AMD Unveils Powerful New Ryzen AI Processors at CES 2025

AMD floods CES with Zen 5 CPUs for AI PCs, gamers, business

CES AMD unleashed a flood of CPUs at the annual CES super-conference this week in Las Vegas - chips that span the gamut from high-end desktop processors to those aimed at gaming notebooks, handhelds and, yes, so-called AI PCs. While Qualcomm chases the lower-end of the AI PC market, AMD is targeting the upper-end with its newly unveiled Ryzen AI Max 300 series, code-named Strix Halo, alongside additional Ryzen AI 300 series parts. Just like the original batch of Strix Point Ryzen AI 300 chips launched last summer, AMD's Max chips feature the same 50 TOPS XDNA 2 NPU as before, as well as the usual Zen 5 CPU cores. However, that's not to say the latest chips don't offer anything more in the AI department. In addition to the NPU, AMD's top-specced Strix Halo components feature up to 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores delivering a combined total of 126 TOPS. Much of that extra grunt presumably comes courtesy of the GPU. And while NPUs are closely associated with AI PCs, not all AI workloads are optimized to take advantage of them. While we're told it's possible to run LLMs on NPUs, the memory requirements associated with them means more often than not they end up running on the GPU. With a 256-bit bus feeding the beefier GPU, the top-specced Strix Halo parts should deliver 256GB/s of bandwidth, which in theory should enable them to run large language models, such as Llama 3.2 3B locally at speeds of over 100 tokens per sec. But while the new chips feature a more powerful GPU, they take a step back in memory capacity. Whereas Strix Point maxed out at 256GB of DDR5, Strix Halo only supports 128GB of LPDDR5x -- no SODIMM support here -- with 96GB directly accessible to the graphics pipeline. AMD will also offer its Strix Halo processors with so-called Pro features, such as fleet management, enterprise security, and cloud recovery services, when they hit the market later this quarter. Here's the line up: Alongside its Ryzen AI Max parts, AMD is also expanding its AI 300 family of products to include four lower-core count SKUs with and without AMD Pro features enabled: Among the more unusual SKUs announced at the annual consumer electronics showcase is the unassumingly named 9955HX3D, which sees the return of AMD's 3D V-cache packaging tech to the notebook arena. Looking at the spec sheet, the chip looks like just another Ryzen mobile processor, with 16 CPU cores, 32 hardware threads, and clock speeds that max out at 5.4 GHz. However, compared to the nearly identical 9955HX, the X3D version packs an additional 64MB of cache for a total of 144MB. If you're not familiar with AMD's 3D V-cache tech, it was introduced with the Milan-X Eypcs and Ryzen 7 5800X3D in early 2022, and expands the processor's L3 cache using an auxiliary SRAM tile. For cache-sensitive applications, including gaming, this can have a big positive impact on performance. This isn't actually the first time that AMD has brought this tech to mobile either, having made its debut in notebooks with the launch of the 7945HX3D in mid 2023. In the case of the 9955HX3D, the part uses 3D packaging to stack the SRAM tile underneath the compute tile. According to AMD this helps to mitigate performance, clock, and temperature penalties observed with its first-gen implementation, which placed the SRAM on top of the compute dies. However, this being a high-end mobile part, it doesn't get that hot with a configurable TDP -- presumably this will be set by the notebook maker -- of 55 to 75W. AMD's X3D mobile chip launches alongside two new non-X3D parts including the the 9955HX, which as we mentioned earlier is essentially the same chip just without the SRAM tile, as well as the Ryzen 9 9850HX which features 12 CPU cores and 24 threads clocking to 5.2 GHz. All three come equipped with Radeon 610 graphics on board albeit with just two GPU cores; these chips are clearly aimed at machines with dedicated GPUs onboard. The parts are due to hit the market in the first half of 2025. Along with new X3D mobile chips, AMD also filled out its lineup of 3D V-cache-packed desktop processors with the 16-CPU-core 9950X3D and 12-CPU-core 9900X3D. Much like the eight-core 9800X3D we put through its paces in November, AMD's latest chips cram 144MB of cache on the 9950X3D, and 140MB on the 9990X3D parts, up from 80MB and 76MB, respectively, on its non-X3D siblings. And just like 9850HX3D mobile part we discussed earlier, the 16-core desktop chip doesn't suffer any frequency penalties clocking to the same 5.7GHz boost and 4.3GHz boost as the bog-standard 9950X launched this summer. The same can't be said of the lower spec Ryzen 9 part debuting this week. The 9900X3D tops out at 5.5GHz, a full 100MHz less than the regular old 9900X, though base clocks remain unchanged at 4.4GHz. Despite boasting double the L3 cache and nearly identical clock speeds, AMD's stated TDP remains unchanged at 170W and 120W for the 16-and 12-core parts respectively. Max operating temperatures, which have traditionally been lower on X3D parts are also unchanged at 95C. The latest crop of X3D desktop parts are due to arrive later this quarter. AMD has made a name for itself building custom SoCs for Microsoft XBox and Sony PlayStation lines, and most recently, Valve's Steam Deck. That last one has seen a wave of competitors arrive from the likes of Asus, MSI, and others, looking to get in on the handheld gaming market. Following the success of the SteamDeck, which features a custom Ryzen processor, AMD rolled out its Z-series of processors aimed at handheld gaming. This week, AMD unveiled a trio of Z2 chips which feature four to eight of AMD's Zen 5 CPU cores, 10-24MB of cache, and 12-16 RDNA graphics cores onboard. But while all three chips slide into the 15-30W TDP range (up to 35W on the Extreme), the GPUs can vary wildly based on the SKU. The base model Z2 Go features 12 RDNA 2 graphics cores on board. As a refresher, RDNA 2 made its debut in 2020. The standard Z2 packs the same number of cores, but steps up to AMD's more modern RDNA 3 tech. However, if you want AMD's latest mobile GPU architecture, you'll have to opt for the Z2 Extreme which packs 16 RDNA 3.5 cores. How big a difference this makes given the highly constrained power and thermals of a handheld device isn't clear, but it's still worth keeping in mind for those cross-shopping handheld consoles based on the chips when they arrive later this quarter. True to tradition, AMD's Zen 5 CPU cores may be the new hotness, but it hasn't given up on Zen 4 just yet. At CES this week, AMD recycled its now two-year-old cores into 11 new Ryzen 200 and Ryzen Pro 200 processors. The parts include chips with four, six, or eight cores with boost clocks ranging from 4.7GHz to 5.1GHz at the high end, and support for AMD's older 16 TOPS XDNA NPUs on select SKUs. Notebooks featuring AMD's Ryzen 200-series processors are slated to hit the market beginning in the second quarter. ®

AMD launches Ryzen AI 300 and 200 series chips for laptops

AMD has launched its Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen 200 series of mobile processors at CES 2025 at Las Vegas, debuting a total of 15 new models, across the PRO and non-PRO stack for mainstream and commercial laptops. The company also shared new benchmarks results, showcasing the performance of its Ryzen AI 7 350 against Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V and Qualcomm's X Plus X1P-42-100. The Ryzen AI 300 series codenamed "Krackan Point" serves as AMD's go-to current-gen offering, featuring a hybrid of Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores coupled with the slightly dialed-down RDNA 3.5 based Radeon 860M and Radeon 840M iGPU (Integrated GPU) for graphics. Compliant with Microsoft's requirements for a CoPilot+ PC, Krackan ships with an XDNA2-powered NPU (Neural Processing Unit) capable of dishing out 50 TOPS of AI performance. Similar to Strix Point, AMD offers a wide cTDP Range for Krackan, from 15W to 54W allowing these chips to fit in all sorts of chassis, from lightweight notebooks to mid-ranged gaming laptops. Ultimately, the laptop manufacturer sets the TDP after taking into account the available cooling solution and performance goals. The Ryzen AI 300 series or Krackan Point is set to launch this quarter, with PRO models planned for Q2 2025, and we should see laptops equipped with these processors shortly. The Ryzen 200 series, codenamed "Hawk Point Refresh," as you guessed leverages Hawk Point (Ryzen 8040/45) silicon under the hood. Hawk Point, in turn, is a refresh of Phoenix (Ryzen 7040) with an improved XDNA-based NPU. The Ryzen 200 series, conveniently lacking the "AI" tag, is not certified for Microsoft's CoPilot+ due to its 16 TOPS NPU. These processors employ cores designed using the Zen 4 architecture, with some hybrid models incorporating a mix of Zen 4 and Zen 4c cores. Notably, the hybrid variants are likely lower-binned models as they lack an NPU; akin to Phoenix 2 chips. Across the stack, RDNA 3 powers the graphical end of these Ryzen 200 processors including the Radeon 780M, Radeon 760M and Radeon 740M iGPUs (Integrated GPUs). Despite the lack of a TDP-defining suffix, these processors are very similar to the Ryzen 8040/45 series in terms of power draw. AMD has slated both Ryzen 200 PRO and non-PRO models for a Q2 2025 launch. Kicking things off with performance metrics, AMD touts its Ryzen AI 7 350 as up to 35% and 30% faster than the Qualcomm X Plus X1P-42-100 and Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, across an average of nine applications. Upon closer examination, the Ryzen AI 7 350 leads its Qualcomm and Intel counterparts by 30% and 54% in the Cinebench R24 multicore test, per AMD. This lead extends even further in real-world productivity utilities such as Handbrake and Blender. Boasting a 50 TOPS NPU which is marginally higher than the competition, the Ryzen AI 7 350 amasses 1,930 points in the Procyon AI benchmark, landing it a 6% lead over Lunar Lake. Given the potential for bias in first-party benchmarks, it's advisable to wait for independent testing before we jump to a conclusion. We've included the test notes below. The Ryzen AI 300 family features a total of four models divided into two standard and two PRO models. At the top of the stack, we have the flagship Ryzen AI 7 350 wielding eight cores (four Zen 5 and four Zen 5c) and sixteen threads with a boost clock reaching 5 GHz and 24MB of combined L2 and L3 cache. The Ryzen AI 5 340 follows with six cores (three Zen 5 and three Zen 5c) and twelve threads, with a slightly lower boost clock at 4.8 GHz. The PRO variants offer similar specifications to their standard (non-PRO) counterparts but include a handful of added features for business users and extra security perks. New to the Radeon family are the Radeon 860M and Radeon 840M equipped with eight CUs (Compute Units) and four CUs respectively, based on AMD's RDNA 3.5 architecture. The Ryzen AI 7 350 sports the faster 860M while the Ryzen AI 5 340 utilizes the Radeon 840M. The shift to RDNA 3.5 should yield marginal improvements over last-generation offerings, though AMD didn't explicitly say so in its slides. Like with Strix Point, AMD's hybrid approach with Krackan allows it to pack more cores in a smaller package. However, Strix Point reintroduced the concept of a CCX; assigning each core type to a separate CCX with its own dedicated L3 cache. Given Krackan's smaller core count, a dual-CCX design might not be necessary. However, the final layout will be confirmed once die-shots become available. Targeted at budget-conscious shoppers, the Ryzen 200 lineup features 11 models including four PRO variants. Leading the lineup is the Ryzen 9 270 with eight cores and sixteen threads. AMD has managed to extract marginal boost and base clock bumps across the board against Hawk Point. The Radeon 780M is paired with octa-core Ryzen 200 models, and down the stack, the Radeon 760M is integrated with hexa-core variants while the Radeon 740M is reserved for hybrid models, that also don't include an NPU. The PRO family has a limited SKU count and notably lacks a Ryzen 9 offering. Topping the range is the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 with a similar configuration to the Ryzen 9 270, but operates within a lower cTDP range. Keep in mind that the quad-core Ryzen 3 counterparts have significantly reduced cache sizes than other models since the L3 cache drops from 16MB to just 8MB. All things considered; the notebook market is seeing growing competition from all sides but is also becoming increasingly price-sensitive. Despite the impressive performance and efficiency metrics posed by Strix Point and Lunar Lake, it is hard to classify these laptops as affordable. To alleviate this problem, AMD is positioning Krackan Point (Ryzen AI 300) and Hawk Point Refresh (Ryzen 200) as budget alternatives while still delivering sufficient performance. In the sub $1,000 market, Intel's Arrow Lake-H may be the only viable competitor to Krackan Point, but laptop manufacturers are likely to pair these processors with a dedicated GPU. Still, we won't know how AMD's new CPUs will stack up against the competition until the chips are released and we perform our own independent tests. The standard Ryzen AI 300 series will debut this quarter while the Ryzen AI 300 PRO models are slated for release in Q2 2025, aligning their launch with the Ryzen 200 family.

AMD's Latest Ryzen CPU Brings The Fight to The Apple M4 Pro

Where Intel's new CPU designs are a little too split between optimizing for AI and optimizing for everything else, the chips AMD debuted at CES 2025 show more consistency: If they have an NPU, it's the current generation rather than a mix. So if it's got "AI" in the name, that means it has the 50 TOPS (max) architecture, so that's one less tradeoff to worry about when buying a laptop. And AMD's CES looks more interesting, with new designs like the Ryzen AI Max and Max Plus chips, the mobile launch of its gaming-optimized X3D stacked-memory architecture in the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, and an expansion to its desktop X3D line with the Ryzen 9 9950X3D that has a technology twist intended to make it as good for creating as it is for gaming. The company also delivered more information about its new RDNA 4-generation of graphics architecture, which underpins the new Radeon RX 9000 series desktop GPUs, starting with the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT (shipping soon). AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution 4, the new version of its upscaling and optimization software, builds on the capabilities of RDNA 4. There's also a profusion of the usual expansions of CPU lines. In this case they go to lower-end parts of the Ryzen AI chips launched this summer, the new generation of Ryzen 9 HX-series performance-focused CPUs, a minor refresh of its Z series (with the Ryzen Z2, Z2 Extreme and a new lower-end Z2 Go) and more. We don't have real specs yet for these new desktop graphics cards. We just know they'll be shipping this quarter from AMD's usual partners, such as Acer, Asus, Sapphire, XFX, ASRock, Gigabyte, PowerColor and more. We do know AMD has reworked its branding to match Nvidia's. Notice the -70 and -60 in the names? That's intended to indicate which GeForce RTX card they compete with... at least for the RTX 4000 cards. What happens if, say, a new RTX -60 performs like the 4070? The company has also skipped an RX 8000 series and gone straight to RX 9000, because its current desktop chips are there. RX 8000 will live on in laptops, as a way to indicate that the GPU is of the RDNA 3.5 generation. Which brings us to to 9000 series architecture... RDNA 4. This generation incorporates XDNA 2, the same AI architecture as the current CPUs. It also updates the ray tracing (third gen) -- I really hope it's gotten faster -- and an updated Radiance Display Engine (second gen), which controls color bit depth, HDR and connections. The compute units are supposedly more efficient and AMD says the media encoding is better. Like everyone, AMD's Adrenalin application offers some look-what-AI-can-do apps, including image generation, a chatbot to answer questions about AMD's products and more. The other "4" belongs to FidelityFX Super Resolution, which adds ML-powered upscaling -- that's what Nvidia DLSS has been doing for a few years -- specifically for RDNA 4 GPUs. It's targeting 4K high quality or high performance performance gameplay, and includes all the features currently FFXSR 3.1. The Max series are steroidal expansions to the line, flagship APUs for larger laptops that don't include a discrete GPU -- primarily for working with larger AI models and some gaming. They've got a new memory interface that increases memory bandwidth and a ton more graphics compute units, needed by the larger AI models and heavy graphics and video work. In fact, AMD says it's faster than Apple's 14-core version of the M4 Pro. AMD has renamed the higher-power integrated GPU, designating it the 8060S; it's fundamentally different than the M series GPUs because of its unified memory architecture (which, like Apple's chips, lets all the processing units share the total system memory). The X3D versions of AMD's CPUs have a large memory cache underneath the processor (3D V-cache), which is closer than usual. This minimizes the frequent trips between the cores and the cache -- frequent trips that generate heat. It helps keep the processor cores cool, which in turn allows it to run faster. Introducing a mobile version of that architecture in the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D will make it AMDs fastest mobile chip. Because it's expected to rely on a discrete GPU for its graphics processing, the integrated GPU on the HX series is typically low power, something it unfortunately shares with Intel's HX series. But with the discrete GPU and the relatively powerful NPU, laptops with it should be fast for almost any work or gaming. The desktop flagship that mirrors this is the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Because the stacked cache design can result in a small drop in clock frequency on nongaming tasks, AMD tweaked the new CPU by adding a second die, which can run at the maximum frequency, essentially unstacking the 3D V-cache. Thus, AMD proclaims this chip not just the best for gaming, but for content creation as well. These are seemingly minor upgrades, but this processor line is popular for handheld gaming consoles, and there's a new lower-end Z2 Go which hints at perhaps a lower-priced class of these devices, which tend to be pricey (the relatively inexpensive Nintendo Switch uses an Nvidia Tegra processor).

AMD builds out its foundation with Ryzen AI 300, Ryzen 200 chips

AMD has typically pushed the envelope in performance, but at CES 2025, the company is also expanding in another direction, with cheaper, lower-performance Ryzen AI 300 and even a Ryzen 200 family that the company is encouraging both consumers and commercial customers to buy. In June, AMD launched the Ryzen AI 300 family, which combined 50 TOPS of AI power with a ton of conventional performance in our Ryzen AI 300 review, including in gaming performance as well. In October, it extended the Ryzen AI 300 to business customers, too. However, AMD built out its high-end Ryzen AI 300 series first, with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (12 cores/24 threads) and the Ryzen AI 9 365 (10 cores/20 threads). Today, it does the opposite, with the launch of four new Ryzen AI 300 series chips -- two each for consumers and business customers -- as well as seven new Ryzen 200 chips to provide slower, less expensive alternatives. As the name suggests, the Ryzen AI 300 series is built for AI, with 50 TOPS of NPU AI power, enough for Copilot+ status. AMD's earlier Ryzen AI 300 processors include Zen 5 CPU cores as well as Radeon 3.5 graphics, which AMD at the time identified as the Radon 890M and Radeon 880M. An AMD representative confirmed that these new processors include Zen 5 and Radeon 3.5 graphics as well, though AMD isn't spelling out any of the details at the launch Meanwhile, the Ryzen 200 series appears to combine some of AMD's older CPU architectures, leaving the "high-end" Ryzen 200 chips with just 16 peak NPU TOPS. These Zen 4 cores include integrated graphics, too, specifically RDNA 3 that AMD debuted in 2022. AMD's new Ryzen AI 300 CPUs offer slightly slower clock speeds and a lower core count, but offer the long (24 hours or so) battery life that AMD's other Ryzen AI 300 chips offer. AMD will offer Ryzen Pro versions of both of these chips for corporate customers. The consumer versions will ship in the first quarter of 2025, AMD said, while the Pro versions will be available to customers in the second quarter. "These new models allow us to make our leading Ryzen AI 300 series processors available to many more users, and bring AMD next gen AI experiences to everyone," Rahul Tikoo, the senior vice president and general manager of AMD's client computing business said in a recorded briefing for reporters. Tikoo previously led the client product group at Dell as general manager. AMD's Ryzen 200 series also offers commercial options for the Ryzen 250, 230, 220, and 210. Otherwise these chips offer lower core counts and lower thread counts, with what AMD calls "great price points for the mainstream." AMD does not typically release prices for mobile chips, however.

AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ brings monstrous 40-core GPU, unified memory to laptops

In brief: AMD came out swinging at CES 2025 in Las Vegas with its new 'Strix Halo' Ryzen AI Max+ mobile processors. Boasting impressive specifications, these chips seem primed to dominate the competition in the thin-and-light gaming laptop and AI workstation markets. The lineup includes four models: Ryzen AI Max+ 395/Pro, Ryzen AI Max 390/Pro, Ryzen AI Max 385/Pro, and Ryzen AI Max 380 Pro. At the top of the lineup is the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, featuring 16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores, and support for up to 128GB of shared RAM. One step below is the Ryzen AI Max+ 390, equipped with 12 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores. Following that is the Ryzen AI Max+ 385, offering eight CPU cores and 32 GPU cores. Lastly, the Ryzen AI Max Pro 380, designed with professional users in mind, includes six CPU cores, 16 GPU cores, and enhanced security and manageability features. All models feature a 55W base TDP, configurable between 45W and 120W to accommodate more robust cooling solutions. Built on a cutting-edge 3nm process, the chips utilize a design where the CPU cores are distributed across two smaller chiplets, while the GPU and AI engines reside on a larger central I/O die. They also support up to 128GB of unified memory, with up to 96GB available for graphics - a feature AMD emphasizes as crucial for seamless multitasking and handling "incredibly large AI models." The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 stands out thanks to its impressive graphics specs, boasting a 40-core RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU known as the Radeon 8060S. According to AMD, this is the fastest integrated GPU available in any Windows laptop. AMD claims the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is up to 1.4x faster than Intel's top Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V chip in gaming performance. For AI workloads, AMD asserts it can deliver up to 2.2x higher performance than Nvidia's desktop RTX 4090 GPU, while consuming just 87 percent of the power. While gaming remains a focal point, AMD is positioning the Ryzen AI Max+ APUs as versatile powerhouses for demanding workloads like video rendering, 3D modeling, data analytics, and more. According to AMD's content creation benchmarks, these chips show substantial performance gains over Apple's latest M4 Pro processors in popular render engines like V-Ray, Blender, and Corona. However, Cinebench scores reveal slightly less impressive, though still competitive, results. Naturally, vendor-provided benchmarks should always be taken with a grain of salt. However, if these processors can achieve performance levels even approaching AMD's claims, they have the potential to be game-changing releases. The new Ryzen AI Max+ chips are expected to debut in laptops from AMD's OEM partners starting in Q1 and Q2 of 2025.

Here's all the sexy silicon AMD launched at CES 2025 - Strix Halo, Krackan Point, Ryzen 9000X3D, Fire Range, and Hawk Point Refresh pose for family photo

AMD launched a slew of new CPU products at CES, all of which were covered extensively by Tom's Hardware. Here's your first look at all the CPUs intact and delidded, showcasing the beautiful internals and allowing us to appreciate the meticulous engineering behind each chip. Fire Range, which falls under AMD's umbrella of Ryzen 9000HX processors, employs desktop-grade silicon geared at workstations, with V-Cache-equipped variants for gamers as well. The CPU boasts two Zen 5-based CCDs (Core Complex Dies) with an IOD (I/O Die) beneath, mirroring desktop Ryzen 9000 processors. Next is the Ryzen AI Max 300 series, dubbed "Strix Halo." This massive APU carries a unique design philosophy, featuring two CCD-esque chiplets alongside a massive I/O Die that houses an up-to-40 Compute Unit iGPU (Integrated GPU) and the NPU. The Ryzen AI 300 (Krackan Point) and Ryzen 200 (Hawk Point Refresh) models are new to AMD's APU portfolio and set to power affordable yet capable laptops. Krackan Point is a dialed-down version of Strix with upwards of eight Zen 5 cores and up to eight Compute Units based on RDNA 3.5. Hawk Point Refresh follows along, coupling Zen 4 with RDNA 3. Both are monolithic, making it a bit difficult to distinguish one from the other. However, based on visual cues, the wider chip is likely Krackan, while the smaller chip is likely Hawk Point Refresh. Following in the footsteps of the world's fastest gaming processor, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, AMD's new Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D are optimized for games and creator workloads. Boasting a total of 16 cores, AMD touts its Ryzen 9 9950X3D as 20% faster in gaming and 10% faster in productivity than Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 9950X3D share similar internals with two CCDs; one featuring the extra SRAM, adjoined with an IOD beneath. Going from top to bottom, Fire Range is slated for launch in H1 2025, with Strix Halo debuting across Q1 and Q2 this year, followed by Krackan Point in Q1 2025, and Hawk Point Refresh in Q2 2025. Lastly, the 16-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 12-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D are planned for March 2025.

AMD Ryzen AI Max 'Strix Halo' monster APU is official: 16C/32T Zen 5 CPU, 40-core RDNA 3.5 GPU

AMD has just formally announced its new Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" APUs with the new flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip featuring 16 cores and 32 threads of Zen 5 power, 40 CUs of RDNA 3.5 GPU, up to 50 TOPs of AI performance, and up to 256GB/sec memory bandwidth. The new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 features 16 cores and 32 threads at up to 5.1GHz boost, 80MB of cache, 50 TOPs of AI performance out of the XDNA 2 NPU, 40 Compute Units of RDNA 3.5 GPU performance (up from 16 CUs on Strix Point APUs, so over double the gaming performance) and between 45W and 120W TDP. AMD compared its new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 "Strix Halo" APU against Intel's new Core Ultrra 9 288V "Lunar Lake" mobile processor, with the flagship Strix Halo APU offering an average of 1.4x higher graphics performance. AMD touted 220%+ improvements in the entire stack of 3DMark benchmarks, but missed actual gaming benchmarks. In 3D rendering performance, the new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip thrashes Intel's new Core Ultra 9 288V processor with an average of 2.6x the performance with its new Strix Halo APU versus the Lunar Lake chip. Intel's new Lunar Lake offering is a 17-30W part, but at its minimum the Strix Halo APU has 45W (up to 120W) to play with, giving AMD a 2.5x advantage with TDP. AMD took a couple of swipes at Apple and its higher-end M4 Pro chip inside of the MacBook M4 Pro laptop, with its new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 "Strix Halo" APU keeping up with, and beating Apple's 12-core, and 14-core M4 Pro configurations. We can expect AMD's new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 "Strix Halo" APU to be found inside of a huge range of products this year, including the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet (which looks awesome, by the way).l

AMD Unveils Krackan Point "Ryzen 300" & Hawk Point Refresh "Ryzen 200" APUs: Up To 78% Better Performance Over Lunar Lake

AMD releases the Ryzen AI 300 "Krackan" & Ryzen 200 "Hawk" APUs for mainstream laptops, offering superior performance versus the competition. AMD Announces Zen 5-powered Ryzen AI 300/Pro "Krackan" and Zen 4-based Ryzen 200/Pro "Hawk" APUs, Will be Available in Q1/Q2 2025 Today, AMD unveiled its latest processor lineups for mobile platforms, featuring enhanced computing performance for mainstream budget and mid-range markets. One is the Ryzen AI 300/Pro series and the other is the Ryzen 200/Pro series, featuring both Zen 5 and Zen 4-powered chips. The new Ryzen AI 300 processors are different from Strix Point and feature the Ryzen AI 5 and Ryzen AI 7 processors. These are the Ryzen AI 5 340 and Ryzen AI 7 350, featuring Zen 5 and Zen 5c-based core clusters. While the Ryzen AI 9 300 (Strix Point) was targeted at premium mobile platforms, the Ryzen AI 5 and Ryzen AI 7 300 chips are targeted at Advanced series laptops. The lineup includes two processors in the Ryzen AI 300 series and two in the Ryzen AI 300 Pro series. The Pro variants are identical in specs to the regular SKUs except that they are crafted specifically for the enterprise market. The Ryzen AI 7 350 features 8 cores/16 threads while the Ryzen AI 5 340 brings a 6 cores/12 threads configuration. Here are their detailed specs: AMD Ryzen AI 300/Pro series (Krackan Point) AMD claims that the Ryzen AI 7 350 can deliver significantly superior performance compared to Intel Lunar Lake chips. In Procyon AI, the Ryzen AI 7 350 delivers 1930 points vs 1818 points for Intel Core Ultra 7 258V. In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen AI 7 350 can deliver up to 78% higher performance than Core Ultra 7 258V in apps like Blender Classroom, 66% better performance in Handbrake, and 54% better performance on Cinebench R24 multi-threading test. The Ryzen AI 7 350 and Ryzen AI 5 340 will be available in Q1 2025 while their Pro variants will be launched in Q2. The second lineup is the AMD Ryzen 200/Pro series, featuring Zen 4-powered chips, aka AMD Hawk Point Refresh. These are aimed at offering a noticeable performance upgrade over the AMD Hawk Point chips. The AMD Ryzen 200 series seeks to deliver better battery life and AI for everyday use, all at affordable price points. Similar to the Ryzen AI 300 series, there are Pro variants as well. These are: AMD Ryzen 200/Pro Series (Hawk Point Refresh) AMD Ryzen 200 and Ryzen 200 Pro series CPUs will be available in Q2 2025 alongside the Ryzen AI 300 Pro series CPUs.