AMD Showcases “Helios” Rack-Scale Platform Built on the Open Compute Project Open Rack for AI, Introduced by Meta

Rhea-AI Summary

AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) unveiled its Helios rack-scale reference platform publicly on Oct 14, 2025 at the OCP Global Summit. Built to the new Open Rack Wide (ORW) specification introduced by Meta, Helios combines AMD Instinct GPUs, EPYC CPUs, and AMD Pensando networking to target next-generation AI workloads.

Helios is a double-wide, ORW-based rack designed for gigawatt-scale data centers with quick-disconnect liquid cooling, improved serviceability, and standards-based Ethernet for multi-path resiliency. As an open reference design, it aims to help OEMs, ODMs, and hyperscalers adopt and customize scalable AI and HPC infrastructure more quickly.

Insights

Data center infrastructure analyst

AMD publicly displayed the “Helios” ORW-based rack reference platform, emphasizing open standards and integration of AMD Instinct GPUs, EPYC CPUs, and Pensando networking.

Helios extends an open-hardware approach from silicon to rack by aligning with the new Open Rack Wide (ORW) specification introduced by Meta and with OCP standards. The platform bundles AMD Instinct GPUs, EPYC CPUs, and AMD Pensando networking in a double-wide rack that includes quick-disconnect liquid cooling, standards-based Ethernet, and serviceability features designed for gigawatt-scale data centers.

The business mechanism is straightforward: provide a standards-based reference design so OEMs, ODMs, and hyperscalers can adopt, extend, and customize an open AI rack to reduce integration time and improve interoperability. The approach depends on industry adoption of ORW and OCP specifications and on integrators using the reference design as intended; if those parties do not adopt ORW, the platform remains a reference demonstration rather than a deployed foundation.

Concrete items to watch are explicit in the announcement: public display timing at the OCP Global Summit on Oct. 14, 2025, the degree to which OEMs/ODMs and hyperscalers adopt or publish extensions to the Helios design, and any follow‑on deliverables showing interoperability with OCP DC‑MHS, UALink, and UEC architectures. Near-term signals (weeks–months) will come from partner design wins or published integration guides; medium-term signals (quarters) will show OEM/ODM customization and any deployment case studies.

News Highlights:

• At OCP Global Summit 2025, AMD showcased its “Helios” rack-scale design, an open-based AI reference platform aligned with the new Open Rack Wide (ORW) standard contributed to OCP by Meta
• Powered by AMD Instinct™ GPUs, EPYC™ CPUs and AMD Pensando™ advanced networking, “Helios” will deliver the performance, efficiency, and scalability needed for next-generation AI workloads.
• "Helios" underscores the focus from AMD to build the infrastructure needed to meet the world’s growing AI demands.
  

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today at the Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit in San Jose, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) showcased a static display of its “Helios,” rack scale platform for the first time in public. Developed based on the new Open Rack Wide (ORW) specification, introduced by Meta, “Helios” extends the AMD open hardware philosophy from silicon to system to rack, representing a major step forward in open, interoperable AI infrastructure.

Extending AMD leadership in AI and high-performance computing, “Helios” provides the foundation to deliver the open, scalable infrastructure that will power the world’s growing AI demands. Designed to meet the demands of gigawatt-scale data centers, the new ORW specification defines an open, double-wide rack optimized for the power, cooling, and serviceability needs of next-generation AI systems. By adopting ORW and OCP standards, “Helios” provides the industry with a unified, standards-based foundation to develop and deploy efficient, high-performance AI infrastructure at scale.

“Open collaboration is key to scaling AI efficiently,” said Forrest Norrod, executive vice president and general manager, Data Center Solutions Group, AMD. “With ‘Helios,’ we’re turning open standards into real, deployable systems — combining AMD Instinct GPUs, EPYC CPUs, and open fabrics to give the industry a flexible, high-performance platform built for the next generation of AI workloads.”

Built for Open, Efficient, and Sustainable AI Infrastructure
The AMD “Helios” rack scale platform integrates open compute standards including OCP DC-MHS, UALink, and Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC) architectures, supporting both open scale-up and scale-out fabrics. The rack features quick-disconnect liquid cooling for sustained thermal performance, a double-wide layout for improved serviceability, and standards-based Ethernet for multi-path resiliency.

As a reference design, “Helios” enables OEMs, ODMs, and hyperscalers to adopt, extend, and customize open AI systems quickly — reducing deployment time, improving interoperability, and supporting efficient scaling for AI and HPC workloads. The Helios platform reflects the ongoing collaboration from AMD across the OCP community to enable open, scalable infrastructure for AI deployments worldwide.

You can read more about “Helios” in our blog here and more about the other contributions to OCP from AMD here.

Supporting Resources

• Learn more about AMD AI Solutions
• Follow AMD on LinkedIn
• Follow AMD on X
  

About AMD
For more than 55 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies. Billions of people, leading Fortune 500 businesses and cutting-edge scientific research institutions around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work and play. AMD employees are focused on building leadership high-performance and adaptive products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook and X pages. 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) such as the features, functionality, performance, availability, timing and expected benefits of AMD products including the AMD “Helios” rack scale platform, which are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as "would," "may," "expects," "believes," "plans," "intends," "projects" and other terms with similar meaning. Investors are cautioned that the forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak only as of the date of this press release and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Such statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond AMD's control, that could cause actual results and other future events to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, without limitation, the following: competitive markets in which AMD’s products are sold; the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry; market conditions of the industries in which AMD products are sold; AMD’s ability to introduce products on a timely basis with expected features and performance levels; loss of a significant customer; economic and market uncertainty; quarterly and seasonal sales patterns; AMD's ability to adequately protect its technology or other intellectual property; unfavorable currency exchange rate fluctuations; ability of third party manufacturers to manufacture AMD's products on a timely basis in sufficient quantities and using competitive technologies; availability of essential equipment, materials, substrates or manufacturing processes; ability to achieve expected manufacturing yields for AMD’s products; AMD's ability to generate revenue from its semi-custom SoC products; potential security vulnerabilities; potential security incidents including IT outages, data loss, data breaches and cyberattacks; uncertainties involving the ordering and shipment of AMD’s products; AMD’s reliance on third-party intellectual property to design and introduce new products; AMD's reliance on third-party companies for design, manufacture and supply of motherboards, software, memory and other computer platform components; AMD's reliance on Microsoft and other software vendors' support to design and develop software to run on AMD’s products; AMD’s reliance on third-party distributors and add-in-board partners; impact of modification or interruption of AMD’s internal business processes and information systems; compatibility of AMD’s products with some or all industry-standard software and hardware; costs related to defective products; efficiency of AMD's supply chain; AMD's ability to rely on third party supply-chain logistics functions; AMD’s ability to effectively control sales of its products on the gray market; impact of climate change on AMD’s business; impact of government actions and regulations such as export regulations, tariffs and trade protection measures, and licensing requirements; AMD’s ability to realize its deferred tax assets; potential tax liabilities; current and future claims and litigation; impact of environmental laws, conflict minerals related provisions and other laws or regulations; evolving expectations from governments, investors, customers and other stakeholders regarding corporate responsibility matters; issues related to the responsible use of AI; restrictions imposed by agreements governing AMD’s notes, the guarantees of Xilinx’s notes, the revolving credit agreement and the ZT Systems credit agreement; impact of acquisitions, joint ventures and/or strategic investments on AMD’s business and AMD’s ability to integrate acquired businesses, including ZT Systems; AMD’s ability to complete the sale of ZT Systems’ manufacturing business; impact of any impairment of the combined company’s assets; political, legal and economic risks and natural disasters; future impairments of technology license purchases; AMD’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; and AMD’s stock price volatility. Investors are urged to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in AMD’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to AMD’s most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q

Aaron Grabein
AMD Communications
+1 512-602-8950
aaron.grabein@amd.com

Liz Stine
AMD Investor Relations
+1 720-652-3965
liz.stine@amd.com

FAQ

What is AMD Helios and when was it unveiled (AMD)?

Helios is an AMD rack-scale AI reference platform unveiled on Oct 14, 2025 at the OCP Global Summit.

Which AMD components power the Helios platform (AMD)?

Helios integrates AMD Instinct GPUs, EPYC CPUs, and AMD Pensando advanced networking.

What rack standard does Helios follow and who introduced it (AMD, ORW)?

Helios is built to the Open Rack Wide (ORW) specification, which was introduced to OCP by Meta.

How does Helios address cooling and serviceability for AI data centers (AMD)?

The rack uses a double-wide layout and quick-disconnect liquid cooling for sustained thermal performance and improved serviceability.

Who can use the Helios reference design and why (AMD)?

OEMs, ODMs, and hyperscalers can adopt Helios to reduce deployment time, improve interoperability, and customize scalable AI systems.

What open compute standards does Helios support (AMD)?

Helios integrates OCP standards including ORW, OCP DC-MHS, UALink, and UEC architectures for scale-up and scale-out fabrics.