "GE" (energy efficient) sub-variants. The "Phoenix 2" silicon barely qualifies as an APU, as its iGPU only has 4 RDNA3 compute units (compared to the 2 RDNA2 CUs on the "Raphael" iGPU. It also has a maximum CPU core count of 6, from which two are "Zen 4" cores that can sustain higher boost frequency bins, and four are "Zen 4c" cores which run at lower clock speeds (albeit with an identical IPC and ISA). AMD is using "Phoenix 2" on the desktop platform to carve out several sub-$150 class processor models across the Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 brands; a package with a monolithic "Phoenix 2" die probably has a lower bill of materials (BOM) than a "Raphael" multi-chip module.
The source also claims to have gaming performance comparisons of the Ryzen 8000G "Phoenix" desktop APU's iGPU, compared to the Ryzen 7 5700G "Cezanne" Socket AM4 desktop APU, where it posts performance gains between 40% to 200% higher. This is because "Cezanne" packs a much older iGPU based on the Vega graphics architecture, while "Phoenix" uses the 3 generations ahead RDNA3.

Sticking with the AM4 platform, and AMD is planning to release several new processor models for the older platform, including the Ryzen 7 5700X3D and 5500X3D that feature the 3D Vertical Cache technology that benefits gaming performance; and a handful new APUs, namely the 5700GT and 5600GT. At this point, it's not known what the "T" brand extension signifies in AMD nomenclature. Intel uses "T" to denote energy-efficient SKUs, but AMD uses "E" for that job.

AMD is expected to announce the new Socket AM5 and AM4 processors on January 31, the article says.
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