Recent Linux driver patches deployed on August 28 seemingly hint that next-generation AMD APUs, codenamed Renoir, will come with support for LPDDR4X-4266 memory.
Memory plays a crucial role with APUs. Tests have shown that faster memory can often improve the chips' performance, especially in a gaming environment. For reference, AMD's current mobile Picasso U-and H-series APUs officially support DDR4-2400 memory, which is a bit underwhelming considering that Intel's Ice Lake laptop processors support both DDR4-3200 and LPDDR4-3733 formats. If the latest Linux patches are to be trusted, Renoir could show up with an improved IMC (integrated memory controller) that can accommodate LPDDR4X-4266 memory modules.
The LPDDR4 format, which was introduced in 2014, maxes out at 3,200 MHz. LPDDR4X arrived three years later and bumped the memory speed up to 4,266 MHz. As it stands right now, AMD doesn't have a processor that supports LPDDR4X memory, but Renoir can change that. The first patch explicitly mentions Renoir the LPDDR4 memory type, while the second patch specifies the 4,266 MHz memory speed.
A previous Linux patch suggests that Renoir will continue to utilize Radeon Vega graphics, more specifically Vega 10. Wednesday's Linux patches add some new information to the graphics rumor mill. It would appear that Renoir is likely to use the DCN (Display Next Core) 2.1 engine. The perplexing part about this is that Raven Ridge APUs use DCN 1.0, and Navi-based graphics cards employ DCN 2.0. Unfortunately, the patches don't contribute with any further information on DCN 2.1.
The word on the street is that Renoir is scheduled to arrive in 2020 to replace Picasso; however, AMD hasn't confirmed this.
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Zhiye Liu is a news editor, memory reviewer, and SSD tester at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.