AMD’s Ryzen AI APU, Sound Wave, isn’t a name you’d be familiar with but it has appeared in the past. Recent rumours have suggested that the APU could be the chipmaker’s ARM-based APU, marking the return of a non-x86 processor after more than a decade.
Recently, a shipping manifest listing the alleged Sound Wave APU has surfaced, along with some specifications on its packaging. According to the source, the APU uses a BGA-1074 package, measuring 32 x 27mm, as well as a FF5 interface with a 0.8mm pitch.. For context, that’s about the size of a small chip found in mobile and handheld devices, while the interface is newer than the FF3 connector used in devices such as the Steam Deck.
Other reports suggest that Sound is to be a low-power component, running below the 10W range and therefore, possibly positioning it as a low-power component for Windows on ARM systems. Specs-wise, it’s been speculated that the component features two P-Cores, and four E-Cores, similar to Intel’s current processor lineup, while also integrating four RDNA 3.5 CUs. That last bit is still unconfirmed, by the way.
AMD itself hasn’t officially made any announcements about Sound Wave, but if this turns out to be true, then the red chipmaker would be squaring off with the likes of Qualcomm in this space. As it stands, it has to go up against the likes of the Snapdragon X2 Elite SoC, which is set to feature up to 18 combine cores.
(Source: X, ITHome)
