As AI-powered PCs gain popularity, users increasingly demand system monitoring tools to track the performance of the new NPUs (Neural Processing Units) in specific models of the Ryzen 8040 series mobile processors. NPUs, sometimes referred to as integrated or on-chip AI engines, can extend battery life by offloading AI tasks that would traditionally be handled by the CPU or GPU.
AMD has been collaborating with Microsoft to enable MCDM (Microsoft Compute Driver Model) on Ryzen 8040 series mobile processors supporting AMD NPUs. MCDM, a derivative tool of WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model), is designed for non-GPU computing devices like NPUs. It enables NPUs to leverage existing GPU device management infrastructure, including scheduling, power management, memory management, and performance debugging using tools like Task Manager. Serving as a foundational layer, MCDM ensures smooth execution of AI workloads on NPU devices.
Real-time tracking of resource allocation and identifying which system components are under load is particularly useful for monitoring application behavior. This tracking is especially crucial for laptops, where end users can opt to maximize battery life by controlling the execution location of certain workloads through Windows settings menus or OEM-provided application adjustments to global power settings.
One of the reasons AMD integrates NPUs into specific models of the Ryzen 8040 processors is to assist vendors in creating new AI-driven applications and experiences. Real-time monitoring of device usage makes software development easier, thus integrating NPU monitoring capabilities holds significant implications for developers, system vendors, and individual end-users alike.
Integrating NPU monitoring into Task Manager also underscores the importance of such devices for future computing. This move parallels Microsoft's addition of GPU monitoring in Task Manager in 2017. It's a decision driven by user demand, reflecting the increasing importance of GPUs as core system components.
In the long run, the decision to integrate NPU tracking into Task Manager reflects the evolving nature of Windows software as PCs become more complex. Over the past few decades, Microsoft has steadily increased the number and types of real-time monitored system components. Adding NPU support alongside existing CPU, GPU, storage, and network monitoring enhances the utility of Task Manager and signals to a broader developer community the potential importance of such devices in the future.
Collaborating with Microsoft to provide initial NPU monitoring support for the Ryzen 8040 series processors is one way AMD supports x86 system AI development. Other initiatives include the recently announced Pervasive AI Developer Challenge, focusing on generative AI, robotics, and AI-enabled PCs supporting Ryzen AI, recent Ryzen AI software updates, and technical discussions on AMD XDNA architecture and NPU design.
