AMD GPU/APU Partitioning

AMD GPU/APU Partitioning#

Partitioning Overview#

Modern large-scale AI and HPC workloads demand fine-grained control over GPU resource allocation, memory isolation, and multi-tenant scheduling. AMD’s Instinct™ MI300 series accelerators — including the MI300X GPU and MI300A APU — support flexible partitioning schemes that allow users to logically subdivide a single device into multiple independent partitions optimized for different workloads.

This documentation portal serves as a centralized index for navigating the complete GPU partitioning workflow on AMD platforms. It links to detailed technical guides for each supported accelerator, including:

  • Architecture deep dives to understand partitioning capabilities.

  • Quick start instructions to apply compute and memory partition modes using amd-smi.

  • Guide to run vLLM workload for inference benchmarking.

  • Troubleshooting resources for resolving partitioning issues in production environments.

Compatibility Matrix#

To streamline deployment planning and reduce configuration friction, we include below a GPU Partitioning Schemes Compatibility Matrix. This matrix outlines which combinations of Compute Partitioning Modes (e.g., SPX, CPX) and Memory Partitioning Modes (e.g., NPS1, NPS4) are validated for each supported device. It also notes any minimum ROCm driver version requirements necessary to enable specific configurations.

Important

New to partitioning modes? Before using the compatibility matrix, it’s essential to understand the core concepts of Compute Partitioning Modes (SPX, CPX, TPX) and Memory Partitioning Modes (NPS1, NPS4). These modes determine how compute and memory resources are logically divided across a single device.

See our detailed overview here:

By consolidating this matrix on the index page, users can quickly evaluate platform capabilities and navigate to device-specific documentation with full awareness of what is supported on their hardware and software stack.

Table 2 GPU Partitioning Schemes Compatibility Matrix#

Instinct GPUs

SPX + NPS1

TPX + NPS1

CPX + NPS1

CPX + NPS4

MI300X

✅

NA

✅ (ROCm 6.4)

MI300A

✅

✅ (ROCm 6.3)

✅ (ROCm 6.4)

NA

Note

The compatibility matrix is a living document and will be updated as new ROCm releases and device capabilities are validated. Users are encouraged to check back frequently for the latest information.

Device Documentation#

  • AMD Instinct MI300X GPU — Includes guidance for MI300X GPU-specific partitioning, architecture, System compatibility, and running vLLM inference.

  • AMD Instinct MI300A APU — Includes guidance for APU-specific partitioning, architecture, System compatibility, and running vLLM inference.

We recommend users start with this index page to assess compatibility, then follow device-specific documentation to implement and validate GPU partitioning configurations in their own clusters or platforms.

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