AMD MI300 Series Release Nears, TSMC CoWoS Capacity Key

The AMD Instinct MI300 Series AI Accelerator Chips are slated for an official release in December 2023, representing a formidable challenge to NVIDIA's most cutting-edge products. However, it's important to note that, beyond Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), no other entity is anticipated to master advanced packaging technology within a one-year time frame. Consequently, the production capacity of TSMC's CoWoS packaging will play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of the AMD MI300 Series. Furthermore, insights into the global demand for AI chips can be gleaned from TSMC's CoWoS production data.

According to sources within the supply chain, TSMC has disclosed plans to double its CoWoS production capacity in 2024, with ongoing expansion expected in 2025. Significantly, NVIDIA already occupies 40% of this production capacity, while AMD is vigorously vying for a share of TSMC's capacity. This competition intensifies as the MI300 Series chips are projected to commence full-scale production in the first quarter of 2024, with Microsoft emerging as its primary client.

The AMD Instinct MI300 Series comprises the MI300A APU and the MI300X GPU accelerator, showcasing a combination of 5nm and 6nm process technologies. The MI300A, housing 1.4 trillion transistors, boasts 24 Zen4 CPU cores, CDNA3 architecture GPU cores, and a 128GB shared HBM3 cache. Meanwhile, the MI300X integrates 1.53 trillion transistors, supported by 192GB of HBM3 cache and a remarkable memory bandwidth of up to 5.2TB/s. Notably, the Infinity Fabric interconnect attains a bandwidth of 896GB/s.

The AMD Instinct compute platform is constructed around eight Instinct MI300X units, collectively delivering an impressive 1.5TB of HBM3 memory capacity. This platform aligns with the OCP open server platform standard, offering streamlined interconnect solutions akin to NVLink.

Industry analysts surmise that AMD is diligently striving to replicate the resounding success of its EPYC server CPU series. Since its launch in 2017, the EPYC series has steadily gained ground, securing a substantial market share of 25% and now sets its sights on a 30% market share goal.