AMD is allegedly working on Arm-based "Sound Wave" APUs for Microsoft's Surface laptops next year
AMD is allegedly working on an Arm-based SoC, codenamed "Sound Wave", in a bid to power Microsoft's Surface laptops next year, claims Kepler via ITHome. Moving away from traditional x86 designs, Sound Wave is reported to feature the Arm ISA and will likely leverage off-the-shelf Cortex cores. Details on exact specifications, availability, and pricing remain under wraps, so it's wise to approach this leak with caution.
Looking beyond its historical Wintel roots, Microsoft has made a clear push towards the WoA (Windows on Arm) platform. This was put into effect with the firm's partnership with Qualcomm, which yielded the Snapdragon X family. This was likely a significant catalyst that motivated Intel to engineer an efficiency-first alternative: Lunar Lake. In fact, even Nvidia is entering the WoA space with its rumored N1 family of SoCs, developed in partnership with MediaTek.
The strong success of the Nintendo Switch, powered by Nvidia hardware, underlines a lucrative market for Arm-based handhelds. These Sound Wave SoCs, if true, could be a foundation for the Steam Deck 2, but I must emphasize this is highly speculative. Microsoft's current-generation Surface Pro 11 and Surface 7 laptops are powered by chips from Qualcomm and Intel. AMD's existing gap in efficiency compared to Snapdragon X, Lunar Lake, and likely soon-to-launch N1 offerings could be bridged with these Arm-based SoCs.
It is suggested these APUs will slot into the FF5 socket, succeeding FF3, which is home to the Steam Deck's Aerith/Sephiroth APUs. Regarding the integrated graphics, AMD should continue to employ its established Radeon IP instead of adopting Arm's Mali graphics solutions.
Lunar Lake sticks to x86 roots, and while it might be inferior in performance to Arm-based equivalents from Qualcomm and Apple, it comes extremely close in efficiency, even exceeding them in battery endurance tests. That being said, Lunar Lake wasn't exactly cheap for Intel, including expensive manufacturing with TSMC's N3B process, Foveros 3D packaging, on-package LPDDR5x-8533 RAM, and next-generation IP blocks like Xe2-LPG for graphics. This is why ex-CEO Pat Gelsinger characterized Lunar Lake as an expensive one-off design.
So, AMD's decision could be driven by the high costs and complexities associated with building an ultra-efficient x86 design, especially for the sub-10W range, and Microsoft's growing push for Windows on Arm and AI-first PCs. Likewise, can Microsoft address the teething optimization and compatibility issues that still plague the WoA ecosystem by then? We should reserve our judgments until AMD actually reveals these products, assuming they're even in the pipeline. While AMD could reveal more at CES 2026, we'll probably have to wait a bit longer as Microsoft tends to announce new Surface products during the summer season.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
30 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Microsoft Laying Off Up To 9,000 Employees, Xbox Cancels ‘Perfect Dark', Gamers React
Source: picture alliance / Getty / Microsoft / Xbox / Phil Spencer Wednesday was a rough one for Microsoft and Team Xbox. The Seattle Times reports that Microsoft is giving about 9,100, or about 4 percent, of its workforce pink slips. According to the report, the Xbox division, aka Microsoft Gaming, will be hit the hardest as a result of these layoffs, but the exact number remains unknown. In a message to the team, Xbox head Phil Spencer said to the team, 'To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness.' The sad news also means that these layoffs will impact games. According to Bloomberg , the Microsoft-owned King division, the maker of the wildly popular Candy Crush mobile game franchise, is laying off 10 percent of its employees, or approximately 200 people. Zenimax also confirmed it was laying off employees. Turn 10, the studio behind the Forza Motorsport franchise, is laying off more than 70 employees . The long-talked-about Perfect Dark game from the now-shuttered studio The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics, along with Everwild , has been canceled. Perfect Dark was just revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase in 2024, so that means there's a possibility that more games shown during that event could be put on ice by Microsoft. This latest round of layoffs follows Microsoft's layoffs of more than 6,000 employees less than two months ago, which were subsequently supplemented by an additional 305 reductions in early June. Phil Spencer's entire memo to the team, speaking about the recent round of layoffs, reads: Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness. Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today's notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days. I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we're seeing currently is based on tough decisions we've made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate effort on areas with the greatest potential, while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come. Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental—it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams. HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review. Thank you to everyone who has shaped our culture, our products, and our community. We will move forward with deep appreciation and respect for all who have contributed to this journey. Phil You can see reactions to the announcement of the unfortunate layoffs in the gallery below, spoiler alert, Phil Spencer might want to stay off social media for a while. Microsoft Laying Off Up To 9,000 Employees, Xbox Cancels 'Perfect Dark', Gamers React was originally published on
Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
Mitsubishi Electric's ME Innovation Fund Invests in AI-assisted PLM Systems Startup 'Things'
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that its ME Innovation Fund has invested in Things, Inc., a Japan-based startup that develops and provides AI-assisted product lifecycle management (PLM) systems for manufacturing, specializing in comprehensive document management from product planning to development to disposal. This is the twelfth investment that the fund has made to date. Through this investment, Mitsubishi Electric aims to integrate its extensive manufacturing and control expertise with Things' generative AI technology to accelerate the development of digital transformation (DX) solutions that address various manufacturing challenges. In recent years, Japan's manufacturing industry has faced labor shortages, the aging of skilled technicians and other challenges that are inhibiting skills transfer. In response, DX initiatives such as the implementation of PLM and other digital systems have advanced rapidly, but have encountered issues regarding development time, cost, usability and scalability. Things introduced its 'PRISM' PLM system in May 2023 to leverage generative AI to improve the structure and usage of information in manufacturing. PRISM offers significant cost and scalability advantages for enhancing user interfaces and experiences, and for effectively implementing proofs of concept (PoCs) across a wide range of companies.
Business Upturn
4 hours ago
- Business Upturn
BJMINING Unleashes AI-Powered Energy Arbitrage to Revolutionize Bitcoin Mining Profitability
London, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin currently trading at $107,000 — up 60% year-to-date—many U.S.-based mining operations are facing existential threats as single-coin production costs soar to $137,000. In stark contrast, BJMINING, the UK-based cloud mining giant founded in 2015, has reduced its breakeven threshold to $68,000 by leveraging AI-powered dynamic energy networks. Operating more than 60 mining farms globally—100% powered by renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro—BJMINING now serves over 5 million users across 180+ countries and has emerged as a premier ESG-compliant target for institutional capital. The 2025 Hashrate War: Survival Through AI and Green Innovation (1) Crisis of Inverted Margins Electricity Pricing Power: Electricity accounts for 75% of mining operation costs. In regions where prices exceed $0.12/kWh, over 40% of small and medium-sized mining farms have shut down. Profit Compression: Despite a 47% increase in global hashrate since the 2024 halving, block rewards have dropped to 3.125 BTC—bringing marginal profits dangerously close to zero. Seasonal Opportunity: Historical data shows a 70% probability of Bitcoin price increases in July. A breakout above $116,000 could potentially triple cloud mining returns. (2) BJMINING's AI-Powered Energy Arbitrage Engine By dynamically reallocating computational workloads to regions with the lowest operational costs, BJMINING achieves a 42% reduction in energy-related expenses per unit of computing power. Highlights include: Midnight Hydropower in Norway: $0.028/kWh by leveraging off-peak grid loads Icelandic Geothermal: Stable year-round supply at $0.04/kWh Heat Recovery in Canada: Community heating technology slashes energy waste by 30% and earns government-backed carbon credits The Foundation of Trust: Triple-Layer Certification and Frictionless Experience Certification Dimension Backing Institution User Value Carbon-Neutral Operations United Nations Certification Compliant with ESG fund requirements Full Asset Insurance AIG (American International Group) Protection against hackers and natural disasters Security Defense McAfee® + Cloudflare® 99.99% DDoS protection success rate Transparency Engine: All mining operations and revenue distributions are verifiable on-chain. 2025 Contract Yield Matrix (July Performance Test) CEO William Thomas launches tiered hedging contracts with zero management fees and multi-currency payment support: Contract Project Investment Amount The term Total revenue WhatsMiner M50S+ $100 2days $100+$6 WhatsMiner M60S++ $600 7days $600+$52.50 Avalon Miner A1566 $1,200 15days $1,200+$234 WhatsMiner M66S+ $5,800 30days $5,800+$2,610 Antminer L7 $12,000 40days $12,000+$8,160 ANTSPACE HD5 $96,000 54days $96,000+$119,232 'Our AI processes 170,000 energy data points per second—10,000 times more efficient than manual operations.' — William Thomas, CEO of BJMINING Technology Moat: Surpassing Human Limits AI Forecasting System: Anticipates hashrate surges 12 hours in advance, boosting returns by 19.7%. Auto-Reinvestment: Reinvestment efficiency is 23% higher than manual operations, ensuring no missed gains during bull markets. XRP/DOGE Payments: Cross-border settlements in under 2 minutes, enabling seamless DeFi yield scenarios. Industry Inflection Point: Retail Hashpower Migrates to AI Platforms According to Bitdeer, 35% of retail mining hashpower is expected to shift to AI-optimized platforms by 2026. With a decade of operational experience, BJMINING sets the new benchmark: Frictionless Onboarding: DOGE/XRP payments activate within 120 seconds; new users receive a $15 welcome bonus. Volatility-Resistant Architecture: Multi-currency mining (BTC/DOGE/XRP) automatically balances yield fluctuations. Global Consensus: Over 60 mining farms span Kazakhstan (nuclear energy at $0.03/kWh), Norway, and other low-cost energy regions. How to get started- Official Website: App Download: Since its founding in the UK in 2015, BJMINING has continuously integrated low-cost green energy networks worldwide. With over 60 mining farms strategically located in resource-rich regions such as Iceland (geothermal), Norway (hydropower), and Kazakhstan (nuclear), the company has built a dual moat of AI-powered energy scheduling and zero-carbon mining. Over the past decade, BJMINING has served more than 5 million users, with over 500,000 active miners operating daily. Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an 'as-is' basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
