Smaller chips exist for the AMD Ryzen 7040U series

During her keynote address at CES 2023, Dr. Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD, unveiled the Ryzen 7040 series, code-named “Phoenix Point/Phoenix 1”, an innovative mobile processor based on the next-generation Zen 4 architecture. Manufactured through the advanced 4nm process technology of TSMC, the chip spans a modest area of 178mm² and encompasses a staggering 25 billion transistors.

Currently, the Ryzen 7040 series is available in four distinct models: the Ryzen 7 7840U (8C16T+12CU), the Ryzen 5 7640U (6C12T+8CU), the Ryzen 5 7540U (6C12T+4CU), and the Ryzen 3 7440U (4C8T+4CU). According to reports from VideoCardz, official AMD resources indicate that the Ryzen 3 7440U and the Ryzen 5 7540U employ smaller chips, only 137mm² in area, representing a reduction of approximately 23%.

AMD Ryzen 7640U and 7440U using different dies, Source: AMD

Previous reports speculated that AMD is in the process of preparing another APU code named “Phoenix 2”, also referred to as “Little Phoenix”. It is purported to contain two performance cores based on the Zen 4 architecture and four power-efficiency cores based on the Zen 4c architecture, totaling six cores and twelve threads. While the Zen 4 and Zen 4c architectures utilize the same ISA, the latter is essentially a lower-power, streamlined version of the former, retaining equivalent IPC, but boasting a higher power efficiency ratio. Rumors suggest that certain Ryzen 5 7540U models utilize a downsized Phoenix 1 chip, co-existing with the Phoenix 2 chip.

Despite AMD’s top executives previously confirming the existence of hybrid architecture processors in the consumer market, and clear indications in an official AMD programming guide that chips are equipped with two types of cores, AMD has yet to acknowledge the existence of a smaller chip variant. As there are currently no laptops on the market employing this diminutive chip, further details remain unconfirmed.