AMD “Kraken Point” Silicon Succeeds “Hawk Point” with Zen 5 4P+4C Core Config, NPU
4/25/2024
AMD “Kraken Point” Silicon Succeeds “Hawk Point” with Zen 5 4P+4C Core Config, NPU
AMD’s next-generation Ryzen mobile processor family is undergoing significant repositioning within its product stack. The company is introducing a new “elite experience” segment, and “Kraken Point” plays a key role in this lineup.
Overview
- Kraken Point: Codenamed for AMD’s next-generation monolithic mobile processor silicon, designed to power Ryzen processor SKUs competing against Intel Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 7 SKUs.
- Process Technology: Built on a refined 4 nm EUV node by TSMC.
- CPU Complex: Features a combination of four regular “Zen 5” cores and four “Zen 5c” low-power cores. All eight cores share a single CCX, enabling easy thread movement between the two types of cores without round-trips to the DRAM.
- Instruction Sets and IPC: Both “Zen 5” and “Zen 5c” cores are expected to feature identical IPC, instruction sets, and support for SMT.
- Software-Based Scheduling: AMD uses software-based OS scheduler extensions to prioritize “Zen 5” cores over “Zen 5c” cores, eliminating the need for elaborate hardware-based schedulers.
- Integrated Graphics: The iGPU of “Kraken Point” will be based on the RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture, with 4 WGPs (workgroup processors) worth 8 CUs or 512 stream processors.
Comparison
- Hawk Point: The current silicon driving premium experiences, positioned below the upcoming “Fire Range.”
- Strix Point: Positioned above Kraken Point, featuring 4 “Zen 5” cores and 8 “Zen 5c” cores.
- Strix Halo: The “Super APU” segment positioned above Strix Point.
In summary, AMD’s “Kraken Point” aims to deliver a balanced performance profile, combining power-efficient cores with strong single-threaded performance. As the mobile processor landscape evolves, Kraken Point promises to be an exciting addition to AMD’s lineup.