AMD Sound Wave, Sarlak, Kraken APUs Revealed

AMD is developing new APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) for laptops and desktops. These APUs include models such as Strix, Sarlak, Kraken and Sound Wave. The next generation APU series, starting with Strix (also known as Strix Point), will feature Zen 5 core architecture for improved performance. It will also feature the renewed RDNA 3.5 architecture to improve the graphics capabilities of these APUs.

These APUs are designed to provide better mobility and power efficiency for laptops and are also suitable for desktop computers. AMD’s plan is to incorporate chiplet designs into its next-generation APUs, which means breaking the processor into smaller pieces called chiplets. This approach allows for better scalability and performance optimization. Additionally, according to a leak, it was revealed that AMD is working on an APU codenamed Sound Wave. However, in the information provided, specific details about this special model were not given.

AMD Strix APUs will be part of the Ryzen 8050 family. They will also come with a new technology called XDNA 2 “Ryzen AI” that will greatly increase the performance of AI calculations and offer up to three times better performance (up to 48 TOPS) compared to previous models. These APUs are expected to replace the current Hawk Point APU “Ryzen 8040” family in the second half of 2024.

Another APU set called Kracken Point will arrive next year, which will use the same Zen 5 cores as the Strix APUs, along with RDNA 3.5 GPUs. It was originally planned that these chips would have RDNA 4 cores, but this idea was abandoned. Available information indicates that Kracken APUs will have up to 8 cores and offer up to 8 compute units in the Zen 5 and Zen 5C versions. This means Kracken APUs will be a mainstream chip series suitable for a wide range of applications.

When we look at this information, the most interesting thing mentioned is that Sarlak and Strix will have different IO die configurations, which brings to mind the chiplet design. Strix will have two options: the standard design with up to 12 CPU cores and 16 CUs, or the premium chip design with up to 16 CPU cores and 40 CUs. There are rumors that Sarlak is the codename for a premium Strix model, but based on available information it appears they do not belong to the same series.

Additionally, there is also talk of a future APU called Sound Wave, which could be based on advanced technologies such as Zen 6 and RDNA 5. However, not much is known about Sound Wave at the moment. It is important to note that the technologies listed for each APU may not be accurate. AMD is expected to unveil its Zen 5 core architecture at this year’s Computex event, which will provide more clarity about the future of APUs.