It is being rumoured that AMD will continue using its RDNA3.5 GPU architecture well into the year 2029. The red chipmaker is still on track to make APUs with RDNA5 cores, but those models will only apply to the high-end, “Premium Halo-tiered” SKUs.
The rumour comes by way of leakster and dataminer Kepler. Earlier, they posted that AMD would divide its APU roadmap into two categories: Premium iGPU products that run on RDNA5, and lower-end markets that do not necessarily require a “good iGPU” performance, which are typically office-based laptops or high-end laptops that are already fitted with a beefier, high-end discrete GPU inside them.
AMD has more than proven the prowess and capabilities of the RDNA3.5 graphics cores. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, as an example, has shown that the combination of Zen5 cores and the RDNA3.5 architecture is more than capable of running games, even if it is at a reduced graphics setting. Need more proof? There’s the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chipset that powers virtually every gaming handheld, from the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X to the Lenovo Legion Go 2; that chipset runs on Zen5 CPU cores and RDNA3.5.
RDNA5 still notwithstanding, there’s also AMD’s Strix Halo lineup, also known as the Ryzen AI Max+ lineup, comprising the Max+ 395 and the recently announced Max+ 392. These APUs rock the Radeon 8060S, which itself is a souped-up iGPU featuring 40 RDNA3.5 cores, running at 2.9GHz.
Of course, there is the question of “when” will we be seeing Ryzen APU fitted with RDNA5. Sadly, there’s no viable date yet, but additional rumours suggest that the earliest iteration of it could appear with Medusa Halo, alongside with the mainstream Medusa Point APU.
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