Future AMD CPUs will also have a hybrid core architecture, like Intel chips

Hybrid Cores architecture with high-performance, heavy-duty large cores and power-efficient small cores for basic workloads is a concept previously reserved for mobile processors used on smartphones, tablets, etc. Intel has brought this unique CPU architecture to the PC ecosystem and achieved great success. Now, another giant in the semiconductor industry has similar plans, that is AMD.

AMD's chief technology officer, CTO Mark Papermaster, has confirmed that on future AMD Ryzen chip models, users will see 'high-performance cores combined with energy-efficient cores, delivering the ultimate in performance. optimal performance for the system according to each use case'. AMD has also been talking a lot lately about optimizing power-saving cores in a hybrid CPU, called Zen 4C, which is expected to appear on the next generation of Epyc server chips. However, 'Red Team' still has no specific plan to use hybrid cores on chips for commercial PCs.

Currently, AMD's highest-end commercial processor, the Ryzen 9 7950X, has 16 cores, but they're all identical Zen 4 cores. Meanwhile, Intel uses a combination of high-performance cores and power-efficient cores, which greatly increases the core count (24 cores on the Intel Core i9-13900K to be exact). The change mentioned above shows that AMD will also use hybrid cores across its chip lines to take advantage of the obvious, proven, practical advantages that this technology brings.

We need to see AMD's product (the company is not expected to announce its next Ryzen chip models until next year) to give a more specific opinion on this matter. But right now, things are very much worth waiting for.

Micah Soto

Update 27 June 2023