AMD, a company known for its impressive advancements in the traditional gaming CPU market, seems poised to expand its horizons. Reports indicate that the tech giant is already shipping test kits for a brand-new line of Arm CPUs, complete with integrated GPUs. This exciting new chip, internally codenamed “Soundwave,” a name that aligns with previous rumors of AMD using Transformers-inspired codenames, has apparently appeared in shipping manifests.
While x86 CPUs still dominate the desktop gaming PC world—and every top gaming CPU uses this architecture—Arm-based processors have long been celebrated for their superior power efficiency. This makes them perfectly suited for handheld gaming devices, as well as tablets and smartphones. Unlike x86, Arm CPUs don’t require specific licensing, opening the door for various manufacturers, including companies like Nvidia and Qualcomm, to produce them. Now, it appears AMD is re-entering this space.
AMD isn’t entirely new to Arm architecture; they previously experimented with Opteron A1100 CPUs, which utilized Arm Cortex-A57 cores and launched in 2016. Plans for a new K12 Arm CPU line in 2017 were ultimately canceled, but current developments suggest a strong return. The new Soundwave Arm CPUs are reportedly designed to use the FF5 socket, rumored to be the successor to the FF3 socket found in popular devices like the Steam Deck.
Whispers about AMD Soundwave Arm CPUs have been circulating since May 2025, with speculation that they could power future Microsoft Surface devices. However, this is the first tangible proof of Soundwave test kits being shipped. Tech leaker Olrak29_ uncovered shipping manifests that list several entries for test kits built around BGA1074 sockets (a ball grid array socket with 1,074 contact points). A review of these listings confirms their authenticity, clearly showing “FF5” in the descriptions, alongside the codename “SWV” (short for “Soundwave,” as explained in Olrak29’s post).
Further speculation from tech website Wccftech suggests that the reported 32 x 27mm size of these new chips, combined with their use of the FF5 socket, indicates they are likely to be System-on-Chips (SoCs) with integrated GPUs, much like the processor at the heart of the Steam Deck.
Naturally, this information is still in the realm of leaks and rumors, awaiting official confirmation from AMD. Nevertheless, the prospect of AMD introducing a range of Arm chips is incredibly intriguing. We’ve seen the impressive potential of Arm-based handhelds with powerful GPUs in devices like the Switch 2, and AMD’s x86 chips have already found success in numerous handhelds, including the Steam Deck and the Xbox Ally. Apple has also showcased the immense power that Arm chips can deliver with its M-series CPUs.
With Nvidia integrating its GPUs into x86 Intel CPUs and AMD now reportedly developing Arm CPUs, the tech landscape is clearly evolving rapidly. We’re curious to know where you envision AMD Arm CPUs fitting into the future of computing and gaming!