AMD Unveils New Gaming Laptop Chips Using Previous-Gen Architecture

AMD has unveiled its next-generation Ryzen 8000 series processors designed specifically for gaming laptops, spearheaded by the powerful Ryzen 9 8945HX. These new chips, however, are based on the previous Zen 4 architecture rather than the newer Zen 5 architecture seen in the Ryzen AI 300 series released earlier this year.

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

Despite being based on the last-generation architecture, these processors are set to be paired with the most advanced graphics chips in high-end gaming laptops. My earlier review of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile highlighted its struggles when paired with the lower-power AMD Ryzen AI HX 370, which utilizes the newer Zen 5 architecture. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 8945HX can be configured to operate between 55W and 75W, promising a significant performance boost, although a Zen 5 chip with the same power budget would have offered even greater improvements.

If you've been holding out for AMD's latest processors to upgrade your gaming laptop, 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 processors:

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