AMD’s latest CPUs are accelerating the AI Adoption on Windows 11 machines.
If we inquire about your familiarity with AMD’s Ryzen 7000 mobile processors, there’s a good chance you’re aware that they represent the latest generation of processors. You may even associate them with the Zen 4 microarchitecture, which constitutes their most recent processor design. However, unless you’re an avid reader of specifications, you may not be aware that only the Ryzen 7045 and 7040 series are based on the Zen 4 architecture.
The Ryzen 7040 series is particularly intriguing as it boasts the distinction of being the first x86 processor to incorporate an integrated AI engine. Allow me to elucidate why this is of significance, as we previously expounded upon it during the processor’s launch:
Dubbed the AMD Ryzen AI, it relies on AMD’s XDNA adaptive AI architecture, which serves to fortify AMD’s comprehensive product roadmap by integrating AI engines, thus facilitating the adoption of heterogeneous computing and ensuring its efficient execution.
Although Intel’s recent CPU generations feature support for the Deep Learning (DL) Boost instruction set to feature, and both the 12th and 13th-Gen Core processors possess a standalone matrix engine for AI acceleration, they are primarily tailored to address specific types of instructions. Furthermore, the ability to multitask AI processes, which can be adequately handled by a dedicated, purpose-built core, is likely absent.
Contrastingly, the AMD Ryzen AI is a dedicated engine that resides within the Ryzen 7040 series, designed to handle up to four simultaneous AI streams for real-time multitasking. Notably, it claims to offer responsiveness up to 35% superior to that of single-stream AI engines.
Now, let us pause for a moment. Haven’t GPUs traditionally served as ideal companions for accelerated computing and AI tasks? While this holds true, particularly in scenarios such as video conferencing and game casting, where NVIDIA Broadcast necessitates a GeForce RTX class GPU to enable quality-of-life enhancements like background noise removal, virtual video backgrounds, auto-framing, eye contact, real-time video upscaling, and more, relying solely on a GPU carries the drawback of incurring a higher power penalty, especially when employing an external GPU, and is heavily reliant on the specific GPU utilized.
This is precisely why the Ryzen 7040 features a dedicated integrated AI engine, ensuring efficiency and optimal performance when tackling cutting-edge tasks in everyday contexts. Additionally, the Ryzen 7040 series is equipped with the most potent integrated GPU found in a CPU, boasting up to 12 compute units of the RDNA 3 graphics engine.
Initially introduced solely as an H-class chip with a higher thermal design power (TDP) to accommodate more robust laptop designs, AMD has recently expanded the Ryzen 7040 series to encompass a more efficient U-class profile, ideal for thin and lightweight performance laptops. Crucially, it retains its powerful integrated GPU and dedicated AI engine to support the Ryzen AI capabilities.
The inclusion of an on-die AI core within the CPU now empowers systems to effectively and cost-efficiently handle AI workloads, thereby enabling the delivery of novel experiences on Windows 11 laptops. This aligns harmoniously with Microsoft’s ongoing endeavor to integrate AI into the Windows ecosystem in innovative ways, with AMD Ryzen AI standing as one of the first to provide support, eliminating the necessity for a dedicated GPU and avoiding the need to enlarge the system form factor or increase power consumption.
As a concrete example, AMD Ryzen AI is now compatible with Windows Studio Effects. These effects include Eye Contact Correction (which compensates for eyes looking at the screen rather than the camera), Automatic Framing (which intelligently zooms and crops the image to keep the camera focused on you at all times, even as you move), and advanced background effects, such as background blur. As you will undoubtedly discern, much like NVIDIA Broadcast, each of these enhancements is specifically tailored to elevate various aspects of video calls, which have now become an integral component of daily communication. Windows Studio Effects leverages machine learning algorithms and necessitates a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), akin to the Ryzen AI.
These advanced Windows-based features are presently available on laptops featuring AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processors. The significance of a dedicated AI engine, like Ryzen AI, embedded within the CPU will only grow in prominence over time, considering that AI is already reshaping numerous industries and facets of our lives.
We firmly believe that dedicated AI processing engines are indispensable for ushering in the future brimming with extraordinary AI experiences on Windows 11.
— Pavan Davuluri, CVP Windows Silicon and Systems Integration, Microsoft Corp.
For AMD, supporting the AI market extends beyond consumer-facing applications; it also encompasses bolstering developers. As part of AMD’s overarching AI strategic direction, they are providing early access to the Ryzen AI software for Windows developers. This will enable AI researchers and developers to execute AI workloads on select Ryzen 7040 Series processors equipped with built-in Ryzen AI capabilities. Developers are encouraged to visit GitHub to embark on an exploration of the possibilities.
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