AMD doesn't just support gamers; it supports gaming at every level. Cloud gaming services like Shadow and Blacknut rely on Epyc to provide scalable dense compute to keep frame rates high and infrastructure costs low. AMD Ryzen(TM) Threadripper(TM) workstation processors are popular with developers who need high core counts for rendering, animation, and writing code. For example, EPIC Games has long since cited how Threadripper provides them huge efficiency gains, and how their engineers can work a greater number of development projects because less time compiling code means more time developing exciting new gaming features.
AMD has a long history of supporting consumer gaming, dating back more than 20 years to the launch of the original Athlon(TM) K7 processor. Today, AMD DNA powers every type of gaming system, from the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X to millions of gaming PCs around the world, to handheld devices like the Valve Steam Deck.
One of the most important ways that AMD supports PC gamers is by committing to supporting products for the long term. In 2017, AMD launched its first-generation Ryzen processors and the AMD Socket AM4 motherboard platform. Rather than opting for a platform design, which would force gamers to buy new motherboards every few processor launches, it built AM4 to be forward-compatible.
The new AM5 socket extends the same promise as AM4 but adds support for next-generation technologies like PCIe 5.0 and DDR5. "We built the platform around next generation technologies so that you can build today and upgrade as your needs grow over time," AMD's David McAfee said at launch. "Just like AM4, we're making a commitment to support the AM5 platform with new technologies and next generation architectures through at least 2025." It is also important to note that the AM5 motherboards offerings are expanding rapidly with a host of entry level options launching in February 2023.
The new processors AMD is announcing at CES bring the benefits of the next-gen AM5 platform to both power-conscious enthusiasts and high-end gamers. The new low-power Ryzen 5 7600, Ryzen 7 7700, and Ryzen 9 7900 are designed for users and gamers who want excellent performance in a modest power envelope. AMD's new X3D processors, including the Ryzen 7 7800X3S, Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and Ryzen 9 7900X3D, offer the highest levels of gaming performance, and about a 15% increase in performance over the previous generation of Ryzen 7 5800X3D.
AMD introduced the 3D stacked V-cache(TM) technology with the 5800X3D in 2022, which also provided an immediate 15% uplift on gaming performance without a change in node or architecture. This is a great example of how AMD seeks out the forefront of gaming innovations. Extending this technology to the latest generation and to Ryzen 9 extends both gaming and content-creation leadership to the latest generation. And the new AM5 platform, with a multi-year commitment of longevity from AMD, is designed to be upgradable to future processor technologies that the company hasn't even announced yet – giving gamers a long-term investment in truly forward-looking hardware.
AMD’s innovations in gaming are not limited to the high end of the market. AMD has partnered with Google to enable Steam game streaming on Chromebooks, ensuring that gamers with lower-end systems and operating systems other than Windows can stream more than 50 titles, including AAA games. Additional details are available from a recent blog post. Higher-end mobile gamers will benefit from AMD’s just-announced 7040 and 7045 series of mobile processors. These chip families are designed to boost gaming performance in both the ultrathin premium notebook segment and the high-end desktop replacement market.
Thus far, we’ve mostly talked about gaming as a processor-centric affair, but AMD’s support for gamers stretches beyond general-purpose chips. In December 2022, AMD launched the Radeon(TM) 7900 XT and 7900 XTX graphics cards, featuring the new RDNA(TM) 3 architecture. These are the first in the industry to utilize a chiplet-based architecture, and offer higher performance in both ray-tracing and rasterization compared to previous generation Radeon 6000 models.
Many of the most-discussed technologies today, like AI and ray-tracing, are relatively new, but broadening support for ray tracing across PCs and consoles will encourage adoption of the technology. The widespread use of AI in game engines for decision-making purposes won't happen overnight but supporting technologies like DDR5 and PCIe 5 gives AMD more runway to meet the bandwidth needs of future graphics cards and accelerators, whether on-die or off.
AMD’s goal for 2023 and beyond is to build on and expand the record it established with AM4; AM5 was designed to be a forward-looking, long-term platform for precisely this reason. The company is proud of what it has accomplished over the last five years across semicustom, mobile, and desktop gaming, and excited for what's to come.
