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[SonGoku]

Arcturus is probably not next-gen; this needs to be cleared up before it gets out of hand.

This "Arcturus" meme has spread far and wide over the past few months to the point where I've started seeing it even on tech sites, so I feel like I need to clarify this for people who missed the origin of where this codename leaked.
The name originated from John Bridgman on the Phoronix forums, who works for AMD and has been a liaison regarding open source Linux support of AMD hardware.
The codename was specifically mentioned in this post from last September. I'll quote below for posterity:

We are going back to real codenames where possible (ie where it's not already too late to change), and trying to keep the old "the name vaguely suggests HW generation so it will be easier to remember in the future" model. The first new code name should be Arcturus.

EDIT - just to be clear, these code names are per CHIP not per GENERATION and are what we will use when pushing open source code to public repos. The internal project names may be different (and there's a good chance that they will continue the current naming pattern) but by using code names for public releases we should be able to avoid the overlap between chip names in the open source driver code and marketing names.

From this, it's not clear at all whether Arcturus is actually next-gen, or whether it's a variant of Navi that was planned later, and thus didn't have a numbered Navi codename like the others. It could also just be the codename for the variant of Navi that will be in the PS5 or something, since it's common for those chips to get their own codenames. For the sake of accuracy I think people should still continue to use "next-gen" when referring to the generation after Navi, despite it being vague and nebulous. We just don't know enough at this point, apart from the fact that the Arcturus codename exists.
In addition, there was this strange post a few weeks ago about a "supposed" Arcturus leak for a future Xbox console; people already were pretty skeptical about this for other reasons in that thread, but I think the "arcturus12" in the screenshot seems to me the most obvious evidence that it may be fake. Using "Arcturus" might make sense if it is indeed just a Navi variant, but then what's with the "12" at the end? Based on Bridgman's statement, the new codenames and the numbered codenames are mutually exclusive, the former being for public use (like in the open source driver), and the latter for private internal use only (if they're used at all).

John Bridgman (/u/bridgmanAMD) even posted the clarification on reddit:

Just a reminder... the Arcturus code name refers to a specific chip, not an architecture. Somebody misread my post on Phoronix and thought it was a new architecture, and that has been echoing around the internet ever since.
Arcturus is just the first GPU we started after going back to using code names in the driver that are completely unrelated to the marketing name. The change should mean one less thing to worry about when we push Linux drivers out to a public repo on the way to upstream.

Scarlet Arcturus leak

Translation:
CPU:
8 core Ryzen at 3.3 ghz.
RAM:
24GB of GDDR6 total on 384 bit bus.
1GB of L4 cache means probably the main ram useable.
L4 is just a fancy term for main memory.
22GB for games, 352bit dedicated to GPU
1GB for OS cache, 32bit dedicated to CPU
1GB probably left for OS rendering.

GPU:
64 Arcturus Engines
11.5 TERAFLOPS

 

[Musky_Cheese]

Thanks for posting this

Always good to get clarification

Now let’s make sure Sony is aware of the obvious Blu Ray bottleneck

 

[DeepEnigma]

Well that clears that up.

 

[Shin]

Well that clears that up.

It makes it worse actually, because now you have a bad thread title based on a random Reddit user using bad wording for a non-existent "meme".
Hardly anyone knows or even actively discusses it on GAF, even less to make it a meme and in general there's not much info out there, even I can count info about Arcturus on one hand so the Reddit post is weird.
The AMD guy cleared it up that it's not a new architecture in a different thread to correct some assumption as generally most thought it's a new architecture, this patent/article explains it all (it's very very interesting if you're into tech) - https://www.pcgamesn.com/amd/amd-next-gen-graphics-card-architecture-arcturus

Arcturus12 is or might be like Navi12 (mid-range and to replace Vega 56 or some shit like that).
Dev-kits tend to get upgraded/updated along the way sometimes more than 2-3x so whatever is in the screenshot could be updated just as the first Gonzalo went from 1GHz to 1.8GHz.
It takes time to put things together though I've noticed that people on this site tend to response with whatever they think is smart or might make sense to them but not what's out there.
AdoredTV does good work analyzing and verifying shit, I hate long ass videos and articles but it was refreshing to see his work line up with the time I spend reading up on tech so recommended watch.

 

[DeepEnigma]

It makes it worse actually, because now you have a bad thread title based on a random Reddit user using bad wording for a non-existent "meme".
Hardly anyone knows or even actively discusses it on GAF, even less to make it a meme and in general there's not much info out there, even I can count info about Arcturus on one hand so the Reddit post is weird.
The AMD guy cleared it up that it's not a new architecture in a different thread to correct some assumption as generally most thought it's a new architecture, this patent/article explains it all (it's very very interesting if you're into tech) - https://www.pcgamesn.com/amd/amd-next-gen-graphics-card-architecture-arcturus

Arcturus12 is or might be like Navi12 (mid-range and to replace Vega 56 or some shit like that).
Dev-kits tend to get upgraded/updated along the way sometimes more than 2-3x so whatever is in the screenshot could be updated just as the first Gonzalo went from 1GHz to 1.8GHz.
It takes time to put things together though I've noticed that people on this site tend to response with whatever they think is smart or might make sense to them but not what's out there.
AdoredTV does good work analyzing and verifying shit, I hate long ass videos and articles but it was refreshing to see his work line up with the time I spend reading up on tech so recommended watch.

I seen people on here and other places calling it the gen beyond Navi tho. Which this clearly says it is not.

 

[Shin]

I saw people on here and other places calling it the gen beyond Navi tho. Which this clearly says it is not.

Not saying you're wrong, just don't know who he's trying to correct (incl. this OP) as he goes on to say he's not sure either near the end.
A specific chip that might likely improves upon parallel processing, efficiency and by extension allows for more compute units to be crammed.
It will be about 2 years later since the name was even mentioned, the patent and road-map description, plus a mid-range version potentially being in an XDK lines up nicely.

 

[SonGoku]

Shin

We are going back to real codenames where possible (ie where it's not already too late to change), and trying to keep the old "the name vaguely suggests HW generation so it will be easier to remember in the future" model. The first new code name should be Arcturus.

Arcturus is just the first GPU we started after going back to using code names in the driver that are completely unrelated to the marketing name.

Highly unlikely to be post navi, it will likely be one of the first Navi chips.
The first code name=the first chip

 

[Shin]

navi

Should/is
It sounds like it will get messy and they might have use 3-4 names for 1 chip/project/arch/driver. How I wish these consoles were out so AMD can spill the beans, getting a headache from just reading about Radeon Graphics.

 

[SonGoku]

Funnily enough the article you posted goes under the wrong assumption AMD’s next GPU architecture might be Arcturus. Its interesting for sure but there is no telling wether the technologies described in the patent will be used on Navi or not.

AMD is sending mix messages here, first they said there's a next gen arch, later they claim Navi is
I have a feeling Navi will surprise us all, that patent article was really interesting. If those improvements are applied to consoles, even with "only" 60CUs, its going to be beastly.

 

[Shin]

Funnily enough the article you posted goes under the wrong assumption AMD’s next GPU architecture might be Arcturus.

In that context the writer isn't wrong if had he said a revision it would have been, a revision is minor & if the patent is Arcturus then it's anything but that.
The silence and schedule shifting around Navi is worrisome as it didn't end well with Vega, should still make for a beast of a card for mid-range (Polaris like).

 

[SonGoku]

In that context the writer isn't wrong if had he said a revision it would have been, a revision is minor & if the patent is Arcturus then it's anything but that.
The silence and schedule shifting around Navi is worrisome as it didn't end well with Vega, should still make for a beast of a card for mid-range (Polaris like).

The codename for AMD’s next GPU architecture might be Arcturus.

This has already been debunked, Arcturus is a chip code name not a architecture.

 

[Shin]

This has already been debunked, Arcturus is a chip code name not a architecture.

He's inconsistent with his comments.
The end.

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

Highly unlikely that MS would be able to release a product in holiday 2020 with post Navi architecture anyway.

 

[SonGoku]

He's inconsistent with his comments.
The end.

Call a spade a spade
He wrote the article under his own personal assumption/bias that Arcturus is an architecture and that the patents are meant for it

Don't get me wrong, the patent talk is really interesting, we don't know however wether that tech will land on Navi or Post Navi
Im hopeful next gen consoles will implement it.

Highly unlikely that MS would be able to release a product in holiday 2020 with post Navi architecture anyway.

For all we know consoles might have next gen arch features

 

[Shin]

He wrote the article under his own personal assumption/bias that Arcturus is an architecture and that the patents are meant for it

I lost you there, the guy from AMD is inconsistent with his remarks (whether intentionally or things change I'm not sure).
As for the writer he was honest from the start about his knowledge and if anything it's well written compared to the likes of WCCHTech and what's not.
The thing that stands out the most about Arcturus or any of these GPU's is that they are part of a constellation system, I don't know jackshit about astronomy.

Phoronix:

Navi is the codename of the next-gen AMD GPUs due out in 2019 and is the nickname of the star Gamma Cassiopeiae. Current generation Vega also ties into the astronomical theme as it's the brightest star in the Lyra constellation.. It was "Polaris" that kicked off this theme with the Radeon RX 480 series launch. Now it looks like the AMD Navi successor might be Arcturus. Arcturus is a large red star and the brightest of the constellation of Boötes.

 

[SonGoku]

I lost you there, the guy from AMD is inconsistent with his remarks (whether intentionally or things change I'm not sure).
As for the writer he was honest from the start about his knowledge and if anything it's well written compared to the likes of WCCHTech and what's not.

Im not saying he did maliciously, just that he is under the wrong assumption that Arcturus is an arch.
He also assumes this patent tech is post Navi.

Phoronix:

John Bridgman already confirmed Arcturus is a GPU not an architecture, why speculate any further?

 

[Imtjnotu]

Call a spade a spade
He wrote the article under his own personal assumption/bias that Arcturus is an architecture and that the patents are meant for it

Don't get me wrong, the patent talk is really interesting, we don't know however wether that tech will land on Navi or Post Navi
Im hopeful next gen consoles will implement it.

For all we know consoles might have next gen arch features

They are already next gen. Unless you mean next next gen which in turn would still be next gen.....

 

[timonlionbladerunner]

 

[SonGoku]

They are already next gen. Unless you mean next next gen which in turn would still be next gen.....

I meant next gen as in the architecture that comes after Navi the sucesor to GCN, AMD its just calling it next gen