AMD is preparing to refresh its high-end gaming APU lineup, building on the success of the Strix Halo series. While the recently announced Gorgon Point, also known as Ryzen AI Max 400, represents an immediate update, the true next-generation leap will come with “Medusa Halo,” currently slated for release sometime between 2027 and 2028. This future APU is expected to feature Zen 6 CPU cores and RDNA 5 graphics and a recent leak suggests it will also incorporate LPDDR6 memory.
The leak, originating from leaker Olrak29_ on X, points to a significant upgrade in memory technology for the Ryzen AI Max 500 series, potentially branded as “Medusa Halo.” The move to LPDDR6 promises substantial performance gains, particularly as AMD increasingly targets its Halo series for both gaming and artificial intelligence applications.
Currently, the Strix Halo APU utilizes a 256-bit LPDDR5X memory controller capable of speeds up to 8,000 MT/s, delivering a bandwidth of 256 GB/s. The Gorgon Halo refresh is anticipated to push this to 273.1 GB/s with 8,533 MT/s speeds. However, Medusa Halo, even with a similar 256-bit bus, is projected to achieve a bandwidth of 460.8 GB/s at 14,400 MT/s – an approximately 80% increase over the current generation Strix Halo.
Rumors also suggest that AMD may increase the memory bus width to 384-bit for Medusa Halo, potentially resulting in an even more impressive 691.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This increased bandwidth is crucial for demanding workloads, especially those related to large language model (LLM) inference, where memory throughput is a key performance factor.
The importance of high memory bandwidth in these powerful APUs stems from AMD’s ambition to position the Halo series as a leader in both gaming and AI. LLM inference, in particular, relies heavily on rapid data access, making the raw throughput of the shared memory subsystem a critical characteristic. Medusa Halo appears poised to deliver on this front.
AMD isn’t alone in pursuing these memory advancements. Intel’s Panther Lake processors currently boast the fastest x86 memory controller, supporting LPDDR5X-9600. However, Intel has publicly stated it does not intend to create an integrated graphics processor as powerful as the one found in the Strix Halo. Apple’s M-series SoCs also represent a competitive force, with the M3 Ultra achieving up to 819 GB/s of bandwidth through its 1,024-bit interface.
Beyond the memory upgrade, specifications leaked by Moore’s Law Is Dead suggest the Medusa Halo APU could feature up to 12 Zen 6 cores and 2 Zen 6 LP (low-power) cores, with a potential configuration of 24 big cores and 2 low-power cores. The core complexes are expected to be manufactured using TSMC’s 2nm N2P process for the main cores and the 3nm N3P process for the IOD containing the low-power cores.
The integrated GPU (iGPU) is also expected to be a significant upgrade, potentially based on the RDNA 5 architecture with 48 Compute Units (CUs) and 20 MB of L2 cache. There’s even speculation that AMD might utilize the same GPU chiplet die found in a discrete RDNA 5 desktop card, possibly the 1060XT.
It’s important to note that AMD has not officially confirmed the Gorgon Halo refresh or the Medusa Halo APU. These details are based on leaks and rumors, and the final specifications and release timeline may vary. AMD recently unveiled two new Strix Halo SKUs at CES , indicating that the Strix Halo series remains a focus for the company. Current roadmaps suggest AMD plans to maintain RDNA 3.5 graphics across most of its lineup through 2027 and 2028, although Medusa Halo could represent an exception to this trend.
