AMD’s future APU and GPU code names revealed, analyzed |

A few days ago, AMD released its latest Catalyst beta graphics driver — and hidden within, AMD has helpfully provided a long list of new GPU and APU code names that the driver is compatible with, and provided a little more background on the highly anticipated Kaveri desktop APU. It seems that the successor to the Kabini and Temash mobile APUs will be called Mullins. On the desktop, discrete GPU front, we now know that there will be an 8000-series (Sea Islands) GPU called Tonga, and that the 9000-series (Volcanic Islands) will feature Hawaii and Vesuvius GPUs. It also appears that AMD might be preparing a new GPU model numbering scheme that does away with the Radeon brand name.
These details come from the latest Catalyst beta driver, version 13.150.0.0. As with almost every Windows driver, the Catalyst driver comes with an INF (INFo) file that tells the operating system what the driver does, how to install it, and what devices the driver supports. It is in this INF file that SemiAccurate uncovered the names of AMD’s new APUs and GPUs. Finding these code names in the INF file suggests that AMD is at least testing early prototypes in the lab, but they could be quite close to release as well.
Starting at the top, there’s 16 variants of the Mullins APU, all of which appear to target the mobile market — in other words, it’s the successor to Kabini and Temash, which target laptops and tablets respectively. Mullins is a river in Belize, just like Temash. Mullins should be a 28nm chip, built at TSMC.



After Mullins, the INF file mentions Kaveri, the much-anticipated Steamroller-based APU that will finally unify the CPU and GPU for (potentially) large performance gains. The INF mentions that Kaveri will come with two different GPUs, Spectre and Spooky, both of which should be based on the GCN architecture. Spooky and Spectre are, incidentally, are the names of two Lockheed ground-attack gunships (AC-130H and AC-130U). In total there will be 18 variants of the Kaveri APU, with TDPs ranging from 17W to 100W, spanning embedded, mobile, desktop, and workstation form factors — just like Trinity/Richland, which Kaveri replaces. It appears that there will be Kaveri chips with full-fat, “Lite,” and “SL” GPUs, with SL probably being the weakest/cheapest option. It isn’t yet known whether Kaveri will be produced on TSMC or GlobalFoundries’ 28nm process.

GPUs

The Catalyst INF file contains info about three discrete desktop Sea/Volcanic Islands GPUs (Tonga, Hawaii, Vesuvius) and a bunch of mobile GPUs from the Solar family (Sun, Venus, Saturn, Neptune). There isn’t a whole lot of info about Tonga or Vesuvius, but there will be six Hawaii variants; three each for Radeon and FirePro markets. The only mobile GPU of note is the Venus Pro MCM, which could mean that it’s a multi-chip module, with the RAM sitting on top of the GPU, rather than on the PCB. MCM could stand for something else too, though. The Sea Islands chips will be 28nm, but again we’re not sure where they will be built. Volcanic Islands is meant to be 20nm, but neither TSMC nor the Common Platform Alliance (IBM, Samsung, GloFo) are at that point yet.




And then there’s the bombshell: The Mullins APUs, which should come with Radeon HD 9000-series GPU, instead comes with “R2 Graphics” or “R3 Graphics.” There is even a mention in the INF file for an “AMD Radeon R5 M200 series.” It is clear that a new numbering scheme (R2, R3, R5) is being developed, with the “M200″ possibly indicating a segment (mobile) and relative product position (200), just like Intel’s modern CPU numbering scheme. The Mullins APU, without the Radeon brand, suggests that AMD might be reserving Radeon for specific (enthusiast? discrete?) parts, or doing away with the name entirely (unlikely). With the uncomfortable 10000-series fast approaching, it’s likely that this new naming scheme will kick into action after the Radeon HD 9000-series has run its course.
All of these code names are scheduled to come to market sometime in 2013, though with just six months left, it’ll be interesting to see if the 9000-series Volcanic Islands GPUs actually make it out in time.