Phoenix2 code found in new AMD AGESA BIOS

Several days ago, we reported that AMD’s AGESA 1.0.8.0 BIOS code hinted at the imminent unveiling of the Ryzen 7000G series desktop APU, featuring the Phoenix APU. As enthusiasts delved deeper, they also discerned code pertaining to the hybrid-architecture Phoenix 2.

This discovery, credited to Crash Test from the Computerbase forum, suggests that the new AM5 BIOS conspicuously lacks the original Phoenix APU’s CPUID 00A70F41, but includes the Phoenix Refresh’s CPUID 00A70F52, and the Phoenix 2’s CPUID 00A70F80. This insinuates the hybrid-architecture Phoenix core’s debut on the AM5 platform. This core amalgamates two Zen 4 cores with four Zen 4c cores. Both core types boast identical IPCs, but the Zen 4c possesses a more compact design, significantly reducing individual core dimensions. Naturally, to manage thermal output, the Zen 4c’s operational frequency is considerably subdued compared to the conventional Zen 4. For instance, the Ryzen Z1’s Zen 4 core, powered by the Phoenix 2, peaks at 4.9GHz, while the Zen 4c tops out at a modest 3.5GHz.

The simultaneous presence of both Phoenix and Phoenix 2 chips on the AMD AM5 platform intimates a diversified Ryzen 7000G product line. Their specifications diverge considerably: the Phoenix is endowed with eight Zen 4 cores and features a GPU with 12 RDNA 3 architecture CU clusters. In contrast, the Phoenix 2 harmonizes 2 Zen 4 with 4 Zen 4c cores, its GPU containing merely four CU clusters. The disparity in IO remains ambiguous. Given Phoenix 2’s specifications, whether it can operate within a 65W TDP remains a matter of conjecture. However, if AMD does indeed introduce Phoenix 2 to the AM5 platform, it would herald the company’s maiden hybrid-architecture desktop processor.