AMD announces its new CPU lineup at CES 2025

AMD‘s CES 2025 announcements included a comprehensive refresh of its laptop processor lineup, introducing new high-end chips while rebranding existing processors for different market segments.

Key Announcements: The refresh includes new Ryzen AI 300 series processors, high-performance Max and Max+ variants, gaming-focused HX processors, and rebranded Ryzen 200 series chips for budget laptops.

• The Ryzen AI 300 lineup expands with the new Ryzen AI 7 350 and Ryzen AI 5 340 processors, including Pro versions for enterprise customers
• Both new chips feature AMD’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with 50 TOPS performance, qualifying them for Microsoft’s Copilot+ certification
• The processors combine high-performance Zen 5 cores with efficient Zen 5C cores, alongside integrated Radeon graphics

High-End Innovations: The new Ryzen AI Max+ and Max processors target premium thin-and-light laptops requiring substantial computing power without dedicated graphics.

• The flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395 boasts 16 Zen 5 CPU cores and a powerful Radeon 8060S GPU with 40 cores
• All Max and Max+ variants maintain the 50 TOPS NPU performance of other Ryzen AI processors
• These processors are scheduled for release in the first half of 2025

Gaming and Workstation Focus: AMD’s new HX series processors bring desktop-class performance to gaming laptops and workstations.

• The lineup includes the 16-core Ryzen 9 9955HX and 12-core Ryzen 9 9850HX
• The Ryzen 9 9955HX3D features AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology, adding 64MB of L3 cache for enhanced gaming performance
• These processors are essentially repackaged desktop chips, lacking NPUs and advanced integrated graphics

Budget Segment Strategy: The new Ryzen 200 series represents a rebranding of existing technology for the value segment.

• The series includes seven processors ranging from the high-end Ryzen 9 270 to the entry-level Ryzen 3 210
• These chips are based on the previous Ryzen 8040 series, which were minor revisions of the Ryzen 7040 processors
• The processors feature varying combinations of Zen 4 and Zen 4C cores, with integrated Radeon graphics

Market Implementation Considerations: AMD’s strategy of rebranding existing processors while introducing genuinely new models reflects broader industry practices that may impact consumer clarity.

• The approach mirrors similar strategies from competitors like Intel
• While rebranding can create confusion, the underlying technology still offers significant improvements over older systems
• The segmentation strategy aims to address different price points and use cases, from premium to budget laptops

Industry Context: The complex naming schemes and rebranding practices across the processor industry highlight ongoing challenges in product differentiation and marketing.

• This practice of rebranding existing technology continues to complicate consumer understanding of product capabilities
• The strategy allows manufacturers to maintain competitive pricing tiers while managing inventory and production costs