Samsung Electronics, AMD to jointly develop GPU for auto chips

[Photo provided by Samsung Electronics]

Samsung Electronics Co. will jointly develop a graphics processing unit (GPU) with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) for the Exynos Auto V920, the latest processor for automobiles.

According to multiple industry sources on Thursday, Samsung Electronics plans to feature the Xclipse GPU in the latest V920 chip. Xclipse is based on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture and was jointly developed by Samsung Electronics.

Until now, Samsung Electronics applied the Mali GPU of ARM when manufacturing chips for automotive applications. The Exynos Auto V920 with the GPU developed in collaboration with AMD can achieve up to twice the graphics processing performance compared to previous products.

Samsung Electronics started its substantial GPU collaboration with AMD when it first incorporated the Xclipse into Exynos 2200, the mobile application processor (AP) for smartphones, last year.

During the initial S22 integration, it received unfavorable evaluations due to heat issues. However, through yield improvement, the optimization level between Xclipse and Exynos has significantly improved.

The two companies expanded their strategic partnership in the field of next-generation high-performance and low-power graphics intellectual property in April. The strategy aims to utilize Xclipse in various fields beyond mobile APs, including automotive applications.

The Exynos Auto V920 announced this time is the first official case following the expansion of collaboration. Xclipse is expected to be utilized in various fields, including not only future chips for automotive applications but also chips for home appliances.