Minisforum is a consumer hardware brand that is well known for its impressive lineup of SFF/Mini PCs. However, what might not be as well-known, might be the fact that the brand also makes a plethora of other computing hardware and accessories. The company had recently announced the V3 and the more affordable V3 SE 3-in-1 tablet PCs with a design that is reminiscent of the Microsoft Surface. The V3 SE is now available to purchase, starting at $799.

At its heart, the Minisforum V3 SE is powered by the 28 W Ryzen 7735U "Rembrandt R" APU based on the Zen 3+ microarchitecture paired with 16 GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory. The APU is a decently powerful one, with multicore performance that is roughly in the same league as the Core Ultra 7 258V "Lunar Lake" processor. Unsurprisingly, any kind of discrete graphics is absent from the PC tablet, thereby making it rely solely on the 12-CU Radeon 680M iGPU for graphically demanding tasks. Storage is taken care of by its 1 TB M.2 SSD, which is housed in a 2280 slot.

SolidRun, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance System on Module (SOM) solutions, Single Board Computers (SBC) and network edge solutions, today announced the launch of its new Ryzen V3000 CX7 Com module, configurable with the 8-core/16-thread Ryzen Embedded V3C48 Processor. Boasting AMD's state-of-the-art 6 nm "Zen 3" architecture, this ultra-powerful embedded solution offers industry-leading performance and power efficiency. As SolidRun's first x86-based Com Express 7 module, the Ryzen V3000 CX7 Com module ushers in a new era of efficient, high-performance computing for a diverse range of networking and edge applications.

"Our new Ryzen V3000 CX7 Com module is an exciting addition to our CX7 product line as it represents a significant leap forward in embedded computing and offers unmatched performance and scalability for networking and edge applications," said Dr. Atai Ziv, CEO at SolidRun. "By leveraging the power of AMD's Ryzen Embedded V3000 processor, we are empowering developers to create innovative solutions that meet the evolving demands of modern embedded computing."

AMD today launched its first client processors that feature the compact "Zen 4c" CPU cores, with the Ryzen 5 7545U and Ryzen 3 7440U mobile processors for thin-and-light notebooks. The "Zen 4c" CPU core is a compacted version of the "Zen 4" core without the subtraction of any hardware components, but rather a high density arrangement of them on the 4 nm silicon. A "Zen 4c" core is around 35% smaller in area on the die than a regular "Zen 4" core. Since none of its components is removed, the core features an identical IPC (single thread performance) to "Zen 4," as well as an identical ISA (instruction set). "Zen 4c" also supports SMT or 2 threads per core. The trade-off here is that "Zen 4c" cores are generally clocked lower than "Zen 4" cores, as they can operate at lower core voltages. This doesn't, however, make the "Zen 4c" comparable to an E-core by Intel's definition, these cores are still part of the same CPU clock speed band as the "Zen 4" cores, at least in the processors that's being launched today.

The Ryzen 5 7545U and Ryzen 3 7440U mobile processors formally debut the new 4 nm "Phoenix 2" monolithic silicon. This chip is AMD's first hybrid processor, in that it has a mixture of two regular "Zen 4" cores, and four compact "Zen 4c" cores. The six cores share an impressive 16 MB of L3 cache. All six cores feature 1 MB of dedicated L2 cache. There is no complex hardware-based scheduler involved, but a software based solution that's deployed by AMD's Chipset Software, which tells the Windows scheduler to see the "Zen 4" cores as UEFI CPPC "preferred cores," and prioritize traffic to them, as they can hold on to higher boost frequency bins. The "Phoenix 2" silicon inherits much of the on-die power-management feature-set from the "Phoenix" and "Rembrandt" chips, and so are capable of a high degree of power savings with underutilized CPU cores and iGPU compute units.

AMD has reportedly signed up with Samsung Electronics to shift some of its 4 nm processor silicon fabrication from TSMC. The apex Taiwan-based foundry is reportedly operating at capacity for its 4 nm-class nodes, with customers such as Apple and Qualcomm sourcing 4 nm mobile SoCs on the node, leaving AMD with limited allocation and/or bargaining power with TSMC. The company relies on 4 nm for its Ryzen 7040 series "Phoenix" mobile processors, and is in the process of adapting its design for Samsung's 4 nm-class nodes (of which there are five types for AMD to choose from).

Switching to Samsung probably gives AMD more scalability, particularly given that "Phoenix" has missed its release timeline, leaving AMD with the 5 nm + 6 nm Ryzen 7045 series "Dragon Range" MCM in the premium segments, and older 6 nm 7035 series "Rembrandt-R" in the mainstream and ultraportable segments, but nothing "apt" to compete against Intel "Raptor Lake-U" and "Raptor Lake-P." AMD has a limited window in which to ramp up "Phoenix," as Intel readies "Meteor Lake" for a 2H-2023 debut, with a focus on mobile variants.

AMD is late in releasing its Phoenix Zen 4 lineup of mobile APUs - the original April launch has been missed, and laptops bearing Ryzen 7000HS & H-series are expected to arrive at some point this month. Preview hardware has made its way into the hands of testers, and one particular outlet - Golden Pig Upgrade, a content creator on the Chinese Bilibili video site - has performed benchmark tests. He seems to be the first reviewer to get hands-on time with AMD Ryzen 7040 Phoenix APUs, and his findings point to class leading performance results in terms of graphical capabilities - the 7840HS (packing a Radeon 780M RDNA3 iGPU) is compared to the Rembrandt-based 7735H, as well as a pair of Intel Raptor Lake CPUs - the 13700H and 13500H models.

AMD's newest Phoenix APU is the group leader in GPU performance stakes, but the jump up from the last-gen Rembrandt (RDNA2 iGPU) chip is not all that significant. VideoCardz reckons that the Radeon 780M integrated GPU is roughly equivalent to an NVIDIA GeForce MX550 dGPU and not far off from a GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics card (in terms of benchmark performance). According to AMD's internal documentation the RDNA 3 core architecture utilized in Phoenix APUs is referred to as "2.5" so this perhaps explains why the 780M is not doing laps around its older silbing(s).

When you buy a notebook powered by a Ryzen 7000 series mobile processor, you're either getting a cutting-edge chip powered by the company's latest "Zen 4" CPU cores, or one that has been rebadged from the company's previous-gen Ryzen 6000 "Zen 3+" or even Ryzen 5000 "Zen 3" (DDR4) processor series. The question on the tech buyer's mind will be "how to I spot a Ryzen 7000 series processor-powered notebook that actually gives me "Zen 4" CPU cores?"

AMD attempted to answer this with an exclusive new case badge for Ryzen 7000 series processors with "Zen 4" CPU cores. This new case badge looks not much different from the AMD Expo logo, in that the AMD Ryzen main branding is set against an orange backdrop. This bit is surrounded by a silver-metallic frame, with the 5/7/9 brand extension on its corner, along with "7000 series" marked. This case badge is only to be included with a Ryzen 7040 series "Phoenix" or Ryzen 7045 series "Dragon Range" processor present, and cannot be used with Ryzen 7035 series "Rembrandt Refresh" or Ryzen 7030 series "Barcelo Refresh," or Ryzen 7020 series "Mendocino."

It's almost cherry-blossom season in Japan, and MINISFORUM released a special edition mini PC to mark it. The UM773 SE has a pastel pink body color along with a cherry-blossom print. Under the hood, it rocks an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor (6 nm, Zen 3+, "Rembrandt Refresh" silicon), with an 8-core/16-thread CPU, and a 12-CU RDNA2 iGPU (Radeon 680M). You get two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots to drop in your own memory, and an M.2-2280 NVMe SSD slot with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 wiring, to use your own SSD, and a 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gbps.

Networking connectivity on the MINISFORUM UM773 SE include 2.5 GbE, WiFi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. USB connectivity includes USB4, for a type-C port that supports DisplayPort passthrough from the iGPU. There are a couple of 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 type-C ports, a couple of such type-A ports, and a couple of USB 2.0 type-A. A couple of HDMI ports, and HD audio make for the rest of it. The box measures 127 mm x 128 mm x 47 mm (WxDxH). The UM773 SE is sold either as a barebones that lacks memory and SSDs; or as prebuilts with 1x 16 GB, 2x 8 GB, and 2x 16 GB memory; each with a 512 GB NVMe SSD.

Update Mar 10th: MINISFORUM confirmed the US price of the UM773 SE to be $429 for the barebones, $579 for the prebuilt with 16 GB memory and 512 GB SSD, $639 for the one with 32 GB memory and 512 GB SSD, and $679 for the top model with 32 GB memory and 1 TB SSD storage.

AMD today solved the biggest challenge affecting its mobile processor family against Intel—CPU core-counts in the high-end HX-segment, with the introduction of the new Ryzen 7045HX series "Dragon Range" mobile processors. Based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, these processors offer core-counts of up to 16-core/32-thread, and target enthusiast gaming notebooks and mobile workstations. The processors debut the new "Dragon Range" multi-chip module (MCM). This is essentially a non-socketed version of the desktop "Raphael" MCM built in a mobile-friendly BGA package with a thin substrate and no IHS, with up to two 5 nm "Zen 4" 8-core CCDs, and a 6 nm cIOD (client I/O die).

The "Dragon Range" MCM uses the same chiplets as desktop "Raphael" Ryzen 7000 processors, and so its I/O is similar. The cIOD puts out a dual-channel (4 sub-channel) DDR5 memory interface, and a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 interface for discrete graphics, along with two PCI-Express 5.0 x4 links for up to two Gen 5 NVMe SSDs. The platform core-logic (chipset) is functionally similar to the desktop AMD B650E. All processor models in the series come with a TDP of 45 W, and a package power tracking (PPT) of "at least" 75 W. Each "Zen 4" CPU core comes with 1 MB of dedicated L2 cache, and each CCD has 32 MB of L3 cache.

The Ryzen 6000-series processors are exclusively-mobile, meant for notebooks and tablets, but is already making its way across several other form-factors, including handheld game consoles, and now desktops, as mini-PCs. Based on the 6 nm "Rembrandt" silicon, Ryzen 6000 combines an up to 8-core/16-thread "Zen 3+" CPU, with an iGPU based on the RDNA2 graphics architecture, with up to 12 compute units; and an exclusively DDR5/LPDDR5 memory interface making for a powerful mobile processor. At least three upcoming ASUS PN53-series mini-PCs powered by "Rembrandt" have surfaced in pre-order online store listings.

Among the three "Rembrandt" powered ASUS PN53 mini-PCs are the ASUS PN53-S9022MD, ASUS PN53-S7021MD, and ASUS PN53-S5020MD. The PN53-S9022MD leads the pack, with a Ryzen 9 6900HX processor (8C/16T, up to 4.90 GHz, 12-CU iGPU, 45 W TDP), 16 GB of DDR5-4800 memory, and 512 GB NVMe SSD; all priced at 1,100€. The ASUS PN53-S7021MD is positioned a notch below, with a Ryzen 7 6800H (8C/16T, up to 4.70 GHz, 12-CU iGPU, 45 W TDP), and otherwise same specs; priced at 1,000€. The ASUS PN53-S5020MD is the most affordable of the lot, powered by a Ryzen 5 6600H (6C/12T, up to 4.50 GHz, 6-CU iGPU, 45 W TDP), 8 GB of DDR5-4800 memory, and 256 GB NVMe storage. This one is going for 840€.

AMD in its 2022 Financial Analyst Day presentation announced the codename for the second generation of Ryzen desktop processors for Socket AM5, which is "Granite Ridge." A successor to the Ryzen 7000 "Raphael," the next-generation "Granite Ridge" processor will incorporate the "Zen 5" CPU microarchitecture, with its CPU complex dies (CCDs) built on the 4 nm silicon fabrication node. "Zen 5" will feature several core-level designs as detailed in our older article, including a redesigned front-end with greater parallelism, which should indicate a much large execution stage. The architecture could also incorporate AI/ML performance enhancements as AMD taps into Xilinx IP to add more fixed-function hardware backing the AI/ML capabilities of its processors.

The "Zen 5" microarchitecture makes its client debut with Ryzen "Granite Ridge," and server debut with EPYC "Turin." It's being speculated that AMD could give "Turin" a round of CPU core-count increases, while retaining the same SP5 infrastructure; which means we could see either smaller CCDs, or higher core-count per CCD with "Zen 5." Much like "Raphael," the next-gen "Granite Ridge" will be a series of high core-count desktop processors that will feature a functional iGPU that's good enough for desktop/productivity, though not gaming. AMD confirmed that it doesn't see "Raphael" as an APU, and that its definition of an "APU" is a processor with a large iGPU that's capable of gaming. The company's next such APU will be "Phoenix Point."

AYANEO has recently announced the AYANEO 2 featuring AMD's latest "Rembrandt" Ryzen 7 6800U APU with Zen 3+ & RDNA2 architectures. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U is a mobile processor with a configurable TDP of 15 - 28 W featuring 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 2.7 GHz and a boost of 4.7 GHz. The processor also includes integrated Radeon 680M graphics with 12 RDNA2 cores running at 2.2 GHz which should offer performance almost twice of that as the Steam Deck. This APU is paired with an unspecified amount of LPDDR5 6400 MHz memory and a 7" 1280×800 IPS frameless display. The console is also set to feature an integrated fingerprint sensor and has been showcased running numerous games such as Metro Exodus, Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, and Elden Ring. The AYANEO 2 is set to launch sometime later this year however an exact date or pricing was not shared.

AMD's next-generation Ryzen 7000-series "Phoenix" mobile processors are all the rage these days. Bound for 2023, these chips feature a powerful iGPU based on the RDNA3 graphics architecture, with performance allegedly rivaling that of a GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU—a popular performance-segment discrete GPU. What's more, AMD is also taking a swing at Intel in the CPU core-count game, by giving "Phoenix" a large number of "Zen 4" CPU cores. The secret ingredient pushing this combo, however, is a large cache.

AMD has used large caches to good effect both on its "Zen 3" processors, such as the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, where they're called 3D Vertical Cache (3D V-cache); as well as its Radeon RX 6000 discrete GPUs, where they're called Infinity Cache. The only known difference between the two is that the latter is fully on-die, while the former is stacked on top of existing silicon IP. It's being reported now, that "Phoenix" will indeed feature a stacked 3D V-cache.

CPU-Z is one of the most widespread tools for profiling and monitoring, gathering information from the system, and presenting it in a user-readable UI. Today, the application has reached another milestone with the release of the CPU-Z 2.01 version, which brings support for additional upcoming processors from AMD and Intel. One of the software highlights is the inclusion of AMD's forthcoming processor designs, codenamed Rembrandt and Raphael. These processors are what AMD is bringing to the market now and in the near future, meaning that the software ecosystem has to prepare. Additionally, CPU-Z has been updated with preliminary support for Intel's upcoming 13th Generation Raptor Lake processors, alongside Intel ARC 3/5/7 DG2 designs. CPU-Z developers also improved validation process for high-frequency overclocking submissions of over 6 GHz. The full changelog is listed below.

Download CPU-Z 2.01 here.

AMD's first desktop processor with DDR5 memory support, the Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael," based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, will come with a design focus on DDR5 memory overclocking capabilities, with the company claiming that the processors will be capable of handling DDR5 memory clock speeds "you maybe thought couldn't be possible," according to Joseph Tao who is a Memory Enabling Manager at AMD.

Tao stated: "Our first DDR5 platform for gaming is our Raphael platform and one of the awesome things about Raphael is that we are really gonna try to make a big splash with overclocking and I'll just kinda leave it there but speeds that you maybe thought couldn't be possible, may be possible with this overclocking spec." We are hearing reports of AMD innovating a new overclocking standard for DDR5 memory, which it calls RAMP (Ryzen Accelerated Memory Profile), which it is positioning as a competing standard to Intel's XMP 3.0 spec.

Although not yet available directly from AMD, its latest chipset drivers, version 4.03.03.624, have been released by Gigabyte and possibly other motherboard partners and it contains a couple of interesting additions. The first one is support for USB4, albeit only for 64-bit versions of Windows 10 at this point in time. This part really only applies to the Zen 3+ "Rembrandt" mobile Ryzen 6000-series CPUs so far, as they're the only products from AMD that supports USB4 at this point in time.

The other interesting part is that AMD has included a 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer Driver for both the 64-bit version of Windows 10 and Windows 11. As to what this driver does, is anyone's guess at this point in time, but it's likely to be some kind of cache scheduler, or possibly a means for AMD to allocate software that can't take advantage of the 3D V-Cache to the CPU native cache. We should be finding out in a couple of weeks time, as the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is scheduled for retail availability on the 20th of April.

The Radeon 680M integrated graphics powering the AMD Ryzen 6000-series mobile processors is proving to be an entry-level discrete-GPU killer. TechEpiphany posted a video presentation showing the iGPU's real-world gameplay performance with the AAA title "Cyberpunk 2077" at Full HD (1080p), with a little help from FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). TechEpiphany used an ASUS TUF GAMING F17 notebook powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H "Rembrandt" processor that has the full Radeon 680M iGPU unlocked, with all its 12 RDNA2 compute units (768 stream processors), 12 Ray Accelerators, 16 ROPs, and 48 TMUs, enabled. The notebook also features a GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU, but for this testing, it was disabled.

The first part of the video shows the game running at 1080p and Medium-High settings, with FSR set at Ultra Quality. Here, the iGPU is managing 30-40 FPS. Real-time ray tracing is disabled. In the second part, they enabled ray tracing and FidelityFX Super Resolution, but this is where the iGPU runs out of steam. Frame-rates drop to unplayable levels, but there still aren't any noticeable visual artifacts or rendering errors typically associated with iGPUs made to render games above their pay-grade. It's still impressive to see that AMD following through on its promise of bringing 1080p gaming across a broader range of titles. The TechEpiphany video presentation can be watched in the source link below.

AMD on Thursday unveiled its Ryzen 6000 series "Rembrandt" mobile processors. The company claims these chips offer generational increases in CPU performance, along with big leaps in energy-efficiency and integrated graphics performance. At the heart of these processors is the new 6 nm "Rembrandt" silicon that the company is building on the TSMC N6 silicon fabrication node that leverages EUV lithography.

The "Rembrandt" silicon broadly combines an 8-core/16-thread CPU based on the new Zen 3+ microarchitecture, a large new iGPU based on the RDNA2 graphics architecture, complete with real-time ray tracing support; a DDR5 + LPDDR5 memory controller, and a full PCI-Express Gen4 root-complex. The iGPU, memory interface, and PCIe interface are generational updates over the previous-gen "Cezanne," and it may seem like the CPU is largely unchanged, but AMD claims there are several optimizations that have gone into the CPU to earn the "+" tag.

Corsair is readying a gaming device it calls "Xenomorph." At this point we don't know its exact form-factor, but given its display resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, and the fact that desktop monitors with it are hard to come by; this is very likely a 16-inch gaming notebook with a 16:10 display with that resolution. A UserBenchmark submission sheds light on the hardware specs of the device, which includes an AMD Ryzen 6000 series "Rembrandt" mobile processor. Built on the 6 nm node, "Rembrandt" combines an 8-core/16-thread "Zen 3+" CPU with an iGPU based on the latest RDNA2 graphics architecture. The iGPU features 768 stream processors, full DirectX 12 Ultimate support, including ray tracing; and the ability to share rendering workloads with an RDNA2-based discrete GPU, such as the Radeon RX 6800M.

The name "Xenomorph" sparks a lot of speculation, mainly around the form-factor. Could this be a gaming notebook with a killer hardware feature such as an integrated touchscreen? Something with a foldable screen? A convertible that turns into a tablet? Another possibility is a device that looks otherworldly enough to be a tribute to HR Giger, the artist who created the Xenomorph alien. We don't know if Xenomorph is an internal codename, or an actual product name, as that might require some legal understanding with 20th Century Fox.

If you've been waiting for more details about AMD's next mobile platform, then you're in luck, as the motherload has dropped today, with lots of details about the new Rembrandt APU's that are launching next year. Not only has a picture of the first motherboard, with adhering laptop showed up, but we also have a mostly complete block diagram and a list of expected SKU's, even though not all SKU models are revealed as yet.

AMD's Rembrandt APU will be its first APU with PCIe 4.0 support, which in itself might not be worth the wait, but if paired with the right GPU, this might help increase the performance somewhat compared to the previous generation of APUs from AMD. The bigger news is USB4 support, plus a new GPU which we so far don't know too much about, but it's speculated that it'll be called Radeon RX 680M and should offer 12 compute units. DDR5 memory support is also expected, so Rembrandt clearly has a new memory controller, since the APU is still based on the Zen 3 architecture.

Quite possibly the first sighting of a next-generation AMD processor with DDR5 memory surfaced on the web. A BAPCo CrossMark Database entry references a prototype processor with the name-string "AMD Eng Sample: 100-000000560-40_Y," running on a platform titled "ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. M3402RA." The chip has 16 GB of memory across 2 memory channels, and a memory frequency of 4800 MHz DDR. The platform here could be either a desktop motherboard, or a notebook. 4800 MHz is an unusual memory speed for a mobile platform, unless it's a single stick of DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM, with two 40-bit channels.

The first notebooks with DDR5 memory make landfall early next year, when Intel launches mobile variants of its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors. This would mean that DDR5 SO-DIMMs are already in circulation with OEMs. If the theory of this being a mobile chip holds true, it could very well be the "Rembrandt" APU that combines "Zen 3+" CPU cores with an iGPU based on the RDNA2 graphics architecture. If however the platform is a prototype Socket AM5 motherboard, it could be one of the first sightings of a next-generation "Raphael" desktop processor with "Zen 4" CPU cores, and a combination of DDR5 memory and PCI-Express Gen 5.

Prominent chip designers like AMD and NVIDIA could bless consumers with a broader offering of their new products as soon as CES 2022 arrives. AMD should present its rumored Rembrandt-H lineup of processors based on the enhanced Zen 3 core, sometimes referred to as Zen 3+. According to the latest report coming from MyLaptopsGuide, Bluetooth SIG has some data entry about ASUS'es upcoming ROG Zephyrus Duo GX650 laptop that integrates AMD Rembrandt-H processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series graphics. As the website claims, the heart of this laptop will be AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor built on TSMC's 6 nm manufacturing process. We don't know much about this model, but we expect it to refine the previous Ryzen 9 5900HX.

We again see the rumored NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card for mobile, powering the graphics side of things. This model is supposedly based on GA103S GPU SKU, which is likely tailor-made for laptops in mind and exclusive to them. ASUS has also paired 16 GB of DDR5-4800 RAM with an AMD Ryzen processor, suggesting that Rembrandt-H has a new memory controller in place. This laptop model also has a 16-inch 300 Hz Full HD screen with anti-glare; however, the amount of information ended there. We have to wait for CES 2022 launch to find out more.

The first trace of AMD's upcoming Ryzen 6000 mobile series has recently appeared with a processor of OPN code 100-000000518-41_N surfacing in the UserBenchmark database with the socket listed as FP7 which is the rumored platform for AMD's 6 nm Rembrandt family. The engineering sample features 8-cores and 16-threads with a base clock of 3.9 GHz and a boost of 4.1 GHz along with an integrated RDNA2 iGPU.

This marks the move from Vega to Navi 2 for the integrated GPU which should result in significant graphics performance and efficiency improvements. The processor was paired with a single 16 GB DDR5 memory module from Corsair running at 4800 MHz CL40, the computer is also listed as Corsair Xenomorph which is interesting as we are not aware of any plans for Corsair to release laptops. AMD is expected to announce Rembrandt at CES 2022 and the processors have allegedly already entered production.

As we await the update of AMD's highly anticipated 6000 series Rembrandt APUs based on Zen 3 cores and RDNA2 graphics, we are in for a surprise with information about the next generation, more than a year away, of Ryzen 7000 series mobile processors based on Zen 4 architecture. Codenamed Raphael-H, it co-exists with the upcoming lineup of Phoenix APUs, which come after the 6000 series Rembrandt APU lineup. This mobile variant of the forthcoming desktop Raphael processors features as many as 16 cores based on Zen 4 architecture. What is so special about the Raphael-H is that it represents a mobile adaptation of desktop processors, and we are not sure how it will be different from the Phoenix APUs. However, we assume that Phoenix is going to feature a more powerful graphics solution.

The confusing thing is the timeline of these processors. First comes the Rembrandt APUs (6000 series) and then both the Raphael-H and Phoenix mobile processors. AMD could disable iGPU on mobile Raphael-H designs. However, that is just a guess. We have to wait to find out more in the upcoming months.

AMD might fall behind Intel on PCI-Express Gen 5 support, say sources familiar with the recent GIGABYTE ransomware attack and ensuing leak of confidential documents. If you recall, AMD had extensively marketed the fact that it was first-to-market with PCI-Express Gen 4, over a year ahead of Intel's "Rocket Lake" processor. The platform block-diagram for Socket AM5 states that the AM5 SoC puts out a total of 28 PCI-Express Gen 4 lanes. 16 of these are allocated toward PCI-Express discrete graphics, 4 toward a CPU-attached M.2 NVMe slot, another 4 lanes toward a discrete USB4 controller, and the remaining 4 lanes as chipset-bus.

Socket AM5 SoCs appear to have an additional 4 lanes to spare than the outgoing "Matisse" and "Vermeer" SoCs, which on higher-end platforms are used up by the USB4 controller, but can be left unused for the purpose, and instead wired to an additional M.2 NVMe slot on lower-end motherboards. Thankfully, memory is one area where AMD will maintain parity with Intel, as Socket AM5 is being designed for dual-channel DDR5. The other SoC-integrated I/O, as well as I/O from the chipset, appear to be identical to "Vermeer," with minor exceptions such as support for 20 Gbps USB 3.2x2. The Socket has preparation for display I/O for APUs from the generation. Intel's upcoming "Alder Lake-S" processor implements PCI-Express Gen 5, but only for the 16-lane PEG port. The CPU-attached NVMe slot, as well as downstream PCIe connectivity, are limited to PCIe Gen 4.

We've known since last week that AMD's upcoming desktop processor socket, AM5, will be a land-grid array (LGA), much like Intel's desktop sockets; and today we have a first-look at what the land-grid will look like, courtesy of ExecutableFix, who first broke news of AM5 being an LGA of 1,718 pins. Below is a render of the AM5 contact pad (the underside of the processor). The 1,718 contacts span across the fiberglass substrate, with no socket island in the middle for ancillaries. All electrical ancillaries are located on the obverse side of the substrate, surrounding the die(s). The substrate area will remain 40 mm x 40 mm, so the processor package will be roughly of the same size as AM4. In comparison, Intel's upcoming LGA1700 package is expected to measure 37.5 mm x 45 mm (a rectangular substrate).

ExecutableFix put out a handful more details about the I/O of this socket. Apparently, AM5 is a pure-DDR5 platform, with no backwards compatibility with DDR4. The socket features a dual-channel DDR5 memory interface. The PCI-Express interface is PCI-Express 4.0, with the socket putting out 28 lanes in total. 16 of these go to the PEG slot(s), four to an M.2 NVMe slot, and possibly the remaining eight as chipset bus. Considering these are Gen 4, the next-generation X670 (X570 successor) chipset could have double the chipset-bus bandwidth compared to Intel Z590. A typical Socket AM5 chip, such as "Rembrandt," could feature a TDP of 120 W, going up to 170 W, according to the source.