Get Ready for the Radeon Revolution: AMD’s Game-Changing 9000 Series Laptops Are Here!

Image AMDIn order not to allow Nvidia to enjoy all the excitement, AMD’s CPU lineup is significantly broadening at the start of 2025. Team Red is focused on gaming and graphics with the highly anticipated Zen 5, Ryzen 9 X3D processors set to claim the top position for high-performance gaming PCs. Following that, the newly launched RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9700 graphics cards are designed to challenge Nvidia’s mid-range products, though we will need to be patient for any indication of whether AMD intends to engage in the high-end GPU sector.

The two upcoming AMD processors consist of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and the 9950X3D. The former boasts a configuration of 12 cores and 24 threads, featuring a maximum boost of 5.5 Ghz and a cache of 140 MB. The new premium option for consumer AMD processors encompasses 16 cores and 32 threads, achieving a frequency of 5.7 Ghz and 144 MB of cache. We are particularly excited about the all-new Ryzen 9 9955HX3D laptop processor, which shares the same thread, core count, and TDP as the advanced desktop variant.

Supporters of Team Red have been eagerly anticipating a glimpse of AMD’s new premium gaming CPU. The high-end Ryzen 9 9950X3D has been enhanced compared to the Zen 4. It promises an increase of over 20% in in-game performance in titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 when juxtaposed with the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Nonetheless, in a game such as Black Myth Wukong or Cyberpunk 2077, you might not observe a significant disparity between the two, according to the chip manufacturer. The performance evaluations between these processors are noticeably different in productivity tests, with a 13% improvement in Geekbench 6 scores and a 16% advantage in Cinebench 2024.

Intel’s most recent Arrow Lake desktop processors have shown challenges in gaming performance, even when compared to Intel’s 14th-generation models. AMD’s suggested benchmarks assert that they can outperform the Intel Core Ultra 285K by various margins, with AMD stating that they could achieve 41% more frames in Final Fantasy XIV and 45% more in FarCry 6. Intel has just launched its new iterations of Arrow Lake architecture with the Core Ultra H- and HX series, and we will need to see more direct comparisons in the future.

Both new desktop processors are expected to be released sometime during the first quarter of 2025. The laptop-oriented HX3D has an estimated time frame that is less precise, targeting the first half of 2025. We will be awaiting several months before witnessing the chip debut in this year’s lineup of gaming laptops.

The entry-level consumer desktops will also receive a refresh with the new Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT graphics cards. If the titles of these cards seem reminiscent of Nvidia’s latest offerings, it is by design. The company mentioned it is adopting these names to vie with the RTX 4070 and to stay consistent with the naming scheme of AMD’s high-end CPUs. The inaugural AMD Radeon RDNA 4 is intended to present enhanced ray tracing and artificial intelligence processing capabilities with a confirmed 4nm fabrication process, rather than the previously speculated 3nm. Furthermore, AMD disclosed its intention to upgrade its AI upscaler from FSR 3.5 to FSR 4, which is expected to provide improved 4K upscaling.

There is little information available, but the chip manufacturer has committed to sharing additional specifics as we approach the release, projected for Q1 this year.

AMD’s Ryzen Z1 is among the more favored RDNA 3 chips for handheld devices, and AMD confirmed that the Ryzen Z2 is just around the bend. The high-end Z2 Extreme, still utilizing RDNA 3, will feature an 8-core, 16-thread architecture and a frequency of 5 GHz. The Z2 Extreme can also manage a TDP range of 15-35 W compared to the standard Z2 with 15-30 W. The “extreme” designation is particularly notable in the count of graphics cores—totaling 16. Then we have the Z2 Go, a more constrained chip with four cores, eight threads, and a maximum boost of 4.3 GHz. This latter chip appears to be intended for the Lenovo Legion Go S handheld PC.

The company hinted that devices such as Lenovo’s Legion Go, Asus ROG Ally, and even Valve’s Steam Deck may be contemplating the transition to the Z2 Extreme in 2025. Currently, the Steam Deck operates on a custom chip derived from Zen 2 architecture.

Gizmodo is reporting on all the most fascinating and unique technology from the exhibition floor at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. Keep up with our live updates here.