Samsung to bring AMD GPU to mid-range Exynos chips

Hotstar in UAE
Hotstar in UAE

Samsung is reportedly planning to bring AMD graphics to its mid-range Exynos processors. According to tipster Revegnus, aka @Tech_Reve, the Exynos 1430 and Exynos 1480 will both feature AMD’s RDNA-based GPU. These chips will arrive early next year, powering some of the Korean firm’s 2024 Galaxy A models.

Before you get too excited, the tipster has urged everyone to not have “overly high expectations” for the gaming performance of the upcoming AMD-powered mid-range Exynos chips. This is because Samsung will primarily use the RDNA graphics to improve the ISP (Image Signal Processor), i.e. the camera performance, rather than gaming.

Next-gen Galaxy A phones may be more camera-centric

The Korean firm might be looking to make its next-gen Galaxy A phones more camera-centric. We might see higher-resolution cameras on some premium models, like the Galaxy A55. The Exynos 1430 and Exynos 1480 should also deliver more powerful post-processing for better image quality, more akin to flagship models.

Gaming may be taking a backseat, but the inclusion of AMD graphics should bring some improvements over ARM’s Mali GPUs that Samsung’s mid-range Exynos processors have been traditionally using. We aren’t expecting flagship features like ray tracing, but maybe better driver support and some performance boost over older chips.

Nonetheless, it’s nice to see Samsung’s partnership with AMD for RDNA-based mobile graphics coming down to mid-range chips. The duo signed this deal in 2019, but the first Exynos processor to use an AMD GPU came last year. The Exynos 2200’s Xclipse 920 GPU handled the graphics duties on the Galaxy S22 series flagship smartphones. That’s still the only Exynos chip with an AMD-powered GPU.

Meanwhile, in April this year, Samsung signed a multi-year extension of its partnership with AMD for the Radeon graphics technology. Rumors said the companies will work on improving their RDNA-based mobile GPUs (the Xclipse 920 left a lot to be desired). The plan was to eventually bring AMD graphics to the mid-range segment. It appears we will finally see that happen next year.

Galaxy S24’s Exynos 2400 will feature an AMD-powered GPU

Alongside bringing AMD GPUs to mid-range chips, Samsung is also working on a new flagship solution. The company’s next-gen Exynos 2400 flagship, which will power the Galaxy S24 series in some markets, will feature a much-improved Xclipse 940 GPU. It’s said to boast twice as many graphics computing units as the Xclipse 920. The same source recently claimed that the new GPU is still quite power-hungry. It remains to be seen if Samsung manages to fix those issues before the chip enters mass production.

2023-09-04 15:05:17