AMD’s Next-Gen Strix Halo & Krackan Point “Ryzen AI” Zen 5 APUs Confirmed, NPU IDs Also Revealed

AMD's Next-Gen Strix Halo & Krackan Point "Ryzen AI" Zen 5 APUs Confirmed, NPU IDs Also Revealed 1

AMD has added official support for its next-gen Zen 5-powered Strix Halo & Krackan Point "Ryzen AI" APUs which launch next year.

AMD recently released its latest Ryzen AI Software 1.2, offering many optimizations for laptops running on AMD Ryzen AI processors such as the recently launched Ryzen AI 300 "Strix" CPUs.

That said, AMD can be seen already preparing for the upcoming enthusiast-grade Strix Halo APUs, which will boast a multi-chiplet design based on the Zen 5 architecture. Furthermore, the support for the Kraken Point APUs can also be seen in the new driver. Following are the listings in the new software update:

The AMD Ryzen AI Software 1.2 update also gives us a sneak peek at the latest added silicon revisions. The 'STXH' or Strix Halo can be seen under the '2nd' gen silicon revisions. Additionally, Kraken Point also appears on the list but apparently, it is being named "Krackan", which suggests the codename change for this series as Kraken Point hasn't been declared as the official name by the company. Additionally, the new software update also exposes the PCI IDs for the NPU as the following:

Both Strix Halo and Krackan will feature the Zen 5 architecture but Strix Halo is prepared for a high-end notebook lineup, bringing as many as 16 cores based on the Zen 5 architecture with the most powerful integrated graphics known to date, offering up to 40 compute units.

AMD Ryzen AI HX Strix Halo Expected Features:

Zen 5 Chiplet Design

Up To 16 Cores

64 MB of Shared L3 cache

40 RDNA 3+ Compute Units

32 MB MALL Cache (for iGPU)

256-bit LPDDR5X-8000 Memory Controller

XDNA 2 Engine Integrated

Up To 60 AI TOPS

16 PCIe Gen4 Lanes

1H 2025 Launch (Expected)

FP11 Platform (55W-130W)

On the other hand, Krackan will be a Monolithic design, featuring a hybrid architecture comprising up to 4x Zen 5 and 4x Zen 5c cores for power-efficient operation. Compared to a max 40CU RDNA 3.5-based graphics on the Strix Halo, the Krackan is reported to max out at 8CU RDNA 3.5 graphics.

According to recent information by Golden Pig Upgrade over at Bilibili, it is revealed that Krackan Point will utilize the same FP8 socket as Strix Point and Phoenix Point APUs. The APU will feature both DDR5 and LPDDR5x configurations on the FP8 platform. The lineup also comes with the new XDNA 2 "Ryzen AI" NPUs, offering 50-55 TOPS.

AMD Ryzen AI HX Krackan Point Expected Features:

Zen 5 Monolithic Design

Up To 8 Cores (4x Zen 5 + 4x Zen 5C)

16 MB of Shared L3 cache

8 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units

LPDDR5X+DDR5 Support

XDNA 2 Engine Integrated

Up To 50 AI TOPS

1H 2025 Launch

FP8 Platform (15W-45W)

AMD's Krackan Point "Zen 5" APUs will replace Hawk Point "Zen 4" APUs and are rumored to work in a 15W-45W TDP range. These APUs make a lot more sense for the handheld gaming segment & we can see those being offered in the first half of 2025 once supply gets better. Given the performance uplift that RDNA 3.5 offers over RDNA 3 iGPUs, these will be a nice upgrade.

Nonetheless, both Strix Halo and Krackan aren't going to appear before 2025, which will also see the launch of the upcoming Fire Range CPU, boasting the same FL1 package as the Dragon Range. It's not the first time we have seen Kraken Point being in the talks as previously the lineup was also seen in an Open-Source Linux Driver in June, suggesting that AMD is probably going to reveal it at CES 2025.

News Source: Hoang Anh Phu