AMD STH & Krackan in Ryzen AI software
Even more Zen5 APUs.
AMD’s Ryzen lineup, featuring Zen5 and RDNA3.5 architectures, is expanding beyond the Strix Point series. AMD is set to release two additional products that should attract many enthusiasts.
First, the Strix Halo (STXH) is an entirely new segment for AMD, offering high-end performance combined with powerful graphics capabilities. It would feature just as many cores as Ryzen 9000 “Granite Ridge” but also comes with discrete-level integrated GPU. Secondly, the Kraken Point (or Krackan) is a next-generation low-power APU, a direct replacement for Hawk Point.
Both of these new APUs have recently appeared in AMD software and drivers. While AMD has officially confirmed the Strix Halo, the Krackan has not yet been officially named. It was spotted in a graphics driver update, listed as GFX1152. This makes it the third APU to feature AMD RDNA3.5 graphics, following GFX1150 (Strix Point) and GFX1151 (Strix Halo). The good news is that Krackan has now appeared under its official codename in Ryzen AI Software 1.2, as discovered by Hoang Anh Phu :
AMD STXH & Krackan, Source: AMD Ryzen AI software
The new Ryzen series will be updated with the Strix Halo, featuring up to 16 classic Zen5 cores and up to 40 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units. This will be AMD’s first step into creating an ultimate APU segment, potentially phasing out the need for low-end GPU series once and for all, at least on AMD platform.
On the other hand, the Krackan is an 8-core processor with 4 Zen5 and 4 Zen5c cores. While it has significantly fewer cores compared to the Halo, featuring only 8 Compute Units, it is expected to be an excellent upgrade for products like the Van Gogh APU used in the Steam Deck. Both the Strix Halo and Kraken Point have appeared in leaked Clevo roadmaps, further hinting at their release date:
AMD Laptop Roadmap, Source: Dominic Alvieri/Clevo
As shown, both of these next-gen APUs are said to feature the XDNA2 processor, just like Strix Point, and both are to be released in 2025.
| RUMORED AMD Ryzen Series | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | Granite Ridge 🆕 | Strix Point 🆕 | Fire Range | Strix Halo⤵️ | Kraken Point Krackan ⤵️ |
| Status | 🟩Announced | 🟩Released | 🟨Rumored | 🟨Unreleased | 🟨Unreleased |
| Release Date | July 2024 | July 2024 | Early 2025 | 2025 | 2025 |
| Target | Desktop CPU | Premium APU | Mobile CPU | Ultimate APU | Mainstream APU |
| Type | Multi Chiplet | Monolithic | Multi Chiplet | Multi Chiplet | Monolithic |
| Ryzen Series | Ryzen 9000 | Ryzen AI 300 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| CPU Cores | 16× Zen5 | 4×Zen5 8×Zen5c | 16× Zen5 | 16× Zen5 | 4x Zen5 4x Zen5c |
| GPU Cores | 2CU RDNA2 | 16CU RDNA3.5 | 2CU RDNA2 | 40CU RDNA3.5 | 8CU RDNA3.5 |
| Default TDP | 65-170W | 28-54W | ~55-75W | ~55-120W | TBC |
| NPU | ❌ | 50 TOPS (XDNA2) | ❌ | 50 TOPS (XDNA2) | 50 TOPS (XDNA2) |
Source: AMD Ryzen AI