CES is the perfect stage for technology companies to showcase their latest innovations, projects, and concepts, ensuring they stay at the forefront of their respective industries.
At CES 2025, AMD took the spotlight by unveiling and expanding its Zen 5 processor family, catering to both business professionals and gaming enthusiasts. Below, we’ll dive into more details about these exciting advancements.
AMD presents its Ryzen series focused on gamers and content creators
At CES 2025, AMD introduced the Ryzen 9950X3D, which the company has declared the best processor in the world for content creation and gaming. This powerhouse features 16 Zen 5 cores, a base clock speed of 2 GHz, a 5.7 GHz turbo frequency, and a hefty 144 MB of second-generation AMD V-Cache.
AMD showcased the 9950X3D’s exceptional performance by comparing it to the previous 7950X3D. The results are staggering: the 9950X3D delivers 58% more performance in the most demanding games. When pitted against Intel’s Core Ultra 285K, AMD’s chip outshines it with 64% better gaming performance and a 24% improvement in content creation tasks.
Joining the 9950X3D is the Ryzen 9900X3D, which boasts 12 cores, a maximum turbo frequency of 5.5 GHz, and 140 MB of cache. Both models are set to hit the market in the first quarter of 2025.
But AMD didn’t stop there. They’ve also expanded their focus on laptops, unveiling the 9955HX3D, 9955HX, and 9850HX processors. The 9955HX3D leads the pack with 16 cores and a 5.4 GHz turbo frequency, while the 9955HX offers 16 cores and 80 MB of cache. Meanwhile, the 9850HX features 12 cores, 76 MB of cache, and slightly lower performance specs.
Additionally, AMD has made a splash in the portable gaming console space with its new Ryzen Z2 series. These chips promise improved performance, superior graphics quality, and better battery life compared to the previous generation.
The Ryzen Z2 series comes in three variants:
- Ryzen Z2 Extreme, featuring 8 CPU cores, 16 graphics cores, and a 5 GHz turbo frequency.
- Ryzen Z2, which offers 8 CPU cores, 12 graphics cores, and a 5.1 GHz turbo frequency.
- Ryzen Z2 Go, designed for lightweight applications with 4 CPU cores, 12 graphics cores, and a 4.3 GHz turbo frequency.
All these processors leverage AMD’s RDNA 3 GPU architecture, but AMD has already teased the next generation, promising significant AI advancements.
AMD also bets on PCs with AI by announcing special chips
AI-powered computers have made a huge impact on the industry and continue to evolve as increasingly viable alternatives. In line with this trend, AMD is doubling down on AI technology with the launch of its Ryzen AI 300 series.
AMD introduced both the Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen AI 300 PRO series, which include 7 and 5-chip variants. These chips are based on the Ryzen 9 architecture, so we can expect significant improvements in performance. In fact, when compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X1P-42-100, the Ryzen AI 300 shows a 35% better performance.
The Ryzen AI 300 PRO version is slated for release in the first quarter of 2025, while the regular Ryzen AI 300 will come out in the second quarter. The PRO version offers 8 cores and a 5 GHz frequency, while the standard model features 6 cores and a maximum frequency of 4.8 GHz.
But AMD isn’t stopping there. They also unveiled their Ryzen AI MAX and Ryzen AI MAX PRO chips, which aim to revolutionize the AI-powered PC market. These new processors will be part of next-gen workstations and are touted to offer superior performance compared to everything currently available, including Intel’s Core Ultra 9 288V.
Clearly, AMD is making a strong bet on the future of AI-driven computers, setting the stage for a new era in computing.
