TL;DR:
- AMD and Microsoft showcase AI and compute innovations at Microsoft Ignite.
- AMD products, including the MI300X accelerator, EPYC CPUs, and Ryzen CPUs with AI engines, power new services and capabilities.
- Azure introduces MI300x v5 VM series with AMD Instinct MI300X.
- 4th Gen AMD EPYC processors enhance cloud computing VMs with improved performance and cost-effectiveness.
- Azure NGads V620 series of GPU-accelerated VMs, powered by AMD technologies, cater to GPU-intensive workloads.
- AMD continues to expand the Ryzen AI ecosystem in collaboration with Microsoft.
Main AI News:
In a groundbreaking showcase at Microsoft Ignite, AMD and Microsoft unveiled their joint efforts to bring cutting-edge AI and compute capabilities to Microsoft customers. The collaboration showcases the prowess of AMD’s product lineup, featuring upcoming releases such as the AMD Instinct™ MI300X accelerator, AMD EPYC™ CPUs, and AMD Ryzen™ CPUs, all equipped with AI engines. These innovations are set to revolutionize cloud computing, generative AI, Confidential Computing, and enhance the intelligence of personal computers.
“AMD is fostering AI everywhere – from the cloud, to the enterprise, and end-point devices – all powered by our CPUs, GPUs, accelerators, and AI engines,” stated Vamsi Boppana, Senior Vice President, AI, AMD. “Together with Microsoft and a rapidly growing ecosystem of software and hardware partners, AMD is accelerating innovation to bring the benefits of AI to a broad portfolio of compute engines, with expanding software capabilities.”
Azure’s AI Prowess with AMD Instinct MI300X
One of the remarkable highlights of this collaboration is Microsoft’s introduction of the Azure ND MI300x v5 Virtual Machine (VM) series, meticulously optimized for AI workloads. These VMs are empowered by the AMD Instinct MI300X, marking Azure as the first cloud platform to leverage this groundbreaking accelerator. Microsoft’s diverse infrastructure now offers enterprises a spectrum of choices in enhancing efficiency and scalability for AI innovation.
Elevating Cloud Computing with AMD EPYC Processors
The 4th Gen AMD EPYC processors take center stage in advancing cloud computing, powering a new generation of general-purpose, memory-intensive, and compute-optimized VMs. These VMs, crafted by Microsoft, underscore the surging demand for AMD EPYC processors in the cloud. They promise better price options, up to 20% enhanced performance for general-purpose and memory-intensive VMs, and a staggering 2x increase in CPU performance for compute-optimized VMs compared to the previous generation of AMD EPYC-powered VMs. Expect to explore these new VM series in a public preview slated for the first quarter of 2024.
Azure NGads V620: A Visual Delight
In a move that expands the Azure N-series family of GPU-accelerated VMs for visualization, AMD introduces the Azure NGads V620 series of VMs, which are now readily available. These VMs boast the combined might of AMD Radeon™ PRO V620 GPUs and 3rd Gen AMD EPYC CPUs. Tailored for workloads demanding substantial GPU resources per VM, they cater to more demanding tasks and a higher number of users per VM. The V620 ensures a superior experience across multiple GPU-intensive workloads, including gaming, VDI, and rendering. Users of the NG series will benefit from an optimized driver delivered through the new AMD Software: Cloud Edition.
AI for the PC Ecosystem
AMD shines a spotlight on the continued momentum of Ryzen AI, a pioneering AI accelerator integrated into x86 processors. With over 50 systems already available featuring Ryzen 7000 Series processors equipped with Ryzen AI, millions of AMD AI-powered PCs are now accessible in the market. The collaboration between AMD and Microsoft has already yielded exciting results, such as the integration of Windows Studio Effects on Ryzen AI PCs. AMD remains committed to partnering with software developers to expand AI workloads and generative AI experiences for consumers.
For a deeper dive into the world of AMD’s AI products, join the AMD Advancing AI event on December 6th at 10 am PT. Be part of the revolution that is reshaping AI capabilities across industries.
Conclusion:
The collaboration between AMD and Microsoft at Microsoft Ignite signifies a significant leap in AI and compute capabilities for the cloud and personal computing markets. With innovations like the MI300X accelerator and 4th Gen AMD EPYC processors, AMD is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for AI-powered solutions in the cloud. The introduction of Azure NGads V620 VMs further enhances GPU-intensive workloads, making them more accessible and efficient. The partnership’s focus on Ryzen AI also promises to bring generative AI experiences to a broader audience, signaling a positive trend toward the integration of AI across industries. This strategic alliance is poised to reshape the AI landscape and provide customers with cutting-edge solutions for their evolving computing needs.
