AMD releases XDNA Linux driver, supports Phoenix and Hawk Point

At last year’s CES 2023, AMD launched the Ryzen 7040 series APU, codenamed “Phoenix,” featuring the Ryzen AI engine based on the XDNA architecture to enhance AI performance. Although it immediately gained support on the Windows platform, Linux users might have felt left out due to the delayed appearance of corresponding drivers.

As reported by Phoronix, AMD has now released the first XDNA driver for the Linux operating system, providing support for the Ryzen AI engine. Currently, this driver only supports the Phoenix and Hawk Point APUs, but support for Strix Point is expected to be completed soon. To run this driver, users need to install the Linux 6.7 kernel or a higher version, which has enabled “IOMMU SVA” support.

The release of the first XDNA driver for Linux is a significant addition to the software resources for AMD platforms. It not only helps to harness the AI capabilities within the Ryzen AI engine but also demonstrates AMD’s commitment to maximizing the potential of its chips, offering users powerful solutions and comprehensive functionalities.

On the recently released Ryzen 8040 series APU, AMD has already boosted NPU performance by 60%. The upcoming Strix Point, rumored to debut later this year, is expected to triple NPU performance. Competitor Intel is also striving to enhance the NPU performance of its processors to enrich the AI PC ecosystem further. In the recent fourth quarter 2023 earnings call, CEO Pat Gelsinger mentioned that AI performance in Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake would be doubled from the Core Ultra base.