AMD And MediaTek Unveil RZ600 Wi-Fi 6E Modules For Multi-Gigabit Ryzen Platform Connectivity
As wireless connectivity continues to become more of a necessity than a luxury, engineers and companies are pushing the envelope and we're seeing innovations arrive at a faster clip than ever before. Namely the emergence of Wi-Fi 6E, which is grabbing the baton from Wi-Fi 6 far earlier than previous wireless upgrades. Companies are hopping on board, too. To that end, MediaTek and AMD are teaming up to co-engineer "industry leading Wi-Fi solutions" and it starts with the AMD RZ600 series.
The RZ600 series is based on MediaTek's brand-spanking-new Filogic 330P chipset and will underpin next-generation Ryzen laptops and desktop PCs in 2022 (and beyond). While no specific platforms have been announced, the wording suggests that Zen 4 and perhaps even Zen 3+ solutions could adopt RZ600 wireless connectivity.
"Having fast and reliable wireless connectivity is crucial, especially as consumers’ speed, bandwidth and performance demands rise due to increased video calling, streaming and gaming," said Saeid Moshkelani, senior vice president and general manager, client business unit, AMD. "We believe that combining powerful AMD Ryzen processors with MediaTek’s leadership advanced connectivity technologies will deliver an all-around incredible computing experience."
It's an interesting partnership that underscores how important Wi-Fi connectivity is to platforms as a whole. And not just at AMD—rival Intel scooped up Rivet Networks last year and is also pushing advances in Wi-Fi 6E with its Killer division, as we discussed in a recent podcast.
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AMD will offer two different modules in upcoming Ryzen systems. The lower end of the two is the RZ608 with 80MHz of bandwidth on tap with support for up to 1,2Gbps of throughput. Sitting above it is the faster RZ616 with 160MHz of channel bandwidth from the 6GHz spectrum and support for up to 2.4Gbps of throughput. Both are 2x2 Wi-Fi 6 and 6E solutions.
Both also feature MediaTek's power amplifier (PA) and low noise amplifier (LNA) technology to help optimize power. They will be offered in the M.2 2230 form factor, with the RZ616 also being available in a shorter M.2 1216 form factor.
Interesting, the CEO of Aya Neo tipped the RZ608 in May of this year saying it would be part of the company's AMD-powered handheld PC. At the time, Dr. Ian Cutress said "RZ608 is a rebrand of the MT7921K. Nothing special there." Nothing was ever mentioned of the higher end RZ616, though.
