AMD AGESA 1.0.8.0 adds Phoenix desktop APU support
AMD Phoenix heading to launch on the AM5 platform.
It has indeed been a significant amount of time since the last desktop APU launch from AMD. The company appears to have directed its attention towards its high-end gaming series, with products like Vermeer/Cezanne (Zen3) and Raphael (Zen4), the latter of which already offers integrated RDNA2 graphics. However, there is a large user base eagerly anticipating an update to AMD’s APU series, particularly with the inclusion of modern RDNA3 graphics.
As a reminder, the Ryzen 5000G series, which features the Zen3 architecture, is still equipped with the ancient Vega graphics. AMD has never released a desktop APU with RDNA1 or RDNA2 graphics architecture, it was only part of the Raphael SOC 2CU GPU not designed for gaming. Therefore, the introduction of the Phoenix silicon on a desktop platform would signify a three-generation leap in terms of graphics technology for AMD desktop APU series.
The anticipation is building for the possible launch of the Phoenix Ryzen 7000G series, especially considering that support for such chips has been recently introduced with the latest AGESA 1.0.8.0 firmware for the AM5 platform. This development suggests that we may see these new APUs hitting the market soon.
AGESA updates, Source: Reous
The Phoenix silicon was already successfully deployed as Ryzen 7040H(S), Ryzen 7040U and Ryzen Z1 series for laptops, Mini-PCs and handheld consoles. It provides a significant upgrade over Rembrandt (Zen3+/RDNA2) which was sadly never released as a desktop CPU.
Worth noting that the ASUS B650 motherboard page listing the new firmware clearly mentions ‘upcoming CPU:
ASUS B650 Motherboard BIOS info, Source: ASUS
Worth noting that Intel has nothing in store that would provide an alternative to Phoenix in its current lineup. The Phoenix APU offers up to 8 Zen4 cores and 12 Compute Units, while Intel Raptor Lake is limited to 96 Xe Execution Units. Intel may potentially launch something more capable with Meteor Lake, but this has not been confirmed or proposed by any leak thus far. Furthermore, an introduction of such an APU with powerful integrated graphics also means that the low-end desktop graphics market will shrink even further.
Source: HXL, AM5 Agesa Tables (by Reous)
