AMD posts Linux kernel patches enabling GFXHUB 12.1 and refreshed IP blocks, hinting at CDNA 5 Instinct MI400 accelerators for HPC and AI. More details inside.
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AMD has begun posting new Linux kernel patches that add support for next‑generation GPU IP blocks. Updates like this usually signal that a vendor is preparing to roll out fresh GPU architectures. In this round, the standout is the GFXHUB 12.1 module, which may point to the CDNA 5 architecture expected to underpin future Instinct MI430 and MI450 accelerators for high‑performance computing and AI workloads. While there’s a chance this touches a next‑gen integrated GPU, the emphasis appears to lean toward compute accelerators.
The submitted patches include support for several refreshed IP blocks: PSP 15.0.8 responsible for platform security; IH 7.1, the interrupt controller; MMHUB 4.2, a graphics module; GFXHUB 12.1, the GPU graphics subsystem; and GMC 12.1, the graphics and memory controller. Taken together, this bundle traditionally points to preparations for a brand‑new generation of hardware.
AMD has not yet disclosed which products will receive GFX 12.1. It is known that Radeon RX 9000 graphics cards based on RDNA 4 use the GFX 12 architecture. Against that backdrop, GFX 12.1 could be an extended take on GFX 12 for future integrated GPUs, a module destined for RDNA 5, or part of the platform for CDNA 5 accelerators. Earlier leaks indicated that the GFX1250 identifier is tied to CDNA 5, while GFX1300 is associated with RDNA 5.
At the same time, the odds that these changes target an integrated GPU look slim: all Zen 5‑based APUs use RDNA 3.5 graphics, so a swift move to RDNA 4 in embedded solutions seems unlikely. That makes it more plausible that the patches are linked to the upcoming Instinct MI400 lineup built on CDNA 5, and the selection of IP blocks quietly reinforces that reading.