AMD drivers reveal Gainsborough chip codename — The Verge

AMD drivers have revealed the codename of the previously unannounced Gainsborough chip. As The Verge reports, the name may indicate that the development is connected to a future Steam Deck handheld console, although there is no direct confirmation of this.

Connection to the first Steam Deck

The first Steam Deck uses an AMD APU codenamed Aerith, named after a character from Final Fantasy VII. Gainsborough is this character's surname, which has become one of the grounds for speculation about a possible connection between the new chip and Valve.

According to the publication, Gainsborough is likely a semi-custom chip, meaning it was developed for a specific customer. It also appears to be connected to TSMC's relatively new N3P process technology. At the same time, a semi-custom processor does not necessarily end up in the device for which it may have originally been designed.

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Testing data

Chinese outlet IT Home, cited by The Verge, found information in import-export records about AMD's delivery of test equipment for Gainsborough validation. This may indicate that a potential customer is already checking the chip's suitability for its device.

The same records mention a 25 by 25 mm FF6 package. According to insider Gotou3rd, future AMD Ryzen Z3 and Z3 Extreme handheld chips may have the same size. A fragment of a purported AMD presentation published by the insider also indicates a 15 W target for Ryzen Z3, the same power range used by Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED.

Valve's position

Steam Deck has turned four and a half years old. Valve previously stated that it needs a new chip with a “generational leap” in performance and energy efficiency to create the next model. The discovered data on Gainsborough does not yet make it possible to unequivocally link it specifically to Steam Deck 2.