Xbox Magnus full specs leak: AMD’s 3 nm chip could outperform PS6 with PC-like performance and match its features
YouTube channel Moore’s Law Is Dead has published a new Broken Silicon episode offering a structured recap of all information known about AMD’s Magnus APU, the chip widely believed to underpin Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox. Earlier videos had revealed fragments of data, but the latest episode combines those leaks with several new technical details.
Next-gen Xbox Magnus full specs leak explained
According to the update, podcast host Tom describes the Xbox Magnus APU as a dual-chiplet design that unites two dies through advanced bridge packaging. The first is a 144 mm² SoC die, housing the CPU cores, NPU, and main I/O components, fabricated on TSMC’s N3P process. The second is a 264 mm² GPU die, likely produced on TSMC’s N3C or N3P node, containing the GPU logic and an additional memory controller. Combined, these form 408 mm² of 3 nm silicon, making Magnus the largest console APU in history.
Tom notes that the design shows AMD’s latest modular approach, where GPU chiplets are shared between desktop RDNA 5 graphics cards and the console platform. This level of hardware parity, he explains, should help unify development pipelines across PC and Xbox, while reducing AMD’s engineering redundancy.
The GPU portion features 70 RDNA 5 compute units, with 68 enabled on the final retail configuration. These are distributed across four shader engines, three containing nine workgroups (18 CUs each) and one smaller engine with eight workgroups (16 CUs), creating a deliberately lopsided layout. As per Tom, AMD reportedly discussed this asymmetric design during Hot Chips, confirming that RDNA 4 and beyond can efficiently share memory across uneven shader clusters without performance penalties. The Magnus APU appears to be one of the first real-world implementations of this concept.
Each shader engine includes two arrays, and the GPU features 24 MB of L2 cache, about five times that of the Xbox Series X. Though it lacks Infinity Cache, Tom notes the enlarged L2 serves a similar purpose, sustaining bandwidth and improving frame stability and ray-tracing performance when paired with GDDR7’s higher efficiency.
On the CPU side, Magnus integrates three high-performance Zen 6 cores, each expected to clock close to 6 GHz, alongside eight Zen 6C efficiency cores. Together, they share 12 MB of L3 cache. Though this cache pool may seem modest for an 11-core setup, Tom argues that the hybrid layout is intentionally optimised for gaming: a few strong cores handle primary game threads while the efficiency cores manage background tasks. This asymmetric CPU structure mirrors trends in modern PC architectures as well.
The APU connects to a 192-bit GDDR7 memory interface, allowing configurations of up to 48 GB of unified memory, of which 16 GB can be dedicated to VRAM and 32 GB allocated as system memory, he argues. This unified pool dynamically shares bandwidth between the CPU and GPU, with Tom stressing that anything below 40 GB could limit longevity in future game development cycles. The onboard NPU is rated for up to 110 TOPS of compute at 6 W, making it capable of supporting Windows Copilot and AI acceleration features.
Power consumption is estimated between 250 and 350 W, depending on clock targets, which might necessitate a three-prong power connector similar to that of the PlayStation 3. Tom speculates that Magnus is scheduled for manufacturing in 2027, aligning with the expected launch of the PlayStation 6 Orion.
According to Tom, based on paper specifications, Magnus could outperform Sony’s console by around 15–30 percent, or even up to 35 percent if it ships with higher clocks and faster GDDR7 memory. He adds that the Xbox is internally targeted for 4K 144 Hz gaming, compared to Sony’s 4K 120 Hz goal, showcasing Microsoft’s intention to offer a more PC-like experience. However, Tom cautions that this additional performance could come at a cost. The inclusion of multiple chiplets, higher power draw, and advanced packaging could push retail prices into the $1,000–$1,500 range, well above traditional consoles but still competitive with high-end prebuilt gaming PCs.
Tom concludes that for Magnus to succeed, three conditions must be met: it must support backwards compatibility across all Xbox generations, deliver Windows gaming performance approaching SteamOS efficiency, and ship with at least 48 GB of GDDR7 memory. If achieved, he believes this could represent a “bridge generation," a hybrid PC-console that redefines what an Xbox can be.
RDNA 5 vs Blackwell ray-tracing performance
During the episode, several viewer questions expanded the discussion. One viewer asked whether RDNA 5 might surpass Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs in ray-tracing workloads if raster performance were comparable. Tom confirmed: “Yes, of course … RDNA 5 should beat Blackwell that launched in 2025. My AMD sources have said since 2022 that RDNA 5 is where AMD goes for ray tracing. RDNA 4 wasn't even the real attempt they were just playing catch-up”
The viewer later asked about the possibility of 3D V-Cache for consoles. Tom dismissed it, explaining that well-optimised console games “don’t need as much cache,” and that RDNA 5 already boosts L2 capacity five-fold over current designs to offset bandwidth limits.
PS6 Orion Vs Xbox Magnus: Which one would have better features
Another viewer questioned whether Magnus would inherit PlayStation 6 features such as Sony’s rumoured universal compression tool. Tom replied that feature parity is very likely:
“I’d assume most features in the PS6 will be in Magnus, just like most PS5 features were in the Series X. The difference was that Mark Cerny designed a better house with the same Lego bricks.” He credited Sony’s hardware team for greater attention to bespoke components such as its SSD and I/O controller, but argued that both companies ultimately work from similar AMD building blocks.
The podcast also covers additional hardware-related leaks and news, which you can watch in the linked video below.
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