AMD's Strix Halo CPUs May Bring Additional L3 Cache via 3D V-Cache Technology

AMD’s Strix Halo processors have already impressed reviewers with their high-performance iGPU capabilities, surpassing Intel’s current offerings like Arrow Lake-H and Lunar Lake in many tests. However, it appears AMD has left room for even more innovation, as the Strix Halo die design—shared by ASUS China—indicates that a 3D V-Cache chiplet could be added on top of the existing L3 cache, potentially paving the way for future “Strix Halo X3D” CPUs.

According to ASUS General Manager of China, Tony, the presence of TSVs (Through-Silicon Vias) in the design would allow AMD to stack additional L3 cache on each Zen 5 core cluster. Similar 3D V-Cache technology has previously delivered significant performance boosts in select workloads, so the notion of a Strix Halo X3D variant would be a logical progression.

New Interconnect Design and Smaller Footprint

In addition to the 3D V-Cache possibility, AMD’s Strix Halo CPUs feature a new interconnect design that replaces the more traditional SERDES (Serializer/Deserializer) system seen on desktop Zen 5 Ryzen 9000 series processors. Tony further explains that this “sea of wires” approach is 42.3% smaller, making the CPU’s chiplet portion around 0.34mm smaller. The reduced footprint improves latency and power consumption, setting a strong foundation for the future Zen 6 architecture.

Powerful iGPU and Future Potential

The current Strix Halo lineup includes offerings like the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, already praised for solid general computing and excellent GPU capabilities courtesy of the built-in Radeon 8060S. Some benchmarks place it in close competition with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU, showing that Strix Halo-based laptops can deliver high-ultra gaming settings with no discrete GPU required. With the possibility of 3D V-Cache and a more efficient interconnect design, these chips could see even greater performance gains in future iterations.

Are you excited to see how Strix Halo X3D might leverage 3D V-Cache and the advanced interconnect design for even greater performance? Share your thoughts below and let us know if this could reshape your next CPU upgrade plans!