AMD’s Ryzen AI 400 processors play it secure, however add desktops too

AMD is launching the Ryzen AI 400 at CES 2026 as the subsequent chip within the firm’s CPU roadmap, with what seems to be the same aim as the present Ryzen AI 300: Intention excessive on CPU efficiency, however with ample AI TOPS and battery life to draw mainstream laptop computer consumers, too.

AMD mentioned that the Ryzen AI 400 chips will energy each Copilot+ laptops in addition to “socketed desktops,” bringing their AI capabilities to desktop PCs as properly. AMD additionally introduced “Professional” configurations of a lot of the chips, designed to energy enterprise PCs.

AMD executives didn’t discuss with the AI 400 by its anticipated codename, Gorgon Level, however the chip’s specs matched up with a leak inadvertently printed final yr: as much as 12 cores and 24 threads utilizing the Zen 5 structure, with a lift clock that may hit 5.2GHz. The Ryzen AI 400 will obtain 60 AI TOPS, AMD guarantees, with 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores.

On paper, that’s similar to the present Ryzen AI 300 chip, which in PCWorld testing of the Ryzen AI 300 emerged as a surprisingly highly effective competitor to the Intel Core Extremely 200 “Lunar Lake” in addition to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite: considerably comparable in battery life, however on the prime of the heap in CPU benchmarks.

Rahul Tikoo, senior vice chairman and normal supervisor of AMD’s consumer enterprise, mentioned in a name with reporters that AMD aimed for “management efficiency throughout the CPU, the GPU, and the NPU,” plus “multi-day mobility” in addition to “AI efficiency to allow the subsequent wave of experiences.” The brand new Ryzen AI 400 sequence has larger CPU and GPU enhance clocks, the next supported reminiscence velocity, and further TOPS.

Nonetheless, it’s shut sufficient to the Ryzen AI 300 that reporters requested if it was simply “rebadged” silicon. It’s not, in response to Rakesh Anigundi, director of product administration at AMD, although improved efficiency arrives by way of improved firmware in addition to manufacturing adjustments. The method expertise used within the AI 400 is 4nm, or mainly the identical course of expertise used within the Ryzen AI 300.

AMD is launching a complete of seven Ryzen AI 400-series chips, starting from a specialised Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 processor on the prime of the stack, designed for gaming, right down to the Ryzen AI 5 430 on the low finish. The cores will likely be a mixture of the full-fledged Zen 5 cores in addition to the extra environment friendly Zen 5c cores, in varied configurations differentiated by core depend, clock velocity, and the variety of graphics CUs in addition to their velocity. All the Ryzen AI 400 chips tolerate anyplace from 15 to 54 watts of thermal design energy, or TDP.

AMD’s new Ryzen AI 400 chips embody considerably extra choices than the unique AI 300 sequence, which didn’t reveal the bottom clock velocity at launch. It’s additionally fascinating that the entire processors run at 2.0 GHz, however enhance to totally different speeds. And sure, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 and 470 are practically equivalent, save for the distinction in NPU TOPS: 60 versus 55 TOPS.

• Ryzen AI 9 HX 475: 12 cores/ 24 threads, 2.0GHZ base clock/5.2GHz enhance clock; Radeon 890M/16 CUs/3.1GHz
• Ryzen AI 9 HX 470: 12 cores/ 24 threads, 2.0GHZ base clock/5.2GHz enhance clock; Radeon 890M/16 CUs/3.1GHz
• Ryzen AI 9 465: 10 cores/ 20 threads, 2.0GHZ base clock/5.0GHz enhance clock; Radeon 880M/12 CUs/2.9GHz
• Ryzen AI 7 450: 8 cores/ 16 threads, 2.0GHZ base clock/5.1GHz enhance clock; Radeon 860M/8 CUs/3.1GHz
• Ryzen AI 7 445: 6 cores/ 12 threads, 2.0GHZ base clock/4.6GHz enhance clock; Radeon 840M/4 CUs/2.9GHz
• Ryzen AI 5 435: 6 cores/ 12 threads, 2.0GHZ base clock/4.5GHz enhance clock; Radeon 840M/4 CUs/2.8GHz
• Ryzen AI 5 430: 4 cores/ 8 threads, 2.0GHZ base clock/4.5GHz enhance clock; Radeon 840M/4 CUs/2.8GHz

The query is whether or not the Ryzen AI 400 will stay on the prime of the heap when it comes to efficiency. On this, AMD was considerably imprecise, claiming that in “responsive multitasking,” comparable to working a Microsoft Groups name with background blur enabled, the Ryzen AI 400 was 1.3X sooner than the competitors, or 1.7X sooner in content material creation.

On this, AMD can solely examine to the silicon its rivals have shipped; on this case, it refers to Intel’s Lunar Lake or Core Extremely 200 silicon. Head-to-head comparisons must wait till each corporations ship their silicon in early 2026; AMD is claiming that Asus, Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo, amongst others, have signed up. AMD mentioned laptops from its prospects can be obtainable starting within the first quarter, from thin-and-light laptops to gaming and content-creation PCs to, sure, desktops.

Nonetheless, AMD’s benchmarks are spectacular, each in content material creation and in gaming.

In gaming, nonetheless, AMD isn’t saying whether or not the video games listed are technically “playable” (over 60 frames per second, typically) or whether or not any body enhancement applied sciences have been used.

In a way, nonetheless, its a win for avid gamers simply to have the option play a few of these video games on built-in graphics. (AMD’s configuration notes say that the Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 was used, with its built-in Radeon 890M GPU.)

Clearly, the elevated clock velocity and NPU TOPS will likely be of profit to shoppers. Nevertheless, the assist for sooner DRAM — 8533 MT/s — will likely be depending on PC makers really discovering and shopping for that high-speed DRAM so as to add to buyer units.

What’s not clear is whether or not AMD will be capable of improve its market share in cell, because it has completed in desktops with its very good Ryzen X3D elements. Historically, AMD has held on to about 20 % of the cell market, in response to analysts.

“With this vary of processors, OEMs can ship AI PCs which are tailor-made to your particular want, whereas providing one of the best efficiency and strong on-device AI,” AMD’s Tikoo mentioned.