Thinking Small to Think Big: AMD Modular Architecture is Advancing Sustainability

By Justin Murrill, Director of Corporate Responsibility

April 24, 2024

Tackling macro technology challenges often entails devising micro solutions that scale. At AMD, we have embraced this approach for 55 years as we design high performance and adaptive computing solutions. In my role to advance sustainability at AMD, I have seen incredible innovations where AMDers think small to think big and in doing so, create major co-benefits for technology users and the planet.

A powerful example is AMD developing “chiplets” - a revolutionary semiconductor design approach that embraces modular architecture. The innovation addresses several technology and sustainability challenges simultaneously such as cutting manufacturing environmental impacts and costs while increasing compute performance and energy efficiency. Instead of one large monolithic chip, AMD engineers reconfigured the component IP building blocks using a flexible, scalable connectivity we designed known as Infinity Fabric. This laid the foundation for our Infinity Architecture configuring multiple individual chiplets to scale compute cores in countless designs that further optimize energy efficiency.

AMD recently measured the sustainability benefits of chiplets in the wafer manufacturing process for one product line, and the results are compelling. Producing 4^th Gen EPYC CPUs with 8 separate compute chiplets instead of one monolithic die saved ~50K metric tons of CO2e in 2023 through avoidance of wafers manufactured, approximately the same as the annual operational CO2e footprint of AMD in 2022.[i]   

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