AMD Sound Wave ARM APU for Windows reportedly in works with strong NPU performance

[Redaktion]

It seems Qualcomm will face increasing competition in the Windows space from not only the x86 CPUs like Lunar Lake but also ARM chips from MediaTek and AMD. A new rumor claims that AMD is readying an ARM APU codenamed "Sound Wave" with the intention to claw Microsoft away from Snapdragon.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Sound-Wave-ARM-APU-for-Windows-reportedly-in-works-with-strong-NPU-performance.839360.0.html

[LifePo7]

It makes no sense for an x86 company to launch an ARM soc. X86 can be more efficient than ARM if it is molded for it from the start.

[gft77]

I think this is a smart move on AMDs behalf. It makes no sense to ignore a segment of the market if they're able to compete and perhaps make more powerful APUs than the competition. From what I seen of the Qualcomm processors many of them are running at very high TDP and being compared to Apple processors running at a fraction of wattage. We'll just have to wait and see when these processors come out to see how powerful they actually are.

[David.M]

Releasing an ARM SOC that needs tons of software fixes and X86-64 emulation, while being a company with IP X86 sounds crazy. ARM doesn't magically make a design more efficient.

[Neenyah]

In other words, Intel and AMD's latest Core Ultra 100 and Ryzen 8000 Hawk Point APUs have effectively been relegated to second-class citizenship for the time being in the Windows world, at least when it comes to non-gaming laptops.

Wat? So everything that people do on their laptops is gaming OR AI gimmicks? Nothing else, no third option? Wow.

[LNL incoming]

Based on rumors and leaked benchmarks of Lunar Lake, I think x86 will quickly catch up with ARM on battery life AND efficiency and still be the better choice when it comes to software and driver compatibility and iGPU performance. the 680m and 780m kinda proved this. And I doubt AMD is just sitting on their hands with upcoming APUs like Strix Point so they should be going all in on getting new chips on TSMC's upcoming 2nm.

[Max2k1023]

Based on rumors and leaked benchmarks of Lunar Lake, I think x86 will quickly catch up with ARM on battery life AND efficiency and still be the better choice when it comes to software and driver compatibility and iGPU performance. the 680m and 780m kinda proved this. And I doubt AMD is just sitting on their hands with upcoming APUs like Strix Point so they should be going all in on getting new chips on TSMC's upcoming 2nm.

Sure they will quickly catch up (not)...as they did when Apple released M1 four years ago. Goodbye Intel.
I am glad I held off a Meteor Lake laptop purchase recently.

[Mr Majestyk]

LOL comments that x86 can be magically more efficient. Yeah sure, they just decided for the last 20 years they didn't want to make their cpu's efficient.

ARM is inherently more efficient because it's a RISC architecture vs x86 being CISC. When it comes to handling memory, ARM processors operate with register-based processing, limiting direct memory access to also improve energy efficiency, while x86 architectures allow more direct interaction with memory, allowing complex computational tasks at the expense of higher power consumption.

Of course, finally we are seeing attempts by Intel to make x86 more efficient, but at this stage it's all hype and we have to wait for Lunar Lake to see if they can actually deliver on that hype. Meteor lake was also hyped to be more efficient and that is total BS. Currently, in performance per watt ARM is light-years ahead.