Anticipation has been high that CES 2025 in Las Vegas would see the current leaders cementing their dominant position in the desktop CPU market and AMD isn’t planning to disappoint those expectations. Building on exceptional interest in the Ryzen 7 9800X3D - widely regarded as the current best gaming CPU available today - will be two new desktop X3D SKUs, an X3D chip for mobile, and a whole raft of supporting releases to bolster their presence on mainstream and performance-oriented AI laptops.
AMD 3D V-Cache Returns
It’s hardly a shock for AMD to reveal the long-anticipated Ryzen 9000-series desktop flagship. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D are two logical replacements for their 7000-series counterparts and effectively round out the now mature 9000-series as a whole. Each design incorporates 2nd Generation 3D V-Cache and Zen 5 architecture for higher IPC, improving gaming performance in particular, but the biggest change might be better thermal design allowing the chip to push higher clock speeds for more consistent performance across protracted workloads.
As expected, the R9 9950X3D will feature 16 physical cores and support 32 independent threads, 144MB of total cache (L1+L2+L3), and a TDP of 170W. The chip is also confirmed to feature a single CCD with 3D V-Cache alongside one without, making effective thread allocation to relevant cores particularly important. It clocks up to 5.7GHz, matching the 7950X3D, but will benefit from more a consistent temperature profile and Zen 5’s improved IPC.
The R9 9900X3D meanwhile boasts 12 physical cores and support for 24 independent threads with 140MB of total cache in a 120W envelope. It clocks up to 5.5GHz, 100MHz less than the 7900X3D. Both processors are pitched as the dream for a gaming content creator, blending the best of both worlds.
AMD are taking no prisoners in their comparisons to Intel’s best. In gaming they claim that the 9950X3D is an average of 20% faster than the Core Ultra 9 285K while also being 8% faster than the 7950X3D, but they’re not quite so open about comparisons to the 9800X3D. Content creation - particularly 3D rendering - also sees a comfortable lead for the 9950X3D as it can bring all its tools to bear, though it perhaps doesn’t have it quite so comprehensive a lead against Intel’s best in this workload profile.
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is billed as the very best CPU for gamers and, on the basis of the 9800X3D’s well-earned reputation, it will be hard to dispute that until the numbers are in. The Windows scheduler might stand in the way however if it cannot properly allocate threads to the most optimal core/CCD, something that the 7950X3D/7900X3D struggled with due to it mix of dies with and without 3D V-Cache.
Ryzen 9 9000X3D-series processors are expected to launch in Q1 2025, with pricing and firm release date to follow.
Introducing the 9955HX3D - Full-fat Zen 5 At 54W
AMD 2nd Generation 3D V-Cache will make its debut on mobile platforms later this year in the form of the "Fire Range" Ryzen 9 9955HX3D. A monster design for laptops and notebooks, it brings to bear 16 cores, 32 threads, 128MB of 3D V-Cache and cores operating at up-to 5.4 Ghz for desktop-like performance on more restrictive 54W TDP form factors.
This flagship chip for desktop-replacement high-performance laptops is joined by a pair of more standard Zen 5 chips. The Ryzen 9 9955HX and Ryzen 9 9850HX are 16 and 12-core processors respectively that don’t incorporate 3D V-Cache but will nonetheless bring exceptional multi-core capabilities to bear for content creation workloads.
These new processors are expected to appear in designs during the first half of 2025. Performance figures to follow.
Ryzen Z2 APUs for Handhelds
Valve’s Steam Deck was an unlikely hit in 2022, a success that has since been followed up by an OLED model and similar designs from a plethora of manufacturers in the PC gaming space. This form factor is a major growth opportunity for PC gaming over the course of the next few years and AMD are seeking to facilitate it with a evolving array of APUs that are meatier than the usual mainstream faire.
The Ryzen Z1 APU made its debut in handheld designs from Lenovo and ASUS ROG, and the series will be followed up by Ryzen Z2 APUs in Q1 2025. These chips will feature up-to eight CPU cores and 16 RDNA 3 Compute Units, representing a considerable improvement in CPU and GPU capabilities over the prior generation.
‘Up-to’ is key however. An entry-level Ryzen Z2 Go SKU will be equipped with only four CPU cores and 12 CUs, representing a significant tightening of performance. While they may be targeting budget handhelds with this APU model, considerable variation in performance has a good chance to frustrate consumers looking to buy a new handheld but anxious over whether a model can handle a particular videogame.
It's also notable that although featuring prominently in briefing materials, Valve have already clarified that there will be no Ryzen Z2 refresh of the Steam Deck. Lenovo’s Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally models based around the Z2 are already on the cards however.
More Ryzen AI Series Processors For Mobile Devices Break Cover
Both the major CPU manufacturers - as well as a certain competitor who utilises Arm processors architectures - are heavily pushing AI capabilities in their current and upcoming crop of processors designed for notebooks and microdesktop systems. This is, in part, to leverage the potential of Microsoft's CoPilot+ paradigm which is increasingly integrated into Windows and other office software, but also in the hope that providing additional tools will motivate developers to opt for their specific platforms.
As part of this push, and as a means to augment the Ryzen AI 200-series processors, AMD have announced the Ryzen AI 300-series and Ryzen AI Max 300-series processors. This are intended to be more premium "Zen 5" designs with up-to 16 cores, more performant NPU capable of 50 TOPS, up-to Radeon 8060S graphics, and full Ryzen AI capabilities.
Dubbed "Kraken Point", the Ryzen AI 300-series utilise a combination of Zen 5 and the more efficient Zen 5c cores boosting up to 5GHz from a 2GHz base clock within a configurable TDP envelope of 15-54W. A 8-core/16-thread AI 7 350 with four Zen 5 cores and four Zen 5c cores is joined by the Ryzen AI 5 340, itself a design with three Zen 5 and three Zen 5c cores for a total of six (supporting 12 threads).
"Strix Halo" Ryzen AI Max processors meanwhile utilise up-to 16 'full fat' Zen 5 cores and an RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 8060S iGPU for extreme performance on mobile platforms. Most impressively, they boast 256 GB/s of memory bandwidth and up-to 96GB of addressable memory for the GPU; this combination makes them intriguing options for processing multi-billion parameter LLMs that don't fit easily in the VRAM of conventional discrete GPUs.
Strix Halo platform 3D Rendering and graphics performance is purported to be 'best in class' compared to both Intel's Core Ultra 288V and even the huge Apple M4 Pro 14C. Both processor series will also have PRO counterparts with AMD's enterprise management functionality built-in. OEM designs are expected to filter through to the consumer, client and enterprise markets in Q1 and Q2 2025.
Kraken Point and Strix Halo processors are solutions in search of a problem, but could be powerful new tools as LLMs get ever more complex and potentially find value in flexible hardware esp. memory configurations.
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AMD once again save their most eye-popping reveals for the CPU/APU sections of their presentation, and clearly there’s a lot of interest for PC handhelds based on their traditionally strong APU designs.
The first half of 2025 is looking rosy coming into CES; it remains to be seen how developments progress from here and if AMD can get their designs in enough hands to make a difference to their bottom line.
