AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), formerly known as Fusion, is a series of 64-bit
microprocessor
A microprocessor is a computer processor where the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit, or a small number of integrated circuits. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circ ...
s from
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Santa Clara, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for business and consumer markets. While it initially manufact ...
(AMD), combining a general-purpose
AMD64
x86-64 (also known as x64, x86_64, AMD64, and Intel 64) is a 64-bit version of the x86 instruction set, first released in 1999. It introduced two new modes of operation, 64-bit mode and compatibility mode, along with a new 4-level paging m ...
central processing unit (
CPU) and
integrated graphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to manipulate and alter memory (computing), memory to accelerate the creation of Digital image, images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs ...
(IGPU) on a single
die.
AMD announced the first generation APUs, ''Llano'' for high-performance and ''Brazos'' for low-power devices, in January 2011. The second generation ''Trinity'' for high-performance and ''Brazos-2'' for low-power devices were announced in June 2012. The third generation ''Kaveri'' for high performance devices were launched in January 2014, while ''Kabini'' and ''Temash'' for low-power devices were announced in the summer of 2013. Since the launch of the
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
microarchitecture, Ryzen and Athlon APUs have released to the global market as Raven Ridge on the DDR4 platform, after Bristol Ridge a year prior.
AMD has also supplied semi-custom APUs for consoles starting with the release of
Sony PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
Microsoft Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
eighth generation video game consoles.
Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...
CPUs with integrated
Intel Graphics Technology
Intel Graphics Technology (GT) is the collective name for a series of integrated graphics processors (IGPs) produced by Intel that are manufactured on the same package or die as the central processing unit (CPU). It was first introduced in 20 ...
also have a CPU and GPU on a single die, but they do not offer
HSA support.
History
The AMD Fusion project started in 2006 with the aim of developing a
system on a chip that combined a CPU with a GPU on a single
die. This effort was moved forward by AMD's acquisition of graphics chipset manufacturer
ATI
Ati or ATI may refer to:
* Ati people, a Negrito ethnic group in the Philippines
**Ati language (Philippines), the language spoken by this people group
** Ati-Atihan festival, an annual celebration held in the Philippines
*Ati language (China), a ...
in 2006. The project reportedly required three internal iterations of the Fusion concept to create a product deemed worthy of release.
Reasons contributing to the delay of the project include the technical difficulties of combining a CPU and GPU on the same die at a 45 nm process, and conflicting views on what the role of the CPU and GPU should be within the project.
The first generation desktop and laptop APU, codenamed ''Llano'', was announced on 4 January 2011 at the 2011
CES show in Las Vegas and released shortly thereafter.
It featured
K10 CPU cores and a
Radeon HD 6000 series
The Northern Islands series is a family of GPUs developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) forming part of its Radeon-brand, based on the 40 nm process. Some models are based on TeraScale 2 (VLIW5), some on the new TeraScale 3 (VLIW4) intr ...
GPU on the same die on the
FM1 socket. An APU for low-power devices was announced as the ''Brazos'' platform, based on the
Bobcat microarchitecture and a Radeon HD 6000 series GPU on the same die.
At a conference in January 2012, corporate fellow Phil Rogers announced that AMD would re-brand the Fusion platform as the
Heterogeneous System Architecture Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) is a cross-vendor set of specifications that allow for the integration of central processing units and graphics processors on the same bus, with shared memory and tasks. The HSA is being developed by the HSA ...
(HSA), stating that "it's only fitting that the name of this evolving architecture and platform be representative of the entire, technical community that is leading the way in this very important area of technology and programming development."
However, it was later revealed that AMD had been the subject of a
trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attached to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the licence). Infringement may ...
lawsuit by the Swiss company
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
, who used the name "Fusion" for a line of
power supply products.
The second generation desktop and laptop APU, codenamed ''Trinity'' was announced at AMD's 2010 Financial Analyst Day and released in October 2012. It featured
Piledriver CPU cores and
Radeon HD 7000 series
The Radeon HD 7000 series, codenamed "Southern Islands", is a family of GPUs developed by AMD, and manufactured on TSMC's 28 nm process. The primary competitor of Southern Islands, Nvidia's GeForce 600 Series (also manufactured at TSMC), ...
GPU cores on the
FM2 socket. AMD released a new APU based on the Piledriver microarchitecture on 12 March 2013 for Laptops/Mobile and on 4 June 2013 for desktops under the codename ''Richland''.
[404">AMD launches "Richland" A-Series APUs: slight speed bump, better power management 404](_blank)
The second generation APU for low-power devices, ''Brazos 2.0'', used exactly the same APU chip, but ran at higher clock speed and
rebranded
Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors ...
the GPU as Radeon HD 7000 series and used a new I/O controller chip.
Semi-custom chips were introduced in the Microsoft Xbox One and
Sony PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
video game consoles,
and subsequently in the Microsoft
Xbox Series X, S and Sony
PlayStation 5 consoles.
A third generation of the technology was released on 14 January 2014, featuring greater integration between CPU and GPU. The desktop and laptop variant is codenamed ''Kaveri'', based on the
Steamroller architecture, while the low-power variants, codenamed ''Kabini'' and ''Temash'', are based on the
Jaguar architecture.
Since the introduction of
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
-based processors, AMD renamed their APUs as the Ryzen with Radeon Graphics and Athlon with Radeon Graphics, with desktop units assigned with G suffix on their model numbers to distinguish itself with regular processors (e.g. Ryzen 5 3400G & Athlon 3000G) and also to differentiate away from their former
Bulldozer era ''A-series'' APUs. The mobile counterparts were always paired with Radeon Graphics regardless of suffixes.
In November 2017, HP released the Envy x360, featuring the Ryzen 5 2500U APU, the first 4th generation APU, based on the Zen CPU architecture and the Vega graphics architecture.
Features
Heterogeneous System Architecture
AMD is a founding member of the
Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) Foundation and is consequently actively working on developing
HSA in cooperation with other members. The following hardware and software implementations are available in AMD's APU-branded products:
Feature overview
APU-branded platforms
AMD APUs have a unique architecture: they have AMD CPU modules, cache, and a discrete-class graphics processor, all on the same die using the same bus. This architecture allows for the use of graphics accelerators, such as OpenCL, with the integrated graphics processor. The goal is to create a "fully integrated" APU, which, according to AMD, will eventually feature 'heterogeneous cores' capable of processing both CPU and GPU work automatically, depending on the workload requirement.
TeraScale-based GPU
K10 architecture (2011): Llano
![AMD A6-3650 (AD3650WNZ43GX)-top PNr°0359](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/AMD_A6-3650_%28AD3650WNZ43GX%29-top_PNr%C2%B00359.jpg)
* "Stars"
AMD K10
The AMD Family 10h, or K10, is a microprocessor microarchitecture by AMD based on the K8 microarchitecture. Though there were once reports that the K10 had been canceled, -cores
* Integrated
Evergreen/VLIW5-based GPU (branded
Radeon HD 6000 Series
The Northern Islands series is a family of GPUs developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) forming part of its Radeon-brand, based on the 40 nm process. Some models are based on TeraScale 2 (VLIW5), some on the new TeraScale 3 (VLIW4) intr ...
)
*
Northbridge
*
PCIe
PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), officially abbreviated as PCIe or PCI-e, is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard, designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X and AGP bus standards. It is the common ...
*
DDR3
Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR3 SDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) with a high bandwidth (" double data rate") interface, and has been in use since 2007. It is the higher-spee ...
memory controller
The memory controller is a digital circuit that manages the flow of data going to and from the computer's main memory. A memory controller can be a separate chip or integrated into another chip, such as being placed on the same die or as an int ...
to arbitrate between
coherent
Coherence, coherency, or coherent may refer to the following:
Physics
* Coherence (physics), an ideal property of waves that enables stationary (i.e. temporally and spatially constant) interference
* Coherence (units of measurement), a deri ...
and non-coherent memory requests.
The
physical memory
Computer data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers.
The central processing unit (CPU) of a compute ...
is partitioned between the GPU (up to 512
MB) and the CPU (the remainder).
*
Unified Video Decoder
Unified Video Decoder (UVD, previously called Universal Video Decoder) is the name given to AMD's dedicated video decoding ASIC. There are multiple versions implementing a multitude of video codecs, such as H.264 and VC-1.
UVD was introduced wit ...
*
AMD Eyefinity
AMD Eyefinity is a brand name for AMD video card products that support multi-monitor setups by integrating multiple (up to six) display controllers on one GPU. AMD Eyefinity was introduced with the Radeon HD 5000 Series "Evergreen" in Septemb ...
multi-monitor-support
The first generation APU, released in June 2011, was used in both desktops and laptops. It was based on the K10 architecture and built on a 32 nm process featuring two to four CPU cores on a
thermal design power
The thermal design power (TDP), sometimes called thermal design point, is the maximum amount of heat generated by a computer chip or component (often a CPU, GPU or system on a chip) that the cooling system in a computer is designed to dissipate ...
(TDP) of 65-100 W, and integrated graphics based on the Radeon HD6000 Series with support for
DirectX 11
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with "Direct", ...
,
OpenGL 4.2 and
OpenCL
OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field-progra ...
1.2. In performance comparisons against the similarly priced
Intel Core i3-2105, the Llano APU was criticised for its poor CPU performance and praised for its better GPU performance. AMD was later criticised for abandoning Socket FM1 after one generation.
Bobcat architecture (2011): Ontario, Zacate, Desna, Hondo
*
Bobcat-based CPU
*
Evergreen/VLIW5-based GPU (branded
Radeon HD 6000 Series
The Northern Islands series is a family of GPUs developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) forming part of its Radeon-brand, based on the 40 nm process. Some models are based on TeraScale 2 (VLIW5), some on the new TeraScale 3 (VLIW4) intr ...
and
Radeon HD 7000 Series
The Radeon HD 7000 series, codenamed "Southern Islands", is a family of GPUs developed by AMD, and manufactured on TSMC's 28 nm process. The primary competitor of Southern Islands, Nvidia's GeForce 600 Series (also manufactured at TSMC), ...
)
*
Northbridge
*
PCIe
PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), officially abbreviated as PCIe or PCI-e, is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard, designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X and AGP bus standards. It is the common ...
support.
*
DDR3 SDRAM memory controller
The memory controller is a digital circuit that manages the flow of data going to and from the computer's main memory. A memory controller can be a separate chip or integrated into another chip, such as being placed on the same die or as an int ...
to arbitrate between
coherent
Coherence, coherency, or coherent may refer to the following:
Physics
* Coherence (physics), an ideal property of waves that enables stationary (i.e. temporally and spatially constant) interference
* Coherence (units of measurement), a deri ...
and non-coherent memory requests.
The
physical memory
Computer data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers.
The central processing unit (CPU) of a compute ...
is partitioned between the GPU (up to 512 MB) and the CPU (the remainder).
*
Unified Video Decoder
Unified Video Decoder (UVD, previously called Universal Video Decoder) is the name given to AMD's dedicated video decoding ASIC. There are multiple versions implementing a multitude of video codecs, such as H.264 and VC-1.
UVD was introduced wit ...
(UVD)
The AMD Brazos platform was introduced on 4 January 2011, targeting the
subnotebook
Subnotebook, also called ultraportable, superportable, or mini notebook, was a marketing term for laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than a typical notebook-sized laptop.
Types and sizes
As typical laptop sizes have decreased over t ...
,
netbook and low power
small form factor markets.
It features the 9-watt AMD C-Series APU (codename: Ontario) for netbooks and low power devices as well as the 18-watt AMD E-Series APU (codename: Zacate) for mainstream and value notebooks,
all-in-ones and small form factor desktops. Both APUs feature one or two Bobcat x86 cores and a Radeon
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
Series GPU with full DirectX11,
DirectCompute Microsoft DirectCompute is an application programming interface (API) that supports running compute kernels on general-purpose computing on graphics processing units on Microsoft's Windows Vista, Windows 7 and later versions. DirectCompute is part ...
and OpenCL support including
UVD3 video acceleration for HD video including
1080p
1080p (1920×1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen ve ...
.
AMD expanded the Brazos platform on 5 June 2011 with the announcement of the 5.9-watt AMD Z-Series APU (codename: Desna) designed for the
Tablet market.
The Desna APU is based on the 9-watt Ontario APU. Energy savings were achieved by lowering the CPU, GPU and northbridge voltages, reducing the idle clocks of the CPU and GPU as well as introducing a hardware thermal control mode.
A bidirectional
turbo core
AMD Turbo Core a.k.a. AMD Core Performance Boost (CPB) is a dynamic frequency scaling technology implemented by AMD that allows the processor to dynamically adjust and control the processor operating frequency in certain versions of its processor ...
mode was also introduced.
AMD announced the Brazos-T platform on 9 October 2012. It comprised the 4.5-watt AMD Z-Series APU (codenamed ''Hondo'') and the A55T Fusion Controller Hub (FCH), designed for the tablet computer market. The Hondo APU is a redesign of the Desna APU. AMD lowered energy use by optimizing the APU and FCH for tablet computers.
The Deccan platform including Krishna and Wichita APUs were cancelled in 2011. AMD had originally planned to release them in the second half 2012.
Piledriver architecture (2012): Trinity and Richland
*
Piledriver-based CPU
*
Northern Islands/VLIW4-based GPU (branded
Radeon HD 7000 and
8000 Series)
* Unified
Northbridge – includes AMD Turbo Core 3.0, which enables automatic bidirectional power management between
CPU modules and
GPU
A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobi ...
. Power to the
CPU and
GPU
A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobi ...
is controlled automatically by changing the
clock rate
In computing, the clock rate or clock speed typically refers to the frequency at which the clock generator of a processor can generate pulses, which are used to synchronize the operations of its components, and is used as an indicator of the pr ...
depending on the
load. For example, for a non-
overclocked A10-5800K APU the
CPU frequency can change from 1.4 GHz to 4.2 GHz, and the
GPU
A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobi ...
frequency can change from 304 MHz to 800 MHz. In addition, CC6 mode is capable of powering down individual CPU cores, while PC6 mode is able to lower the power on the entire rail.
* AMD HD Media Accelerator
– includes AMD Perfect Picture HD, AMD Quick Stream technology, and AMD Steady Video technology.
*
Display controller
A video display controller or VDC (also called a display engine or display interface) is an integrated circuit which is the main component in a video-signal generator, a device responsible for the production of a TV video signal in a computing ...
s:
AMD Eyefinity
AMD Eyefinity is a brand name for AMD video card products that support multi-monitor setups by integrating multiple (up to six) display controllers on one GPU. AMD Eyefinity was introduced with the Radeon HD 5000 Series "Evergreen" in Septemb ...
-support for
multi-monitor
Multi-monitor, also called multi-display and multi-head, is the use of multiple physical display devices, such as monitors, televisions, and projectors, in order to increase the area available for computer programs running on a single computer sy ...
set-ups,
HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a proprietary audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data from an HDMI-compliant source device, such as a display controlle ...
,
DisplayPort
DisplayPort (DP) is a digital display interface developed by a consortium of PC and chip manufacturers and standardized by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device su ...
1.2,
DVI
;Trinity
The first iteration of the second generation platform, released in October 2012, brought improvements to CPU and GPU performance to both desktops and laptops. The platform features 2 to 4 Piledriver CPU cores built on a 32 nm process with a TDP between 65 W and 100 W, and a GPU based on the Radeon HD7000 Series with support for DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.2, and OpenCL 1.2. The Trinity APU was praised for the improvements to CPU performance compared to the Llano APU.
;Richland
* "Enhanced
Piledriver" CPU cores
* Temperature Smart Turbo Core technology. An advancement of the existing Turbo Core technology, which allows internal software to adjust the CPU and GPU clock speed to maximise performance within the constraints of the
Thermal design power
The thermal design power (TDP), sometimes called thermal design point, is the maximum amount of heat generated by a computer chip or component (often a CPU, GPU or system on a chip) that the cooling system in a computer is designed to dissipate ...
of the APU.
* New low-power consumption CPUs with only 45 W TDP
The release of this second iteration of this generation was 12 March 2013 fo
mobile partsand 5 June 2013 fo
desktop parts
Graphics Core Next
Graphics Core Next (GCN) is the codename for a series of microarchitectures and an instruction set architecture that were developed by AMD for its GPUs as the successor to its TeraScale microarchitecture. The first product featuring GCN was la ...
-based GPU
Jaguar architecture (2013): Kabini and Temash
*
Jaguar-based CPU
*
Graphics Core Next 2nd Gen-based GPU
*
Socket AM1
Socket FS1b (rebranded as Socket AM1 ) is a socket designed by AMD, launched in April 2014 for desktop SoCs in the value segment. Socket AM1 is intended for a class of CPUs that contain both an integrated GPU and a chipset, essentially forming a ...
and
Socket FT3 support
* Target segment desktop and mobile
In January 2013 the Jaguar-based Kabini and Temash APUs were unveiled as the successors of the Bobcat-based Ontario, Zacate and Hondo APUs.
The Kabini APU is aimed at the low-power, subnotebook, netbook, ultra-thin and small form factor markets, while the Temash APU is aimed at the tablet, ultra-low power and small form factor markets.
The two to four Jaguar cores of the Kabini and Temash APUs feature numerous architectural improvements regarding power requirement and performance, such as support for newer x86-instructions, a higher
IPC count, a CC6 power state mode and
clock gating
Clock gating is a popular technique used in many synchronous circuits for reducing dynamic power dissipation, by removing the clock signal when the circuit is not in use or ignores clock signal. Clock gating saves power by pruning the clock tree, ...
.
Kabini and Temash are AMD's first, and also the first ever quad-core x86 based
SoCs
SOCS (suppressor of cytokine signaling proteins) refers to a family of genes involved in inhibiting the JAK-STAT signaling pathway.
Genes
* CISH
* SOCS1
* SOCS2
* SOCS3
* SOCS4
* SOCS5
* SOCS6
* SOCS7
Suppressor of cytokine signaling 7 is a pro ...
. The integrated
Fusion Controller Hubs (FCH) for Kabini and Temash are codenamed "Yangtze" and "Salton", respectively.
The Yangtze FCH features support for two USB 3.0 ports, two SATA 6 Gbit/s ports, as well as the xHCI 1.0 and SD/SDIO 3.0 protocols for SD-card support.
Both chips feature DirectX 11.1-compliant
GCN-based graphics as well as numerous HSA improvements.
They were fabricated at a 28 nm process in an FT3
ball grid array
A ball grid array (BGA) is a type of surface-mount packaging (a chip carrier) used for integrated circuits. BGA packages are used to permanently mount devices such as microprocessors. A BGA can provide more interconnection pins than can be pu ...
package by
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC; also called Taiwan Semiconductor) is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is the world's most valuable semiconductor company, the world' ...
(TSMC), and were released on 23 May 2013.
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were revealed to both be powered by 8-core semi-custom Jaguar-derived APUs.
Steamroller architecture (2014): Kaveri
![AMD A8-7650K 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/AMD_A8-7650K_01.jpg)
*
Steamroller-based CPU with 2–4 cores
*
Graphics Core Next 2nd Gen-based GPU with 192–512 shader processors
* 15–95 W thermal design power
* Fastest mobile processor of this series: AMD FX-7600P (35 W)
* Fastest desktop processor of this series: AMD A10-7850K (95 W)
*
Socket FM2+
Socket FM2+ (FM2b, FM2r2) is a zero insertion force CPU socket designed by AMD for their desktop "Kaveri" APUs ( Steamroller-based) and Godavari APUs ( Steamroller-based) to connect to the motherboard. The FM2+ has a slightly different pin config ...
and
Socket FP3
The Socket FP3 or μBGA906 is a CPU socket for laptops that was released in June 2014 by AMD with its mobility APU products codenamed ''Kaveri''.
''"Kaveri"''-branded products combine Steamroller with Crystal Series (GCN), UVD 4.2 and VCE ...
* Target segment desktop and mobile
*
Heterogeneous System Architecture Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) is a cross-vendor set of specifications that allow for the integration of central processing units and graphics processors on the same bus, with shared memory and tasks. The HSA is being developed by the HSA ...
-enabled
zero-copy
"Zero-copy" describes computer operations in which the CPU does not perform the task of copying data from one memory area to another or in which unnecessary data copies are avoided. This is frequently used to save CPU cycles and memory bandwi ...
ing through
pointer passing
The third generation of the platform, codenamed Kaveri, was partly released on 14 January 2014. Kaveri contains up to four Steamroller CPU cores clocked to 3.9 GHz with a turbo mode of 4.1 GHz, up to a 512-core Graphics Core Next GPU, two decode units per module instead of one (which allows each core to decode four instructions per cycle instead of two), AMD TrueAudio,
Mantle API, an on-chip ARM Cortex-A5 MPCore, and will release with a new socket, FM2+. Ian Cutress and Rahul Garg of
Anandtech asserted that Kaveri represented the unified system-on-a-chip realization of AMD's acquisition of ATI. The performance of the 45 W A8-7600 Kaveri APU was found to be similar to that of the 100 W Richland part, leading to the claim that AMD made significant improvements in on-die graphics performance per watt;
however, CPU performance was found to lag behind similarly specified Intel processors, a lag that was unlikely to be resolved in the Bulldozer family APUs.
The A8-7600 component was delayed from a Q1 launch to an H1 launch because the Steamroller architecture components allegedly did not scale well at higher clock speeds.
AMD announced the release of the Kaveri APU for the mobile market on 4 June 2014 at
Computex
COMPUTEX Taipei, or Taipei International Information Technology Show (), is a computer expo held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. Since the early 2000s, it is one of the largest computer and technology trade shows in the world.
The last COMPUTEX wa ...
2014,
shortly after the accidental announcement on the AMD website on 26 May 2014. The announcement included components targeted at the standard voltage, low-voltage, and ultra-low voltage segments of the market. In early-access performance testing of a Kaveri prototype laptop, AnandTech found that the 35 W FX-7600P was competitive with the similarly priced 17 W Intel i7-4500U in synthetic CPU-focused benchmarks, and was significantly better than previous integrated GPU systems on GPU-focused benchmarks.
Tom's Hardware
''Tom's Hardware'' is an online publication owned by Future plc and focused on technology. It was founded in 1996 by Thomas Pabst. It provides articles, news, price comparisons, videos and reviews on computer hardware and high technology. The si ...
reported the performance of the Kaveri FX-7600P against the 35 W
Intel i7-4702MQ, finding that the i7-4702MQ was significantly better than the FX-7600P in synthetic CPU-focused benchmarks, whereas the FX-7600P was significantly better than the i7-4702MQ's
Intel HD 4600 iGPU in the four games that could be tested in the time available to the team.
Puma architecture (2014): Beema and Mullins
*
Puma-based CPU
*
Graphics Core Next 2nd Gen-based GPU with 128 shader processors
*
Socket FT3
* Target segment ultra-mobile
Puma+ architecture (2015): Carrizo-L
*
Puma+-based CPU with 2–4 cores
*
Graphics Core Next 2nd Gen-based GPU with 128 shader processors
* 12–25 W configurable TDP
*
Socket FP4
Socket may refer to:
Mechanics
* Socket wrench, a type of wrench that uses separate, removable sockets to fit different sizes of nuts and bolts
* Socket head screw, a screw (or bolt) with a cylindrical head containing a socket into which the hexa ...
support; pin-compatible with Carrizo
* Target segment mobile and ultra-mobile
Excavator architecture (2015): Carrizo
*
Excavator-based CPU with 4 cores
*
Graphics Core Next 3rd Gen-based GPU
*
Memory controller
The memory controller is a digital circuit that manages the flow of data going to and from the computer's main memory. A memory controller can be a separate chip or integrated into another chip, such as being placed on the same die or as an int ...
supports DDR3 SDRAM at 2133 MHz and DDR4 SDRAM at 1866 MHz
* 15–35 W configurable TDP (with the 15 W cTDP unit having reduced performance)
* Integrated
southbridge
*
Socket FP4
Socket may refer to:
Mechanics
* Socket wrench, a type of wrench that uses separate, removable sockets to fit different sizes of nuts and bolts
* Socket head screw, a screw (or bolt) with a cylindrical head containing a socket into which the hexa ...
* Target segment mobile
* Announced by AMD on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
(19 November 2014)
Steamroller architecture (Q2–Q3 2015): Godavari
* Update of the desktop Kaveri series with higher clock frequencies or smaller power envelope
* Steamroller-based CPU with 4 cores
*
Graphics Core Next 2nd Gen-based GPU
* Memory controller supports DDR3 SDRAM at 2133 MHz
* 65/95 W TDP with support for configurable TDP
*
Socket FM2+
Socket FM2+ (FM2b, FM2r2) is a zero insertion force CPU socket designed by AMD for their desktop "Kaveri" APUs ( Steamroller-based) and Godavari APUs ( Steamroller-based) to connect to the motherboard. The FM2+ has a slightly different pin config ...
* Target segment desktop
* Listed since Q2 2015
Excavator architecture (2016): Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge
![AMD A12-9800](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/AMD_A12-9800.jpg)
* Excavator-based CPU with 2–4 cores
* 1 MB L2 cache per module
*
Graphics Core Next 3rd Gen-based GPU
* Memory controller supports DDR4 SDRAM
* 15/35/45/65 W TDP with support for configurable TDP
* 28 nm
*
Socket AM4
Socket AM4 is a PGA microprocessor socket used by AMD's central processing units (CPUs) built on the Zen (including Zen+, Zen 2 and Zen 3) and Excavator microarchitectures.
''AM4'' was launched in September 2016 and was designed to replace the ...
for desktop
* Target segment desktop, mobile and ultra-mobile
Zen architecture (2017): Raven Ridge
*
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
-based CPU cores with
simultaneous multithreading (SMT)
* 512 KB
L2 cache
A CPU cache is a hardware cache used by the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer to reduce the average cost (time or energy) to access data from the main memory. A cache is a smaller, faster memory, located closer to a processor core, whic ...
per core
* 4 MB L3 cache
* Precision Boost 2
*
Graphics Core Next 5th Gen "Vega"-based GPU
*
Memory controller
The memory controller is a digital circuit that manages the flow of data going to and from the computer's main memory. A memory controller can be a separate chip or integrated into another chip, such as being placed on the same die or as an int ...
supports
DDR4 SDRAM
Double Data Rate 4 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DDR4 SDRAM) is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory with a high bandwidth (" double data rate") interface.
Released to the market in 2014, it is a variant of dynamic r ...
*
Video Core Next
Video Core Next is AMD's brand for its dedicated video encoding and decoding hardware core. It is a family of hardware accelerator designs for encoding and decoding video, and is built into AMD's GPUs and APUs since AMD Raven Ridge, released Jan ...
as successor of
UVD
Unified Video Decoder (UVD, previously called Universal Video Decoder) is the name given to AMD's dedicated video decoding ASIC. There are multiple versions implementing a multitude of video codecs, such as H.264 and VC-1.
UVD was introduced wit ...
+
VCE
* 14 nm at
GlobalFoundries
GlobalFoundries Inc. (GF or GloFo) is a multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and headquartered in Malta, New York. Created by the divestiture of the manufacturing arm of AMD, ...
*
Socket FP5
Socket may refer to:
Mechanics
* Socket wrench, a type of wrench that uses separate, removable sockets to fit different sizes of nuts and bolts
* Socket head screw, a screw (or bolt) with a cylindrical head containing a socket into which the hexa ...
for mobile
and
AM4 for desktop
* Target segment desktop and mobile
* Listed since Q4 2017
Zen+ architecture (2019): Picasso
*
Zen+
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
-based CPU microarchitecture
* Refresh of Raven Ridge on 12 nm with improved latency and efficiency/clock frequency. Features similar to Raven Ridge
* Launched January 2019
Zen 2 architecture (2020): Renoir
*
Zen 2
Zen 2 is a computer processor microarchitecture by AMD. It is the successor of AMD's Zen and Zen+ microarchitectures, and is fabricated on the 7 nanometer MOSFET node from TSMC. The microarchitecture powers the third generation of Ryzen proce ...
-based CPU microarchitecture
*
Graphics Core Next 5th Gen "Vega"-based GPU
*
VCN 2.1
* Memory controller supports DDR4 and
LPDDR4X
Low-Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR), also known as LPDDR SDRAM, is a type of synchronous dynamic random-access memory that consumes less power and is targeted for mobile computers and devices such as mobile phones. Older variants are also known a ...
SDRAM up to 4266 MHz
* 15 and 45 W TDP for mobile and 35 and 65 W TDP for desktop
* 7 nm at TSMC
* Socket FP6 for mobile and socket AM4 for desktop
* Release early 2020
Zen 3 architecture (2021): Cezanne
* Zen 3-based CPU microarchitecture
*
Graphics Core Next 5th Gen "Vega"-based GPU
* Memory controller supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X SDRAM up to 4266 MHz
* Up to 45 W TDP for mobile;
35W to 65W TDP for desktop.
* 7 nm at TSMC
*
Socket AM4
Socket AM4 is a PGA microprocessor socket used by AMD's central processing units (CPUs) built on the Zen (including Zen+, Zen 2 and Zen 3) and Excavator microarchitectures.
''AM4'' was launched in September 2016 and was designed to replace the ...
for desktop
* Socket FP6 for mobile
* Released for mobiles early 2021
with desktop counterparts released in April 2021.
RDNA (microarchitecture), RDNA-based GPU
Zen 3+ architecture (2022): Rembrandt
* Zen 3+ based CPU microarchitecture
* RDNA_(microarchitecture)#RDNA_2, RDNA 2-based GPU
* Memory controller supports DDR5-4800 and LPDDR5-6400
* Up to 45 W TDP for mobile
* Node: TSMC N6
* Socket FP7 for mobile
* Released for mobiles early 2022
See also
* List of AMD accelerated processing units
* Ryzen
* AMD mobile platform
* List of AMD mobile microprocessors
* Radeon
*
Intel Graphics Technology
Intel Graphics Technology (GT) is the collective name for a series of integrated graphics processors (IGPs) produced by Intel that are manufactured on the same package or die as the central processing unit (CPU). It was first introduced in 20 ...
* List of Nvidia graphics processing units
References
External links
* by Vinod Tipparaju at ACM/IEEE Supercomputing Conference, SC13 in November 2013
HSA and the software ecosystemHSA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Accelerated Processing Unit
AMD x86 microprocessors
System on a chip
Heterogeneous System Architecture