AMD Unveils Next-Gen Gaming Laptop Chips Using Last-Gen Architecture

AMD has unveiled its next wave of Ryzen 8000 processors designed for gaming laptops, spearheaded by the powerful Ryzen 9 8945HX. These new processors, while built on the last-generation Zen 4 architecture, promise to deliver robust performance for gamers. Unlike the Ryzen AI 300 series chips introduced earlier this year, the Ryzen 8000 series does not leverage the newer Zen 5 architecture.

AMD is set to launch four new processors tailored for high-performance gaming laptops. The flagship model, the Ryzen 9 8945HX, boasts 16 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock reaching up to 5.4GHz. At the other end, the Ryzen 7 8745HX comes equipped with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock of 5.1GHz. These new chips share remarkably similar specifications with their predecessors, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX, which also features 16 cores and a 5.4GHz boost clock, along with 80MB of cache.

These processors are designed to be paired with the fastest graphics chips available in high-end gaming laptops. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, which I reviewed earlier this year, faced challenges when coupled with the lower-power AMD Ryzen AI HX 370 processor, despite its use of the newer Zen 5 architecture. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 8945HX offers a configurable TDP ranging from 55W to 75W, promising a significant performance boost. Although a Zen 5 chip with the same power budget would likely provide even greater performance, the Ryzen 9 8945HX still stands to enhance gaming experiences.

If you've been holding off on purchasing a gaming laptop in anticipation of AMD's latest processors, you can expect to see these new chips integrated into high-end gaming laptops in the coming months. Below, I've detailed the specifications of the new Ryzen 8000 series chips:

AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX Specs

CPU Cores: 16
Threads: 32
Boost Clock: 5.4GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 55W – 75W
Total Cache: 80MB

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX Specs

CPU Cores: 16
Threads: 32
Boost Clock: 5.3GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 55W – 75W
Total Cache: 80MB

AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX Specs

CPU Cores: 12
Threads: 24
Boost Clock: 5.1GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 45W – 75W
Total Cache: 76MB

AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX Specs

CPU Cores: 8
Threads: 16
Boost Clock: 5.1GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 45W – 75W
Total Cache: 40MB