AMD's MacBook Moment.

Hardware Canucks
28 Jul 202415:30

Summary

TLDRAMD launches the Ryzen AI HX series processors, aiming to compete with top brands in the laptop market. The new Zen 5 architecture features three processors with impressive specs, including a powerful NPU and configurable TDP. The Ryzen AI series shows efficiency and performance gains in multi-core tests, excelling in apps like Photoshop and Lightroom. However, gaming performance on integrated graphics needs improvement, and the 'AI' branding seems more of a marketing move. The processors show promise for future AI capabilities but currently have limited real-world applications.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 AMD is launching a new series of laptops headlined by the Zen 5 architecture, aiming to compete with top brands like Intel, Apple, and Qualcomm.
  • 🔋 Three processors are being launched: Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with 12 cores and 24 threads, HX 375 with a faster CPU, and Ryzen AI 9365 with two fewer cores and threads.
  • 🌟 All processors share a more powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and a configurable TDP of 15-54 Watts with a 28 Watts default setting, focusing on efficiency.
  • 💻 The Ryzen AI series is designed to be power-efficient, which could make it a strong contender against Apple's M-series processors in the ultra-portable market.
  • 📈 In performance tests, the Ryzen AI processors showed impressive efficiency and power consumption, outperforming the Intel Core Ultra 915h and other competitors.
  • 🔧 The Ryzen AI 9365 consistently outperformed the technically faster HX 370 in certain tests, suggesting that not all performance metrics scale linearly with clock speed.
  • 🎨 For applications like Photoshop and Lightroom, the new Zenbook laptops with Ryzen AI processors demonstrated significant performance improvements over other thin and light Windows laptops.
  • 📊 Cinebench tests showed the Ryzen AI processors leading in multi-core performance, with the HX 370 and 365 significantly outperforming Intel CPUs.
  • 🔧 The integrated video coding engine (VDC) in AMD's processors has been improved, now capable of outperforming Intel's Quick Sync for the first time.
  • 🔋 While the Ryzen AI processors showed good performance on battery, there's room for improvement in power allocation to the integrated graphics during gaming scenarios.
  • 🎮 In gaming tests, the Ryzen AI processors' performance varied, suggesting that power management strategies could impact their gaming capabilities.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of AMD's new series of laptops?

    -The main focus of AMD's new series of laptops is to compete with the best from Intel, Apple, and Qualcomm in the light market, featuring the new Zen5 architecture.

  • What are the key features of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor?

    -The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor features 12 cores and 24 threads, with clock speeds ranging from 2 GHz to 5.1 GHz.

  • How does the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 differ from the HX 370?

    -The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is essentially the same as the HX 370 but with a faster processing unit.

  • What are the similarities between the new Ryzen AI processors?

    -All new Ryzen AI processors share a vastly more powerful NPU than the previous generation and have a configurable TDP ranging from 15 to 54 watts, with a nominal default power setting of 28 watts.

  • How do the new Ryzen AI processors compare to Intel's Core Ultra 915h?

    -The Ryzen AI processors are intended to compete against Intel's Core Ultra 915h, but a better parallel would be the Core Ultra 165 and 155h due to similar power envelopes.

  • What is the significance of efficiency in the new Ryzen AI processors?

    -Efficiency is critical for ultra-portable laptops because low power leads to less heat production, making these laptops cooler and quieter.

  • How do the Ryzen AI processors perform in lightly threaded applications?

    -The Ryzen AI processors show a significant uplift in lightly threaded performance, matching or surpassing many other processors, except for Apple's highly tuned M3 processor.

  • How do the Ryzen AI processors fare in multi-core tests like Cinebench R23?

    -In multi-core tests like Cinebench R23, the Ryzen AI 9365 can match the 8840 HS while consuming less power, and the HX 370 achieves a significant lead.

  • What are the new integrated GPU features in the Ryzen AI series?

    -The new integrated GPU features in the Ryzen AI series include the revised RDNA 3.5 architecture, allowing these processors to beat Intel's Quick Sync in video encoding and decoding.

  • What are the implications of the new NPU in Ryzen AI processors?

    -The new NPU in Ryzen AI processors is powerful on paper but has little real-world use for most buyers at present, making it mostly a marketing feature.

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AMD Zen5Laptop ReviewPerformance TestEfficiency BenchmarkTech ComparisonCPU BattleMobile DevicesGaming PerformancePower ManagementAI Processors