AMD Ryzen Chipset: Faster Gaming & Smarter AI Performance
▼ Summary
– At CES 2026, AMD unveiled the Ryzen AI 400 Series of mobile CPUs, led by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 with an updated NPU for AI tasks.
– AMD also introduced new high-end gaming CPUs, including the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, featuring a large cache and new AI-powered FSR Redstone software for improved gaming.
– The company announced the Ryzen AI Max+ Series for workstations, with the flagship 395 model designed to rival the performance of Apple’s M5 MacBook Pro.
– Alongside the hardware, AMD revealed several new AI-powered software features, including a Personal AI Finance Manager and tools for building custom AI models.
– A pre-CES leak correctly predicted the Ryzen AI 400 series announcement, but other rumored products, like the Ryzen 9000G desktop APUs, were not shown.
The latest generation of mobile processors from AMD promises to redefine laptop performance, blending raw computing power with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities. At the heart of this push is the Ryzen AI 400 Series, a lineup of seven chipsets headlined by the flagship Ryzen AI 9 HX 475. This processor combines 12 Zen 5 CPU cores, 24 threads, 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, and a next-generation XDNA 2 NPU capable of a substantial 60 AI TOPS. AMD claims this architecture will enable up to 1.3x faster multitasking and a 1.7x boost in content creation compared to its predecessors. While the core specifications appear similar to the prior HX 375 model, the key upgrade lies entirely within the enhanced neural processing unit, suggesting incremental but focused improvements in AI-driven tasks.
For gaming enthusiasts, the spotlight shifted to the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D, leading the next wave of desktop CPUs. Engineered for high-end gaming, this chip features 16 Zen 5 cores, 32 threads, a massive 144MB cache, and a peak clock speed of 5.7GHz. A significant part of its appeal is the introduction of AMD FSR Redstone, a new suite of AI-powered features aimed at enhancing visual fidelity and frame rates. Early demonstrations indicate that with Redstone enabled, supported games can achieve an average of around 109 FPS, though this technology will initially be available for approximately 200 titles.
On the professional front, AMD unveiled the Ryzen AI Max+ Series, a new class of processors targeting workstation users and content creators. The flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395 packs 16 Zen 5 cores, 32 threads, 40 RDNA 3.6 GPU cores, and an NPU rated for 50 AI TOPS. AMD positions laptops equipped with this chip as direct competitors to the Apple M5 MacBook Pro, boasting performance advantages of up to 1.8x in multitasking, nearly double the content creation speed, and 1.4x faster AI workload processing compared to Apple’s offering.
Beyond the silicon, AMD showcased several new AI-powered software initiatives. These include a Personal AI Finance Manager, a tool called Liquid AI for building custom local models, and expanded support for the AMD ROCm platform to accelerate large language model performance. While pre-event leaks accurately forecasted the Ryzen AI 400 series announcement, other rumored products like the Ryzen 9000G desktop APUs did not materialize at the show, leaving open the possibility for a later release in the year.
(Source: ZDNET)
