AMD confirms use of different Vega packages

AMD has confirmed in a statement that it is indeed producing two different packages for its Vega video cards. That would be necessary to provide enough chips, but would not affect performance.

We learned from reliable sources at the hardware manufacturers on Wednesday that AMD is supplying video card manufacturers with two different packages containing the Vega GPU and the associated HBM2 memory. The two variants are called an ‘unmolded’ and a ‘molded’ variant, where the molded variant is finished with an epoxy edge to give the individual chips on the package an even, smooth finish, with all chips being the same height. The unmolded variant does not have that epoxy edge and the hbm2 chips are slightly lower than the Vega GPU. Manufacturers must consider the design of their coolers sufficiently to cool both variants and end users should be especially careful with the installation of aftermarket cooling blocks with the unmolded variant.

AMD has now commented that it has indeed produced the Vega package by various manufacturers. That would be necessary to be able to supply enough chips; the capacity of individual manufacturers to handle interposers would be insufficient for this. The various manufacturers do indeed use different processes, AMD confirms, but that would have no consequences for the functionality and dimensions. As far as AMD is concerned, all Vega10 packages are the same, with the exception of differences between Vega56 and Vega64, of course.

An employee of water block manufacturer EKWB says via Reddit that the various packages from Vega should not pose a problem in combination with EKWB’s water blocks.