AMD’s CES Reveals: The Two Most Exciting Announcements
▼ Summary
– CES 2026 was disappointing for gamers, lacking new handhelds and desktop GPUs from major manufacturers like Nvidia, Intel, and AMD.
– AMD’s public focus at CES was on AI, with few consumer announcements that were largely refreshes of existing components like the Ryzen 7 9850X3D.
– AMD revealed it is lowering the cost of its high-end Strix Halo systems by introducing new, more affordable chip variants, aiming for prices below $2,000.
– AMD announced the return of socketed mobile processors (Ryzen AI 400), allowing for potential future upgrades in laptops and mini PCs, though primarily targeted at AI PCs initially.
– AMD expressed confidence in its handheld gaming market position despite upcoming competition from Intel and Qualcomm, citing its proven execution and optimization for game developers.
While the CES 2026 show floor felt underwhelming for gaming enthusiasts with a notable absence of new desktop GPUs and handheld announcements, a closer look at AMD’s activities reveals two significant developments. These under-the-radar moves could have a meaningful impact on the future of gaming hardware, focusing on affordability and user-upgradable design.
Publicly, AMD’s keynote seemed to ignore the gaming community, focusing almost entirely on artificial intelligence. This led to criticism from outlets like Gamers Nexus, which felt the company failed its core audience. The consumer announcements it did make, such as the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Ryzen AI 400 series, were essentially refreshes of existing technology. More conspicuously, AMD announced no successor to its popular Z1 Extreme handheld chip, even as rivals Intel and Qualcomm teased their own competing platforms.
Intel seized this opportunity to criticize AMD’s strategy. A company director pointedly stated that while Intel is selling new processors designed for the handheld market, AMD is relying on older technology. However, AMD executives fired back with bold claims about performance. AMD’s client chip leadership asserted that their upcoming Strix Halo processor, with its discrete-level graphics, will decisively outperform Intel’s new Panther Lake chips. They also hinted that Intel’s offerings would carry a surprisingly high price tag.
That focus on cost is crucial, as it leads to the first major takeaway from the show. The primary issue with AMD’s powerful Strix Halo technology has been its high system price, often hovering around $2,000. At CES, AMD quietly introduced two new cut-down versions of the Strix Halo chip, the Ryzen AI Max Plus 388 and 392, which retain the full graphics capabilities. Company representatives confirmed that these new parts, requested specifically by gaming hardware makers, are expected to bring the price of Strix Halo systems down below that $2,000 barrier, even with current high memory costs.
Evidence of this shift was already visible, with ASUS integrating a Strix Halo chip into its more budget-oriented TUF gaming laptop line. When asked about defending its dominant position in handheld gaming PCs against new Intel and Qualcomm chips, AMD expressed confidence. They believe their proven track record of optimizing game performance and providing reliable support gives them a durable advantage with manufacturers. This confidence seems somewhat justified, as Intel’s announced partner list for its handheld platform is currently heavy on contract manufacturers and light on major, committed brand names.
The second exciting revelation came from a casual conversation with an AMD executive. The company is reviving socketed mobile processors with its Ryzen AI 400 series, meaning these laptop chips are not permanently soldered to the motherboard. Instead, they fit into a socket, similar to desktop CPUs, opening the door for potential replacement or future upgrades. These chips are initially targeted at AI PCs, offering manufacturers flexibility to experiment with designs for systems running local AI models.
While the dream of an easily upgradable laptop is tempered by the reality that sockets add thickness, a trade-off many consumers may not accept, the innovation shines for compact desktops. AMD expects these socketed mobile chips to appear in everything from tiny one-liter designs to larger thirty-liter systems in the second quarter of this year. This paves the way for a new generation of small-form-factor PCs where users might one day upgrade both the CPU and GPU, moving beyond the current norm of replacing entire motherboards.
For this modular future to become a consumer reality, AMD would need to sell these socketed mobile chips at retail, just like desktop parts. The company is not yet ready to commit to that, stating it is currently focused on partnerships with OEM manufacturers. The hope, however, is now firmly planted for enthusiasts who believe powerful, compact PCs shouldn’t have to be disposable.
(Source: The Verge)
