AMD Updates Ryzen Cellular CPU Numbering System Forward of Mendocino APU Launch

Whereas all eyes are on the approaching launch of AMD’s new Ryzen 7000 desktop processors, the chipmaker additionally has its wheels in movement for the way forward for its cellular product lineup. And whereas we’re nonetheless fairly a bit away from the primary Zen 4 cellular components, extra instant on AMD’s roadmap is their Zen 2-based Mendocino SoC, which is aimed toward mainstream laptops. Mendocino APUs are set to launch subsequent quarter, and to arrange for that launch, AMD at present is updating their cellular processor numbering scheme to accommodate these future merchandise.

The quick model of issues is that whereas the brand new numbering system is sort of much like AMD’s earlier system (e.g. Ryzen Cellular 6000), the corporate is now dedicating a digit to characterize the model of the Zen structure used. With AMD set to have Zen 2 (Mendocino), Zen 3 (Rembrandt), and finally Zen 4 (Phoenix) cellular APUs all in the marketplace on the similar time, AMD has determined that they should higher disclose the structure used beneath – a “crucial evil”, as former AnandTech CPU editor Dr. Ian Cutress put it, to keep away from any improprieties (perceived or in any other case) that AMD is deceptive clients by providing a number of variations of the Zen structure.

So with out additional ado, right here is your decoder for AMD’s Ryzen Cellular product line for the following few years.

Ranging from the highest, the first digit is now explicitly a mannequin 12 months digit. AMD is selecting up from the place they left off right here with the present Ryzen Cellular 6000 collection merchandise, and beginning issues with the 7000 collection for mannequin 12 months 2023 merchandise. This can, in flip, be incremented to eight after which 9 for mannequin 12 months 2024 and mannequin 12 months 2025 respectively.

“Mannequin 12 months” is the operative time period right here, because the Mendocino APUs could be the primary merchandise to make use of the brand new numbering system, regardless that they’re launching within the tail finish of 2022. So much like vehicles, AMD is operationally giving themselves some leeway to fold end-of-year merchandise into the next calendar 12 months.

In accordance with AMD’s APU mixing, this additionally provides AMD additional room to recycle/refresh current components for future mannequin years by incrementing the mannequin 12 months quantity. To make certain, AMD is already doing this with components just like the Renoir/Zen 2-based Ryzen Mobile 5000 chips, which in flip has led to a number of the confusion AMD is trying to resolve with their new numbering system. A technique or one other, OEMs need to have components with “present” mannequin 12 months numbers, and as AMD isn’t going to be doing top-to-bottom overhauls of its cellular APU structure each single calendar 12 months, that is the compromise to permit AMD to refresh their {hardware} as improvement and market circumstances permit.

In the meantime the second digit is remaining because the market phase of the chip, indicating if it’s a Ryzen 3, 5, 7, or 9 half (or an Athlon Silver/Gold half). AMD has used this digit fairly loosely over time, broadly incrementing it for higher-segment components, and that follow is ready to proceed beneath the brand new numbering system. Which means 9 and seven might be Ryzen 9 and seven respectively, whereas 8 might be break up between each Ryzen 9 and Ryzen 7. In the meantime Ryzen 5 will use 5 and 6, and Ryzen 3 will use 3 and 4. Lastly, 1 and a couple of might be reserved for low-end Athlon Silver and Gold components, respectively.

Following that, the third digit is the Zen structure model. This finally ends up being very easy, with every model of the Zen structure taking the matching worth, e.g. Zen 2 is a 2 and Zen 3 is a 3.

As said earlier, that is the largest and most necessary change to AMD’s numbering scheme. With the upcoming launch of the Zen 2-based Mendocino APUs, it’s in AMD’s finest pursuits to verify they’re clearly disclosing the CPU structure getting used, so that buyers should not being duped by pondering they’re getting a chip based mostly on a more recent structure like Zen 4. With AMD seemingly set to solely replace a fraction of its chip lineup every calendar 12 months – and the mannequin 12 months digit basically being nugatory for figuring out the structure used – that is how AMD will be capable of have a single product stack comprised of various chip architectures whereas nonetheless making the mandatory disclosures to keep away from deceptive shoppers.

Rounding out the digits, the fourth digit is the function isolation/minor efficiency phase for a chip. Even with 9 main market/peformance segments, AMD usually affords a few chips in every phase, and never at all times with equivalent options. So, at any time when AMD’s product stack turns into deep sufficient that it ought to turn out to be crucial, the fourth digit might be used as the ultimate component to point whether or not that is the upper or decrease chip inside that market phase.

Notably, there are at the moment solely two values deliberate for the fourth digit: 0 and 5. 0 would be the decrease phase half, and 5 the sooner. And, ought to AMD must introduce an excellent finer diploma of differentiation, then there’s loads of room for extra values.

AMD’s major instance, for the second, is utilizing this digit to distinguish between Barcelo (Zen3 + Vega) and Rembrandt (Zen3 + RDNA2) APUs, each of which might be bought as a part of the Ryzen Cellular 7000 collection. Since each are based mostly on the Zen 3 CPU structure, structure alone can’t be used to distinguish the chips. And somewhat than enjoying video games with the main phase to attempt to separate the 2 chips (e.g. making Rembrandt solely Ryzen 7 and Barcelo solely Ryzen 5), AMD as a substitute makes use of the fourth digit to mark which chip is which.

Be aware that AMD will even be doing this with Zen 4 Ryzen Cellular components, as Phoenix and Dragon Vary will each be Zen 4 components with completely different options. On this case, the high-end Dragon Vary components will take up the xxx5 digit. This additionally signifies that between the third and fourth digits, each structure/platform can have its personal two digit mixture, be is 7×20 for Mendocino, 7×35 for Rembrandt, or 7×40 for Phoenix.

Lastly, the suffix will proceed to point the TDP of the chip. That is unchanged from AMD’s present use of suffixes. So HX would be the top-end 55W+ components, HS the 35W components, U the 15-28W components, and lower-case e their 9W components meant for fanless laptops. AMD is dropping the H suffix, nonetheless; whereas the corporate doesn’t speak about future merchandise, it is a less-than-subtle trace that the 45W SKUs are going away in favor of sustaining clear groupings of 55W and 35W components.

In the meantime SKUs particularly aimed for Chromebooks will even retain their C suffix to distinguish them from AMD’s regular chips designed for full-fledged laptops. For the second, all of AMD’s Chromebook chips are 15-28W.

Taken altogether, it’s simple sufficient to see/challenge how future AMD chips might be numbered. A rebadged model of the Rembrandt-based Ryzen 7 6800HS, for instance, would find yourself being one thing just like the Ryzen 7 7735HS. Becoming a member of that, a Mendocino chip would find yourself being alongside the strains of the Ryzen 3 7320. And farther down the road when AMD launches their Zen 4 cellular APUs, you’ll have one thing just like the Ryzen 9 7945HX (to be bought alongside the marginally slower Ryzen 9 7845HX and the decrease energy Ryzen 9 7940HS). And brought to an absurd diploma, this technique does give AMD room to do some significantly loopy mixtures, reminiscent of resurrecting the Zen+ based mostly Picasso in 2025 for the Ryzen 9 9915HX.

Pragmatically talking, when you’re not a daily AnandTech reader you’re unlikely to recollect the complete scope of AMD’s cellular chip numbering system – and even AMD is aware of as a lot. However through the use of a constant numbering system that progressively will increase in worth with the efficiency of a chip, AMD needs to be higher in a position to talk what’s beneath the hood and the way their chips are supposed to evaluate to one another.

Pictured Above: A Ryzen Cellular decoder wheel AMD distributed to the press. It is much less daunting than it appears to be like