Linux driver patches hint at AMD Renoir to support LPDDR4X memory

Great news this weekend for APU fans out there – while the AMD Navi GPUs and Ryzen 3rd generation chips are currently taking over the computing world, it doesn’t mean that the company has forgotten about its integrated graphics users.

In a recent report by Tom’s Hardware, it looks like AMD’s next generation APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) might come with LPDDR4X-4266 memory support. If true, this means that AMD Renoir will have a higher maximum data rate than AMD Picasso.

The report came a day after serial hardware leaker KOMACHI_ENSAKA shared on Twitter two recent Linux driver patches, the first of which showing AMD Renoir with LPDDR4X-4266 memory support and the second showing the APU touting the LPDDR4 variant’s more impressive 4,266 MHz speed.

Considering that Picasso, AMD’s current mobile APU, only accommodate DDR4-2400 modules that maxes out at 2,400 MHz, that’s a huge bump in data transfer rate. Putting that into further perspective, the LPDDR4 format maxes out at 3,200 MHz.

If these Linux patches are indeed the real thing, AMD Renoir will be the first AMD chip that supports LPDDR4X.

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Improved performance

In any case, how accurate any of these leaks are will come to light when AMD Renoir comes out. It’s slated to replace AMD Picasso in 2020.

What does this mean exactly for potential AMD Renoir users? To start, faster memory delivers improved performance, so we could potentially experience better gaming experience. Additionally, since LPDDR4X boasts an almost 50% I/O voltage reduction, it should offer a more efficient power consumption. 

This is in addition to the fact that AMD Renoir will be based on Zen 2 architecture and fabricated on 7nm process, which means that it will be thinner and have less power consumption than Picasso’s 12nm chips. 

Of course, there’s also speculation that Renoir will run with Vega 10 graphics, instead of AMD’s latest Navi graphics, possibly to ensure that the new APUs will roll out faster. That is, if previous Linux patches are also to be believed.

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