AMD's Siren Halo APU Could Pack GDDR7 VRAM And Next-Gen Xbox DNA
Let's take a step back for a second. Currently, AMD is selling Gorgon Halo and Gorgon Point. Gorgon Halo is the codename for the Ryzen AI Max 400 series processors, while Gorgon Point are the Ryzen AI 400 family. Both of these are straight refreshes of the Ryzen AI [Max] 300 processors. Rumors have claimed that Medusa was going to comprise at least two different Medusa Point designs as well as "Medusa Halo", a successor to Gorgon Halo based on Zen 6 CPUs and RDNA 5 graphics.
Specifically, the rumor as was originally given was that Medusa Halo would combine up to two twelve-core Zen 6 CCDs with a discrete GPU chiplet. At that time, we were given to understand that it would use a wide LPDDR5X or LPDDR6 memory bus, similar to the extant Strix Halo / Ryzen AI Max parts. The latest rumor now says that "Siren Halo" instead has dedicated GDDR7 memory alongside an LPDDR interface. But wait, what about Medusa Halo?
Well, back in October, known leaker Kepler_L2 reportedly said (via VCZ) that Medusa Halo "had been renamed." Based on this new leak from Gotou_3rd, it seems like our Medusa has become a Siren, which is quite the downgrade in terms of mythological creatures, but apparently a sharp upgrade in terms of GPU memory bandwidth.
If we take the two leaks together, the old and the new, it sounds like Siren Halo may simply be a big desktop CPU paired with a small laptop GPU. It's not hard to imagine a dual-CCD Zen CPU; after all, that's what every Ryzen 9 has been since the Ryzen 3000 series. It's also not hard to imagine a lightweight RDNA GPU with dedicated GDDR memory. Putting the two together isn't exactly a radical concept.
However, there's another factor to consider, which is that Siren Halo may well be derived from "Magnus", the processor meant for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox, code-named "Project Helix". In that context, it was said to have integrated processor cores and a shared 192-bit GDDR7 memory bus, so this Siren Halo clearly isn't exactly the same thing—unless plans have changed since the prior leaks. Unfortunately we just don't know the truth of the matter.
In fact, all we actually know for 100% certain is that Olympic Ridge and Medusa1 are official codenames of AMD processors, and that none of this is coming before the end of the year, at least in retail form. I'm expecting a reveal at CES followed by staggered launches throughout next year. Let's hope AMD actualy goes forward with these plans and doesn't just cancel the whole mess for more AI chips.
