An unreleased variant of the AMD Instinct MI300 accelerators has surfaced, showing the company's commitment to capitalizing on the AI gold mine.
AMD's MI300C Instinct APU Reportedly Could be a CPU-Only Model, Competing With Sapphire Rapids HBM Variants
For a quick recap, AMD recently released its Instinct MI300 APUs, which combine Zen 4 CPU cores with CDNA 3 GPU cores with up to 153 Billion transistors & 192 GB HBM3 memory. There are two accelerators currently available, the MI300A (CPU+GPU) and the MI300X (GPU-Only). The driving force behind AMD's MI300 APUs is its latest CDNA 3 architecture, which has elevated the platform to new heights.
- MI300A - 6 XCDs (Up To 228 CUs), 3 CCDs (Up To 24 Zen 4 Cores), 8 HBM3 Stacks (128 GB)
- MI300X - 8 XCDs (Up To 304 CUs), 0 CCDs (Up To 0 Zen 4 Cores), 8 HBM3 Stacks (192 GB)
However, there had been whispers of a third variant in development; by the looks, we finally have the first glimpse of it. The AMD Instinct MI300C APU variant appeared on Linux's EDAC (Error Detection And Correction) and was initially revealed by Coelacanth Dream.
New CPUIDs:
- #AMD:
MI300C A80Fxx (#Zen4 server + CDNA3 + HBM3) [1]
MI300A A90Fxx (#Zen4 server + CDNA3 + HBM3) [1]
[1]:https://t.co/aLmu4P6zRQ https://t.co/kcHiyWwA0g— InstLatX64 (@InstLatX64) August 4, 2023
Before we go into details, the important aspect is that AMD's Instinct MI300 APUs feature various configurations with CPU-only, GPU-only, and CPU+GPU integrated SKUs. We have yet to see AMD confirm such as variant but this could be a CPU-Only design as hinted by the "C" within the name.
While the source hasn't disclosed information about the emerged AI accelerator, it was previously reiterated by SemiAnalysis in a report back from June 2023 that the alleged "MI300C" will be a CPU-only variant. Here is what they had to say:
MI300C would go the opposite direction and be CPU only with 96-core Zen4 + HBM answer to Intel's Sapphire Rapids HBM. However, the market for this may be too small and the product too expensive for AMD to productize this variant.
AMD is definitely looking to target Intel's Sapphire Rapids HBM variants known as Xeon Max CPUs through this release as they also combine Golden Cove P-Cores with high-bandwidth memory. The CPUs peak out at 56 cores and 112 threads so AMD will have the lead in that department with up to 96 Zen 4 cores and 192 threads. The Xeon Max CPUs also peak out with 64 GB of HBM2e memory while the Instinct MI300C could feature as much as 128 GB capacities, and in the new HBM3 flavor.
During AMD's earning call, CEO Lisa Su emphasized the immense demand for AI and hinted that the company is working on a "cut-down" variant for Chinese markets. While that is more specific to existing MI200 GPUs, we can see future MI300 variants designed specifically for the Chinese market however to say that the MI300C will be a China-Only variant is quite misleading and it's just another of the several APU variants within the Instinct MI300 family.
Details regarding the release date and pricing for the unreleased "MI300C" aren't specific yet; however, we expect further information to surface in the future since these accelerators will be shipping to first customers in Q4 2023. Overall, AMD has indeed set its sight on getting the financial boost from AI. Although the company has been late to join the party, it could still do some serious business as the space is still wide open due to huge demand.
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