AMD CES 2025: New Chips for Laptops, Desktops & Handhelds

AMD's New Chip Announcements at CES 2025

During CES 2025 in Las Vegas, AMD presented a comprehensive range of new processors. These chips are designed for integration into a diverse array of devices, spanning from traditional desktop computers to portable gaming systems.

AMD's Growing Market Share

AMD is experiencing significant momentum as it enters this year's CES. In the third quarter of 2024, the company achieved a 28.7% market share within the desktop CPU segment. This represents a substantial increase of 9.6 percentage points when compared to the same period in the previous year.

Furthermore, AMD’s presence in the mobile chip market reached 22.3% as of last Q3, demonstrating a 2.8-percentage-point gain from the prior fiscal quarter.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D: A Flagship Offering

Despite this success, AMD remains focused on innovation. The company’s 2025 strategy is ambitious and multifaceted, beginning with the introduction of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D.

This processor is specifically engineered for both “gamers and creators.” It features 16 cores built upon AMD’s advanced Zen 5 architecture, with clock speeds reaching up to 5.7GHz.

According to AMD’s internal testing, the 9950X3D exhibits an average performance improvement of 8% in popular titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Starfield when contrasted with the 7950X3D.

Release Timeline for Ryzen 9 Processors

AMD announced that both the 9950X3D and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D – a slightly less powerful processor with 12 cores and clock speeds up to 5.5GHz – are scheduled for release during the first quarter of 2025.

Introducing the "Fire Range" Chip Series

In addition to the Ryzen 9 processors, AMD unveiled a new line of chips called “Fire Range.” These are targeted towards the midrange laptop and ultraportable segments.

The series, slated for launch in the first half of 2025, includes models such as the Ryzen 9 9850HX, 9955HX, and 9955HX3D. These processors offer configurations ranging from 12 to 16 cores, with maximum clock speeds between 5.2GHz and 5.4GHz.

Power Efficiency of Fire Range Chips

A key characteristic of the Fire Range chips is their power efficiency. They consume approximately 54W of power, which is significantly less than the 170W required by the 9950X3D.

AI PC Chips from AMD

AMD is introducing new processor series – the Ryzen AI 300 series and Ryzen AI Max series – designed to power the upcoming generation of Copilot+ PCs.

These laptops and compact desktops will feature AI-accelerated capabilities within Windows 11. The new chips are engineered to deliver enhanced performance.

Dedicated Neural Processing Units

A key feature of all chips within these series is a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU). This component is specifically designed to accelerate AI workloads.

Examples of these workloads include running language models for text summarization and utilizing the AI-powered image editor in Windows 11.

Ryzen 300 Series Details

The Ryzen 300 series chips are slated for release in the first and second quarters of 2025. They will offer configurations with 6 to 8 cores, reaching clock speeds of up to 5GHz.

AMD projects these chips will provide up to 24 hours of battery life under optimal conditions, such as light usage scenarios.

The series includes four distinct SKUs: Ryzen AI 7 350, Ryzen AI 5 340, Ryzen AI 7 Pro 350, and Ryzen AI 5 Pro 340.

Ryzen AI Max Series – Flagship Performance

The Ryzen AI Max series represents AMD’s premium offering for Copilot+ PCs. These chips will feature between 6 and 16 cores, with clock speeds reaching up to 5.1GHz.

They are paired with integrated graphics and a new memory interface, aiming to deliver leading performance in 3D rendering and AI applications.

The series comprises several SKUs, including the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395, Ryzen AI Max 390, Ryzen AI Max Pro 390, Ryzen AI Max 385, Ryzen AI Max Pro 385, and Ryzen AI Max Pro 380.

Launch is anticipated to begin in the first and second quarters of 2025.

Ryzen 200 Series for Mainstream Devices

AMD also unveiled the Ryzen 200 series, targeting more affordable, mainstream devices. Many of these processors will incorporate NPUs.

These processors will offer configurations with 6 to 8 cores, clocked at speeds up to 5.2GHz, and are expected to become available in Q2 2025.

Handheld Processors: AMD's Ryzen Z2 Series

The market for handheld PCs, exemplified by devices such as Valve’s Steam Deck, represents a significant growth opportunity for AMD. Consequently, the company has unveiled a new line of processors – the Ryzen Z2 series – specifically designed for compact and gaming-oriented devices.

This new series includes three distinct SKUs. The Ryzen Z2 Go features a four-core configuration, reaching clock speeds of up to 4.3GHz, and incorporates 12 graphics cores.

Offering increased performance, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme boasts eight cores with maximum clock speeds of 5GHz, alongside 16 graphics cores.

Completing the lineup is the Ryzen Z2, also equipped with eight cores, capable of reaching 5.1GHz, and featuring 12 graphics cores.

Availability

All three Ryzen Z2 processors – the Z2 Go, Z2 Extreme, and standard Z2 – are scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2025.

These processors are intended to power the next generation of portable gaming and computing experiences.

• Ryzen Z2 Go: 4 cores, up to 4.3GHz, 12 graphics cores.
• Ryzen Z2 Extreme: 8 cores, up to 5GHz, 16 graphics cores.
• Ryzen Z2: 8 cores, up to 5.1GHz, 12 graphics cores.

The introduction of the Ryzen Z2 series underscores AMD’s commitment to the evolving handheld PC landscape.

Graphics Cards

AMD recently unveiled its forthcoming lineup of discrete desktop GPUs: the Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070. These cards are founded upon the company's RDNA 4 architecture.

This 4nm architecture, according to AMD, delivers enhancements in ray tracing capabilities, superior media encoding, and accelerated AI processing.

Availability

The RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards will be offered through various manufacturers. These include Acer, Asus, Gigabyte, and XFX, with availability expected in the first quarter of 2025.

FidelityFX Super Resolution 4.0

AMD emphasized its FidelityFX Super Resolution 4.0 upscaling technology. This technology was specifically engineered for RDNA 4 hardware.

Utilizing AI algorithms, Super Resolution 4.0 enhances game content to resolutions up to 4K. AMD states this is achieved with minimal latency.

AMD Adrenalin Software Updates

Significant updates have been made to AMD Adrenalin, the software suite for managing and optimizing AMD hardware, including Radeon graphics cards.

New AI-driven features have been integrated. Adrenalin now supports image generation through an integrated model.

Furthermore, a local language model is now available for summarizing documents, such as PDFs. An AI chatbot interface has also been added to address AMD-related inquiries.