AMD Ryzen AI 300 “Strix Point”: A Closer Look

AMD recently unveiled its Ryzen AI 300 “Strix Point” processors alongside the Ryzen 9000 desktop lineup at Computex. These processors represent the first hybrid core design from Team Red, expected to launch this fall. While detailed information is still limited, here are the essential specifications and insights:

Specifications:

Ryzen AI HX 370:
- 12 cores, 24 threads (based on Zen 5)
- Boost clock up to 5.1 GHz
- 36 MB of L3 cache
- Radeon 890M GPU with 16 CUs (1024 shaders) at 2.9 GHz
- TDP: 28W (adjustable to 54W or 15W)
Ryzen AI 365:
- 10 cores, 20 threads
- Peak boost clock of 5 GHz
- 34 MB of L3 cache
- Radeon 880M iGPU (12 CUs, 768 shaders) at 2.9 GHz
- Includes a 50 TOP NPU based on the XDNA 3 architecture

Core Architecture Insights:

Zen 5 “P-cores” and Zen 5c “E-cores”:
- Preliminary testing revealed these cut-down cores with a peak boost clock of 4 GHz.
- Ryzen AI 9 365 features 4x Zen 5 “P-cores” and 6x Zen 5c “E-cores.”
- Zen 5 CCX has 16 MB of L3 cache (compared to 32 MB on desktop and Epyc) and reduced boost clock.
- SIMD throughput (execution backend) is halved, affecting L1 load bandwidth.
Front-End Innovation:
- Zen 5 introduces a dual front-end, similar to Bulldozer and Intel’s Crestmont/Tremont E-cores.
- 2x 4-wide decoders can run independently, allowing two taken-branches per cycle.
- In SMT2 mode, each thread can use one decoder, increasing throughput to 8.
Performance and IPC:
- Zen 5 offers significant throughput gains in certain instructions.
- However, due to reduced execution bandwidth, it performs similarly to Zen 4.
- SPEC CPU benchmark shows ~10% IPC uplift over Zen 4 at 4.8 GHz.
- Geekbench 5 and 6 indicate a 15-17% IPC improvement, but real-world workloads may differ.

In summary, Strix Point appears to be a promising upgrade over Phoenix/Hawk Point, although the cuts to SIMD units may impact performance. Stay tuned for further details as the launch approaches!