- Contrary to earlier rumors linking the name to a Steam Deck 2 processor, “Snowmass” is actually a codename for a forthcoming high-performance AMD EPYC server CPU.
- The design is expected to feature up to 384 cores, organized into eight compute chiplets, each containing 48 cores.
- To achieve such high density, AMD reportedly plans to move the L3 cache off the main compute die.
A few months ago, the name AMD Snowmass surfaced in a leak that sparked speculation about a possible APU for the Steam Deck 2. However, new information suggests that this interpretation was far from accurate.
MLID corrects the first interpretation and places this microarchitecture where it belongs: within a series of AMD EPYC processors with Zen 7 architecture designed for the server market.
Snowmass would be exceptional, consisting of up to eight 48-core chiplets, allowing AMD to achieve an incredible 384 cores in a single EPYC CPU. To put this into perspective, each of these chiplets would have even more cores than the previously leaked Steamboat design, which was believed to have 36 cores per CCD.
The key to reaching this density would be to separate the cores and cache physically. Snowmass’ compute chiplets would not combine all of its L3 cache onto a single silicon die, but rather employ discrete cache dies coupled by 3D stacking, similar to X3D. This allowed AMD to commit a bigger portion of the main chiplet to the cores while keeping the L3 cache on a separate layer.
The goal would be to combine a density equivalent to that of compact cores with per-core performance comparable to Zen 7 Classic, all while offering a vast amount of cache. It would not necessarily achieve the per-core cache level of a 3D V-Cache variation. Still, it would allow for a fairly wide range of core counts, individual performance, and cache capacity.
Additionally, using three distinct production processes would make the design unique. The advanced TSMC A14 node would be used to fabricate the chiplets with Zen 7 cores, while the TSMC N3C node would be used to fabricate the IODs. Lastly, the dies intended for the L3 cache would make use of the more established and affordable TSMC N4P.
By avoiding the high cost of producing the complete A14 processor, this combination would allow the most sophisticated process to be reserved for the components that truly require higher density and efficiency.
According to the leak, Zen 7 intends to increase IPC by 15–25% over Zen 6. It’s crucial to stress that we’re discussing the architecture’s overall objective and performance per clock cycle, not that Snowmass will always be 25% quicker under any load.
Lastly, even before Steamboat, AMD is planning to release this 384-core model around the middle of 2028. This schedule is in accordance with the official roadmap: TSMC intends to start A14 manufacturing in 2028, while AMD has already confirmed its EPYC Zen 7 CPUs for that year.
For the time being, this is a very ambitious leak because Snowmass, its configuration, and the 384-core figure are still unknown. AMD will continue to compete fiercely with Intel and its Xeon processors.
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Sajjad Hussain is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tech4Gamers.com. Apart from the Tech and Gaming scene, Sajjad is a Seasonal banker who has delivered multi-million dollar projects as an IT Project Manager and works as a freelancer to provide professional services to corporate giants and emerging startups in the IT space.
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