Apparently not content material with the large strides it is made in the usual gaming CPU market, AMD is reportedly already transport take a look at equipment for a brand new lineup of Arm CPUs with built-in GPUs. Tying in with earlier rumors about AMD adopting codenames based mostly on the names of Transformers, this AMD Arm chip is seemingly codenamed Soundwave, and samples of the Soundwave equipment seem to have been listed in transport manifests.
Whereas x86 CPUs nonetheless dominate the desktop gaming PC market, with each single chip on our greatest gaming CPU information utilizing the standard x86 instruction set, Arm CPUs have traditionally been extra power-efficient than x86 chips, making them perfect for the very best handheld gadgets, in addition to tablets and telephones. You additionally do not want an x86 license to provide an Arm CPU, that means all types of companies from Nvidia to Qualcomm could make them, with AMD reportedly now signing up once more too.
AMD has dabbled with Arm chips earlier than, with its Opteron A1100 CPUs being based mostly on Arm Cortex-A57 cores and launched in 2016. There have been even plans for a brand new line of K12 Arm CPUs in 2017, however these have been later canceled. Now it seems as if the corporate is planning a return to the Arm scene, although, with its new Soundwave Arm CPUs apparently set to make use of the brand new FF5 socket – the rumored substitute for the FF3 socket used on gadgets such because the Steam Deck.
There have been rumors about AMD Soundwave Arm CPUs circulating since Might 2025, probably for Microsoft Floor gadgets, however that is the primary time we have seen proof of Soundwave equipment being shipped. The transport manifests have been noticed by tech leaker Olrak29_ on X (previously Twitter), they usually present a variety of entries for take a look at kits based mostly on BGA1074 sockets (a ball grid array socket with 1,074 contact factors). We have double-checked the listings on NBD.com, they usually’re actual. The listings clearly characteristic “FF5” within the descriptions, in addition to the codenamed “SWV” – quick for “Soundwave” in accordance with Olrak29’s X submit.
In the meantime, tech website Wccftech speculates that the 32 x 27mm dimension of the brand new chips said by Olrak29_, in addition to their use of the FF5 socket, means they’re more likely to not simply be pure CPUs, however SoCs (system on chips) with built-in GPUs, just like the chip within the Steam Deck.
In fact, that is all very a lot on the leaks and rumors stage for the time being, with no official affirmation from AMD, however I would be very to see if AMD does certainly come out with a spread of Arm chips. The Change 2 has proven the potential to make a strong Arm-based handheld with an Nvidia GPU, and AMD’s x86 chips have been in style in all types of handhelds, from the Steam Deck to the brand new Xbox Ally. In the meantime, Apple has demonstrated that Arm chips could be enormously highly effective in its vary of M CPUs.
Nvidia placing its GPUs into x86 Intel CPUs, AMD making Arm CPUs? The tech world is altering. The place do you see AMD Arm CPUs being helpful? Tell us your ideas in our group Discord server.
