AMD Unveils New Gaming Laptop Chips Using Previous-Gen Architecture

AMD has recently unveiled its next-generation Ryzen 8000 series processors tailored for gaming laptops, with the flagship model being the Ryzen 9 8945HX. However, it's worth noting that these new processors are built on the previous Zen 4 architecture, in contrast to the newer Zen 5 architecture found in the Ryzen AI 300 series chips released earlier this year.

AMD is introducing four new processors for high-performance gaming laptops. The Ryzen 9 8945HX stands out with 16 cores, 32 threads, and a boost clock reaching up to 5.4GHz. On the other end of the spectrum, the Ryzen 7 8745HX offers 8 cores, 16 threads, and a 5.1GHz boost clock. These processors closely resemble their last-generation counterparts, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX, which also featured 16 cores and a 5.4GHz boost clock with 80MB of cache.

Despite being based on the Zen 4 architecture, these processors are set to be paired with the fastest graphics chips in high-end gaming laptops. In my earlier review of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, it was evident that performance was constrained when coupled with the lower-power AMD Ryzen AI HX 370 processor, even though it was built on the newer Zen 5 architecture. The Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its configurable TDP ranging from 55W to 75W, promises a significant performance boost. Although a Zen 5 chip with the same power budget would have provided even greater performance gains, the Ryzen 9 8945HX still offers substantial improvements.

If you've been holding out for AMD's latest processors to upgrade your gaming laptop, you won't have to wait long. These new chips are expected to be integrated into high-end gaming laptops over the coming months. Below, I've detailed the specifications of the new processors: