AMD outlined its future plans at a recent event in Los Angeles, providing details on three architectures launching in 2024: Zen 5, RDNA 3.5, and XDNA 2.
The Zen 5 architecture, which is AMD’s next generation of CPU cores, is expected to deliver a 16% improvement in instructions per cycle (IPC) and a 33% increase in core count. It includes improvements in several technical areas, including fetch and decode processes, as well as broader execution and dispatch engines along with improved cache bandwidth.
AMD plans to offer both performance-oriented Zen 5 cores and area-optimized Zen 5c cores, driving cost efficiencies and simplified system management.
Zen 6 in 2025
In terms of graphics, RDNA 3.5 offers a huge upgrade for the Radeon 780M with a 19-32% performance increase compared to previous-generation Ryzen CPUs. ServingTheHome says: “AMD RDNA 3.5 is a significantly faster GPU IP block that leverages the learnings gained from licensing AMD’s GPU IP to Samsung for its mobile phones and brings that efficiency to the new integrated GPU.”
Additionally, AMD is making strides in the AI space with its XDNA 2 NPU built on Xilinx technology and integrated into the Ryzen AI 300 series of mobile processors, which also benefit from the new Zen 5 architecture and RDNA 3.5 graphics.
However, AMD's dominance in the server CPU market is facing a massive challenge from Intel. Its archrival is poised to take the lead in that market for the first time in a decade with the upcoming launch of the 128-core Granite Rapids-AP P line, perhaps in time for Intel Innovation in September.
While we don't have confirmation yet, AMD's Turin family, backed by Zen 5 and Zen 5c, will likely arrive in time for Supercomputing 2024 in November. ServingTheHome He notes that “this will be the first time in seven years that AMD and Intel will have parity in terms of the number of P cores in the data center.”
AMD didn't have anything notable to say at its Los Angeles event about its next-generation Zen 6 processors first mentioned at Computex 2024. We don't know much about the Zen 6 and Zen 6c architectures at this point, only that they're still on track for a 2025 launch.
