AMD shared new architectures to power everything from data centers to mobile devices at Computex 2024
Like major hardware manufacturers NVIDIA and Intel, AMD took the stage at Computex 2024 and showcased its comprehensive portfolio of AI and high-performance computing solutions for data centers, cloud, edge, and PCs. AMC chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su was also joined by strategic partners, including Microsoft, HP, Lenovo, and Asus to launch the next generation of Ryzen notebook and desktop processors, preview the performance of the EPYC server processors, and detail AMD's roadmap for the AMD Instinct AI accelerators.
AMD detailed a staggering multi-generational accelerator roadmap with an intended annual cadence for delivering improved and enhanced generative AI solutions for data centers and the cloud. The roadmap begins with the availability of the AMD Instinct MI325X accelerators, expected for Q4 2024. Then, the next-generation AMD CDNA™ 4 architecture is expected in 2025 to support the AMD Instinct MI350 Series, which will deliver a 35x increase in AI inference performance compared to the AMD Instinct MI300 Series with AMD CDNA 3. Finally, the CDNA "Next" architecture is expected to power MI400 Series accelerators in 2026. AMD also previewed the 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors, which leverage the Zen 5 core technology and will be available during the second half of 2024, superseding the current fourth-generation EPYC processors featuring the Zen 4 CPU architecture.
The Zen 5 CPU core also lies at the heart of the consumer-geared AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors and AMD Ryzen 9000 Series desktop processors. The Zen 5, AMD XDNA 2 NPU core technology and AMD RDNA™ 3.5 graphics will power cutting-edge AI experiences in laptops powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors. Microsoft announced that the Ryzen AI 300 Series exceeded the requirements for the recently announced Copilot+ PCs. Additionally, HP demonstrated how the HP Pavilion Aero could locally run the image generator Stable Diffusion XL Turbo on a Ryzen AI 300 Series processor. Lenovo and ASUS also previewed AI PCs powered by Ryzen AI 300 Series processors.
AMD Ryzen 9000 Series desktop processors, which also leverage the Zen 5 architecture, are geared toward gamers, content creators, and anyone looking to unlock productivity that can only be delivered by industry-leading performance. The Ryzen 9000 Series includes the 9950X processors, which AMD claims are the world’s fastest consumer desktop processors. Relatedly, the AMD Radeon™ PRO W7900 Dual Slot workstation graphics card, and AMD ROCm™ 6.1 f were unveiled as part of the improvements aimed at making AI development and deployment with AMD GPUs more compatible, accessible, and scalable.
To complete the full range of AI solutions delivered by the company, AMD announced the early access availability of the AMD Versal AI Edge Gen 2 devices. The recently launched AMD Versal™ AI Edge Series Gen 2 combines state-of-the-art features including FPGA programmable logic for real-time pre-processing, AI Engines powered by XDNA technology, and embedded CPUs to deliver a high-performing single-chip adaptive solution for edge AI.