Tuesday, August 24th 2021
AMD Socket AM5 "Zen 4" Processors to have RDNA2 Integrated Graphics Across the Lineup
The first desktop processors to implement AMD's "Zen 4" microarchitecture will feature integrated graphics as standard across the lineup, according to a Chips and Cheese report citing leaked AMD design documents. Currently, most of the Socket AM4 desktop processor lineup lacks integrated graphics, and specialized "G" SKUs with integrated graphics dot it. These SKUs almost always come with compromises in CPU performance or PCIe I/O. With its 5 nm "Raphael" Socket AM5 desktop processor, AMD is planning to change this, in a bid to match up to Intel on the universality of integrated graphics.
Built in the 5 nm silicon fabrication process, the "Raphael" silicon combines "Zen 4" CPU cores along with an iGPU based on the RDNA2 graphics architecture. This would be the first time AMD updated the SIMD architecture of its Ryzen iGPUs since 2017. The RDNA2-based iGPU will come with a more advanced DCN (Display CoreNext) component than current RDNA2-based discrete GPUs, with some SKUs even featuring DisplayPort 2.0 support, besides HDMI 2.1. By the time "Raphael" is out (2022-23), it is expected that USB4 type-C would gain popularity, and mainstream motherboards as well as pre-built desktops could ship with USB4 with DisplayPort 2.0 passthrough. AMD relies on a discrete USB4 controller with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 wiring, for its first Socket AM5 platform.
Sources:
Chips and Cheese, VideoCardz
Built in the 5 nm silicon fabrication process, the "Raphael" silicon combines "Zen 4" CPU cores along with an iGPU based on the RDNA2 graphics architecture. This would be the first time AMD updated the SIMD architecture of its Ryzen iGPUs since 2017. The RDNA2-based iGPU will come with a more advanced DCN (Display CoreNext) component than current RDNA2-based discrete GPUs, with some SKUs even featuring DisplayPort 2.0 support, besides HDMI 2.1. By the time "Raphael" is out (2022-23), it is expected that USB4 type-C would gain popularity, and mainstream motherboards as well as pre-built desktops could ship with USB4 with DisplayPort 2.0 passthrough. AMD relies on a discrete USB4 controller with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 wiring, for its first Socket AM5 platform.
51 Comments on AMD Socket AM5 "Zen 4" Processors to have RDNA2 Integrated Graphics Across the Lineup
Makes little sense to suddenly switch to chiplets for mobile, so probably AMD is continuing on the -G APUs as essentially socketed and higher clocked mobile parts with more space to dedicate to an actually interesting iGPU.
And it sounds like chiplets aren't going away, so unless there are radical improvements in off-die IF latency, current Vega 8 (and future APUs) still has the advantage of being monolithic. Vega 8 doesn't get very hot, but the rest of the chip helps sink heat away from the iGPU when it is pulling ~30W.
Imagine a standard 65W CPU paired with a 105W GPU. And that's without any powerplay between the two.You can put there a 150W GPU and let smart power-management do the rest.
Or buying an Intel CPU with integrated.
AMD makes Ryzen Mobile's Premiere Pro Video Encoding faster than ever with GPU hardware acceleration | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)
it's been half done over the years, make it the default!
Could be either I/O die or separate, both would have their advantages. But from how AMD APUs and all desktop Intel are designed though, probably I/O die right next to I/O and UMC and system agent stuff.
They already have 2 separate product lines on desktop..........Matisse + Renoir, Vermeer + Cezanne. AMD wants to continue to expand laptop marketshare so monolithic APUs are here to stay, and the roadmaps point to cutting-edge iGPUs staying on APUs like they always have. This chiplet iGPU is probably analogous to 32EU Xe, and Intel is reserving its best full iGPU for the parts that actually need it (mobile Tiger/Alder Lake), no reason why AMD wouldn't do the same.
E series (45W and under 8 cores with basic GPU, maybe a single CCX lineup?)
G series (65-95W, strong IGP)
X series (65W-170W) - basic GPU, all the cores and performance
The reason why I went with an Intel CPU was to have an iGPU without compromise on the CPU part.
Anyone who have got a dead GFX card will understand how nice it is to have a fallback option.
Today, AMD the only thing AMD wants is to limit its sales numbers because the performance advantages related to the MORE Cores will suddenly evaporate.
AMD APUs have been inferior to other AMD CPUs in some way as well. The 8 cores that was Zen's main argument did not exist in 2000 and 3000 series APUs. 4000-series APUs were officially OEM-only and even 5000-series APUs suffer from lower Cache.
They are suppose to move the I/O die to TMSC 7nm. That will leave them some room to implement a small RDNA2 GPU.
That would help them to get some feature like quicksync. Things that AMD really need to improve.
But i won't think those would be super powerful. But who know, with chiplets, they could design a specific SKU with a larger RDNA2 GPU for that reason.
It would need some infinity cache on to have enough bandwidth.