AMD Unifies GPU and CPU Memory, Tech Likely to Appear in PS4 & Xbox 720

AMD's next generation accelerated processing unit (APU) unifies the memory of both the graphics processor unit (GPU) and the central processing unit (CPU) of a system and the technology is likely to appear in both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 720.

An ExtremeTech report on "Fusion" APU's lays out the case for Sony and Microsoft using this breakthrough in their consoles. Traditionally a system's GPU is a specialised co-processor with specially dedicated RAM and while integrated GPUs allow the processor to share more local system memory with the CPU there remains a sizable delineation between GPU and CPU program space.

Kaveri HSA is AMD's attempt to solve this issue by offering a fully connected GPU and CPU which will make it easier to share data, perform tasks and communicate with each other in relation to the status the tasks being performed.

AMD has said the innovation will be rolled out in the latter half of this year and it makes sense for both Sony and Microsoft make use of this technology. A recent Mark Cerny interview with Gamasutra seemingly confirms that the PS4 does indeed include Kaveri. Both the PS4 and the Xbox 720 are expected to be released before the end of the year.

The conventional split CPU & GPU model is shown below.

Even with integrated processors there's still no simple way to share information between CPUs and GPUs, the next generation of HSA intends to correct this. 

If both the CPU and GPU were to be fully connected a system would look something like this.