AMD CEO Teases Next-Generation Instinct MI400 Accelerator Series
Indications from the CEO of AMD Provide Glimpses into the Future of Instinct MI400
AMD has recently unveiled the Instinct MI300 series, an amalgamation of CDNA3 and Zen4 architectures. Among this series, the MI300X emerges as a GPU-exclusive accelerator boasting a substantial 192GB of HBM3 memory. This particular model is meticulously crafted to cater to extensive language models (LLMs) that exhibit a voracious appetite for memory capacity and bandwidth.
A prime attribute of the MI300 series is its remarkable versatility, made achievable through the utilization of die stacking technology. The MI300X shares its chiplet architecture with the MI300A, a data center APU that ingeniously integrates Zen 4 CPU cores and CDNA3 GPU cores within a single cohesive unit. The MI300A is purposefully tailored for HPC and AI workloads, reaping the benefits of a unified memory architecture and boasting an ample 128GB of HBM3 memory.
AMD, in conjunction with its collaborative partners, has already dropped subtle hints about the development of the successor to the MI300 series, aptly referred to as the MI400. This forthcoming high-end data-center accelerator series, potentially rooted in the CDNA4 architecture, has been briefly mentioned. While the precise SKUs remain shrouded in mystery, Dr. Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD, has indeed confirmed the company’s intentions regarding the impending MI400 series during the recent Q2 earnings call. However, she refrained from delving into finer details.
“In assessing the panorama of these demanding workloads and the investments we’re diligently cultivating, not only in the present but also projecting into our upcoming MI400 series and beyond, we harbor an unwavering conviction in our highly competitive and proficient hardware roadmap. This discourse concerning AMD has often gravitated towards the realm of software roadmap, and we are discerning a modicum of alteration on the software front.” — AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su
The MI400 is poised to be the fifth iteration within the Instinct accelerator lineage and will further continue the divergence from the Radeon branding. This divergence was accentuated with the MI300, marked by the assimilation of the Zen CPU architecture into the series. The MI400 is expected to chart a course akin to that established by the Arcturus-based MI200 series (already in operational deployment and commercially accessible) and the impending MI300 (codenamed Aldebaran).
Speculative whispers encompassing the MI400 insinuate the potential incorporation of an innovative XSwitch interconnect technology, a strategic maneuver that could potentially elevate AMD’s competitive stance against NVIDIA NVLink-based offerings.
| Year | Node | SKU | GPU CU Cores | CPU Cores | Memory (HBM) | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024+ | CDNA4/Zen5 (?) | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| 2023 | 5/6nm CDNA3/Zen4 | MI300A | 228 | 24 | 128 GB H3 | TBC |
| MI300X | 304 | – | 192 GB H3 | 750W | ||
| MI300C | – | 96 | 128 GB H3 | TBC | ||
| MI300P | 152 | – | 64 GB H3 | TBC | ||
| 2022 | 6nm CDNA2 | MI250X | 220 | – | 128 GB H2e | 560W |
| MI250 | 208 | – | 128 GB H2e | 560W | ||
| MI210 | 104 | – | 64 GB H2e | 300W | ||
| 2020 | 7nm CDNA1 | MI100 | 120 | – | 32 GB H2 | 300W |
| 2018 | 7nm VEGA20 | MI60 | 64 | – | 32 GB H2 |
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