Ryzen (Zen)

Paul from RedGamingTech is at it again with another round of leaks concerning AMD’s Zen 5 processors that are expected to debut sometime in 2024. Per the leaker, the Ryzen 8000 CPUs could bring north of 25% IPC uplift, a larger L1, 1 MB L2, and a new “Ladder” L3 cache.

The Beelink SER6 Pro Mini desktop, which boasts an octacore AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS and Radeon 680M iGPU, is on sale for just under US$520 at Amazon. The mini PC includes 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and a 500 GB PCIe NVMe SSD.

A trio of fearsome AMD Dragon Range laptops have appeared on a Chinese retailer, coming courtesy of the manufacturer MECHREVO. The Jiaolong 16 Pro gaming laptops feature either an AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX processor or a Ryzen 9 7945HX part and either a GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU or the RTX 4070 Laptop variant. Prices start from the equivalent of around US$1,084.

Industry sources cited by DigiTimes claim that all the upcoming Zen 5 processors would be manufactured on TSMC’s 4 nm nodes, with the sole exception of the 2025 EPYC processors that will feature 3 nm silicon. Zen 6 is expected to jump directly to 2 nm.

With increasing concerns of Ryzen 7000 series CPUs getting burnt and killing the motherboard along with them, AMD has issued an official clarification that it is seeding AGESA updates to board partners that can help mitigate the issue. Users report that they started experiencing dead CPUs after enabling EXPO memory profiles, but AMD's statement confirms that EXPO and PBO capabilities will continue to work as intended.

According to the GMK's leaked slides, the first mini PCs powered by AMD's Ryzen 7 7840H and Ryzen 9 7940H APUs should launch in just a few weeks. The spec sheet shows that the Radeon 780M iGPU will benefit from LPDDR5x-7500 RAM in capacities of up to 256 GB. Minisforum, Morefine and Asus are also expected to launch similar configurations in June-July.

GEEKOM has announced that it has collaborated with Asus on its latest mini-PC. The AS 6 is backed to "outshine" Intel's NUC 13 Pro with a Ryzen 9 6900HX top-end model. It also boasts dual USB4 and dual HDMI 2.1 ports in a MIL-STD-810H-rated chassis and, thus, multiple high-res monitors. The new GEEKOM x Asus AS 6 is available to pre-order from now.

New information about AMD's upcoming mobile APUs have leaked online indicating significant upgrades to CPU and GPU performance. Next gen APUs include Hawk Point and Strix Point for the Premium Mobile segment, Strix Halo that is slated to take on Apple silicon with RTX 4070-class RDNA 3.5 graphics, and Fire Range, which is the purported successor to Dragon Range.

Released back in early November 2020, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X desktop processor now has a US$309 list price on Amazon. Thankfully, the ongoing 50% discount pushes the price of this chip down to a wallet-friendly value of US$153.60, which keeps it relevant in late April 2023. This processor ships with a Wraith Stealth cooler.

GMK is now selling two new mini PCs powered by AMD Ryzen 7 CPUs. The NucBox K1 has an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, and the NucBox K2 has an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS. Both machines are similar in every other regard.

Just like the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the Ryzen 9 7900X3D, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has a 64 MB 3D V-Cache stacked on top of the single CCD bringing the total amount of L3 cache to 96 MB. Per 3DCenter’s launch review roundup, not only does the cheapest Ryzen 7000X3D CPU sip power, the presence of 3D V-Cache propels the Ryzen 7 7800X3D to the top of the gaming charts.

The AMD EPYC 9474F server processor has turned up on PassMark and managed to outscore a Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX in the CPU Mark test suite despite having much fewer cores. The EPYC 9474F is part of the Zen 4-based Genoa family whereas the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX featured as part of the Zen 3-based Chagall series.

AMD is not applying any price cuts for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, unfortunately, even though it is a bit slower overall compared to the new Ryzen 7 7800X3D in games. Nevertheless, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D sees a US$50 reduction, while the Ryzen 9 7950X slips under US$600, and the Ryzen 9 7900X receives the biggest price cut down to US$423.99.

References to AMD Ryzen 7040U Series Phoenix Zen 4 APUs surfaced online in what appear to be Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or IdeaPad 330, and Asus ROG Flow X13 models. Both these laptops are indicated to feature the Ryzen 5 7540U, which is also the first APU to sport the lowest rung RDNA 3 Radeon 740M iGPU.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS integrates the Radeon 680M for light gaming and the 32 GB of RAM recommend this mini PC for content creation tasks. Additionally, the configuration includes a 500 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD and a USB4 connector for external graphics.

AMD launched the “Phoenix-HS” APUs at CES 2023. The APUs are based on Zen 4 CPUs and RDNA 3 iGPUs. AMD will follow the Phoenix-HS APUs with the launch of “Strix Point” APUs next year that will combine a Zen 5 CPU and an RDNA 3+ iGPU. Paul from RedGamingTech has now alleged that the CPU and iGPU on Strix Point APUs will pack up to 16 cores and 16 RDNA 3+ Compute Units respectively.

AMD is scheduled to launch the Ryzen 8000 Zen 5 CPUs in 2024. According to serial leakers Tom from Moore’s Law Is Dead and Paul from RedGamingTech, the Zen 5 CPUs will bring a double-digit IPC uplift, up to 16 cores/32 threads, and will be compatible with the AM5 platform.

This model balances the somewhat lacking 8 GB of RAM and mediocre display with the addition of premium features like a fingerprint reader, microSD card reader and a solid chassis.

AMD is set to release the 8-core Ryzen 7 7800X3D early next month. The CPU has now made a stop at the SiSoftware benchmark and scored 395 GOPS in the Processor Arithmetic test. The score puts the CPU quite a bit ahead of the Zen 3 Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

Lenovo has refreshed its Yoga 7 lineup to feature the latest AMD Ryzen 7000U processors. The Yoga 7 (14, 8) and the Yoga 7 (16, 8) feature largely the same specifications, but the Yoga 7 14 looks to offer more display choices compared to the Yoga 7 16. Both variants are slated to be available from May this year.

Lenovo has added a new Slim 7 variant to its Yoga line-up, touted as slim, elegant, yet performance-forward thanks to a Ryzen 7000-driven OLED display and dual USB4 ports. Accordingly, the OEM touts it as capable of some photo-editing as well as video-conferencing with a ToF-augmented webcam. Then again, there are no discrete graphics for its new high-end screen.

The 2023 Yoga Slim 6 ultrabook comes with three screen options including an FHD+ OLED and it is powered by AMD's latest Ryzen 7000U Phoenix mobile processors with fast RDNA 3 iGPUs. It also features a USB4 connector and an 180° hinge.

Lenovo has unveiled the Ryzen 7000-powered Yoga Pro 7, and its Raptor Lake-based counterpart the Pro 7i, each with a choice of either RTX 3050 or 4050 discrete graphics. The two new laptop variants also boast the same up-to-3K/120Hz 16:10 IPS display with "premium" business features such as a webcam with a ToF sensor as well as IR and a battery capacity improved on compared to the previous generation.

The Ryzen 7 7736U laptop would consume just 60 W when running games compared to 110 to 145 W on the PS4 while offering a similar level of performance. Integrated graphics have come a long way since the launch of the Sony console 10 years ago.

Documents leaked from Gigabyte reveal that AMD's AM5 platform supports Rembrandt and Phoenix processors in addition to the Raphael Ryzen 7000X released last year. This suggests that Team Red is preparing to update the Ryzen G-series with 6000G and 7000G models featuring the more powerful RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 iGPUs.

The R5 7640U APU is 25% faster than any previous gen AMD mobile processor in single-core tests, while for multi-core loads, it brings 60% improved performance over the Ryzen 5 6600U predecessor, and is just 15% slower than the Ryzen 9 6900HX.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX APU has turned up on PassMark and in the process has delivered incredible single-thread and multi-test suite results. The Ryzen 9 7945HX is so powerful that it easily surpasses the mobile CPU competitor Intel Core i9-13980HX and sets its sights on the desktop monster i9-13900KS instead.

Lenovo US has announced a sale this weekend (March 11-12, 2023) on a range of Legion-brand desktops and laptops. The best offers on these gaming PCs include a total of 34% off the 16-inch 7i Gen 7 with an Alder Lake-HX processor with higher-end NVIDIA graphics. Alternatively, the Legion Tower 7i Gen 7 with the RTX 3080 card is now US$750 cheaper than normal.

The energy efficient AMD Ryzen 7 5825U is complemented by 16 GB DDR4-3200 RAM. Apart from the touchscreen with 1920 X 200 @60 Hz and wider color gamut, other outstanding features include an SD card reader and a fingerprint sensor integrated in the power button.

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D are a trio of Zen 4 CPUs that feature 3D V-Cache. Courtesy of 3D cache, L3 cache that resides on top of a Core Chiplet Die (CCD) aimed at providing increased performance in cache-sensitive applications, the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X3D has now proven to be the fastest gaming CPU on the market per launch review analysis conducted by 3DCenter.

Introduced in late September 2022 with a US$299 list price, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X desktop processor is now down to US$237 on Amazon, thanks to a 21% discount. Although it comes with integrated Radeon graphics, this 5 nm chip with a typical 105 W TDP does not retail bundled with a cooling solution.

The 8-core Ryzen 7 7840HS is a part of the trio of Phoenix-HS APUs that AMD revealed in January. Moore’s Law Is Dead has now leaked the 3DMark Time Spy performance of the chip and the results look very encouraging if accurate.

The Ryzen 7040 Phoenix-HS APUs combine a Zen 4 CPU with an RDNA 3 Radeon 780M/760M iGPU. The Radeon 780M on the Ryzen 9 7940HS and the Ryzen 7 7840HS features 12 Compute Units (CU) while the Radeon 760M on the Ryzen 5 7640HS boasts 8 CUs. Now, AMD has quietly reduced the GPU clock speeds as well as cut PCIe Gen 5 support from the upcoming Ryzen 7040-HS APUs.

AMD announced the Zen 4 Ryzen 7000X3D parts at CES 2023. The processors include the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. AMD lifted the Ryzen 9 7950X3D’s review embargo on February 27 and per independent reviews, the CPU is a beast in gaming. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is also reportedly miles ahead of the Core i9-13900K/KS in FPS per watt.

Lenovo's fourth-gen range of larger ThinkPad L-series laptops have made their MWC debut with up-to-date processors in both Intel and AMD flavors. Either option comes in relatively lightweight, cost-effective packages - although the new L14 and L15 have made some potential compromises to attain their attractive starting prices.

At MWC, Lenovo is announcing most models of the new ThinkPad lineup. One of the main highlights are the classic models of the ThinkPad T series. T14s Gen 4, T14 Gen 4 and T16 Gen 2 are updates of last years models, but they still bring a few new features.

The ThinkPads of the X series are the smallest, most mobile ThinkPad laptops for the enterprise market. In 2023, Lenovo is completely redesigning the X13 and its convertible counterpart ThinkPad X13 Yoga.

MINISFORUM has previewed the Neptune MBG6, a mini-PC packed with a desktop-class AMD Ryzen processor and a discrete GPU. The combination should yield better gaming performance than its lower-powered laptop-class mini-PCs.

Apart from featuring a lower TDP, the Ryzen 9 7900 also features 4 less cores, yet the performance is fairly close to the last gen top-of-the-line 105 W Ryzen 9 5950X. The 65 W power envelope on the Ryzen 9 7900 even allows it to be cooled with a passive solution, making it an excellent choice for the silent PC fans.

AMD Ryzen 7045HX “Dragon Range” chips are set to make their debut in enthusiast gaming laptops this month. Per AMD’s marketing materials, the Ryzen 9 7945HX, the Ryzen 7 7745HX, and the Ryzen 5 7645HX will beat their Intel Alder Lake competitors in both single-core and multi-core workloads.