AMD's next-generation Ryzen 9000 "Strix Point" mobile processor, which succeeds the current Ryzen 8040 "Hawk Point" and Ryzen 7040 "Phoenix," is confirmed to feature a CPU core-configuration of 12-core/24-thread, according to a specs-leak by HKEPC citing sources among notebook OEMs. It appears like Computex 2024 will be big for AMD, with the company preparing next-gen processor announcements across the desktop and notebook lines. Both the "Strix Point" mobile processor and "Granite Ridge" desktop processor debut the company's next "Zen 5" microarchitecture.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from "Zen 5" is that AMD has increased the number of CPU cores per CCX from 8 in "Zen 3" and "Zen 4," to 12 in "Zen 5." While this doesn't affect the core-counts of its CCD chiplets (which are still expected to be 8-core), the "Strix Point" processor appears to use one giant CCX with 12 cores. Each of the "Zen 5" cores has a 1 MB dedicated L2 cache, while the 12 cores share a 24 MB L3 cache. The 12-core/24-thread CPU, besides the generational IPC gains introduced by "Zen 5," marks a 50% increase in CPU muscle over "Hawk Point." It's not just the CPU complex, even the iGPU sees a hardware update.

Today, AMD announced new products that will expand its commercial mobile and desktop AI PC portfolio, delivering exceptional productivity and premium AI and connectivity experiences to business users. The new AMD Ryzen PRO 8040 Series are the most advanced x86 processors built for business laptops and mobile workstations. In addition, AMD also announced the AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series desktop processor, the first AI enabled desktop processor for business users, engineered to deliver cutting-edge performance with low power consumption.

With AMD Ryzen AI built into select models, AMD is further extending its AI PC leadership. By leveraging the CPU, GPU, and dedicated on-chip neural processing unit (NPU), new Ryzen AI-powered processors provide more dedicated AI processing power than previous generations, with up to 16 dedicated NPU TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) and up to 39 total system TOPS. Commercial PCs equipped with new Ryzen AI-enabled processors will help transform user experience, offering next-gen performance for AI-enabled collaboration, content creation, and data and analytics workloads. With the addition of AMD PRO technologies, IT managers can unlock enterprise-grade manageability features to simplify IT operations and complete PC deployment faster across the organization, built-in security features for chip-to-cloud defense from sophisticated attacks, as well as unprecedented stability, reliability and platform longevity for enterprise software.

Intel at its VISION conference, confirmed that its next-generation processor for the ultraportable and thin-and-light segments, the Core Ultra "Lunar Lake," will feature an over four-fold increase in NPU performance, which will be as fast as 45 TOPS. This is a significant figure, as Microsoft recently announcedthat Copilot will perform several tasks locally (on the device), provided it has an NPU capable of at least 40 TOPS. The current AI Boost NPU found in Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" processor is no faster than 10 TOPS, and the current AMD Ryzen 8040 series features a Ryzen AI NPU with 16 TOPS on tap. AMD's upcoming Ryzen "Strix Point" processor is rumored to feature a similar 40 TOPS-class NPU performance as "Lunar Lake."

Intel also confirmed that notebooks powered by Core Ultra "Lunar Lake" processors will hit the shelves by Christmas 2024 (December). These notebooks will feature not just the 45 TOPS NPU, but also debut Intel's Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics architecture as the processor's integrated graphics solution. With Microsoft's serious push for standardizing AI assistants, the new crop of notebooks could also feature Copilot as a fixed-function button on their keyboards, similar to the Win key that brings up the Start menu.

Acer today announced the new Nitro 14 and Nitro 16 gaming laptops, powered by AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with Ryzen AI[1]. With up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060[2] Laptop GPUs supported by DLSS 3.5 technology, both are backed by NVIDIA's RTX AI platform, providing an array of capabilities in over 500 games and applications, enhanced by AI. Gamers are immersed in their 14- and 16-inch NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible panels with up to WQXGA (2560x1600) resolution.

Whether in call or streaming in-game, Acer PurifiedVoice 2.0 harnesses the power of AI to block out external noises, while Acer PurifiedView keeps users always front and center of all the action. Microsoft Copilot in Windows (with a dedicated Copilot key) helps accelerate everyday tasks on these AI laptops, and with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included with every device, players will enjoy hundreds of high-quality PC games. To seamlessly take command of device performance and customizations, one click of the NitroSense key directs users to the control center and the library of available AI-related functions through the new Experience Zone.

ZOTAC TECHNOLOGY, a global company focused on innovation, announces three brand-new series of compact form-factor mini AI PCs powered by cutting-edge processors. These mini AI PCs, powered by Intel and AMD processors with dedicated Neural Processing Units (NPU), let users embrace the next generation of computing empowered by Artificial Intelligence.

Accelerated with embedded NPUs within Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen Processors, the brand-new AI PC ZBOX lineup brings the power of Artificial Intelligence to the desk, allowing users to jumpstart their productivity or creativity with AI-powered acceleration. ZBOX's signature lightweight form factor chassis coupled with next-gen hardware create a new generation of versatile, capable personal computers that are smarter to use and even easier to set up.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, proudly presents the CVN B650M GAMING FROZEN motherboard. This motherboard is our first AMD AM5 motherboard that supports the AMD Ryzen 7000 Series and the latest AMD Ryzen 8000 Series processors that feature the groundbreaking AMD Ryzen AI technology as well as support for AVX-512.

The CVN B650M GAMING FROZEN supports the latest AMD Ryzen 8000G Series APUs with AMD Ryzen AI technology. It also supports the AMD Ryzen 7000 and AMD Ryzen 7000 X3D Series processors with 3D V-Cache Technology, as well as support for the future AM5 processors. AMD Ryzen AI brings the power of personal computing closer to you on an AI PC, unlocking a whole new level of efficiencies for work, collaboration, and innovation so that you can stay connected better with the world around you.

Microsoft, Intel, and AMD are attempting to jumpstart demand in the PC industry again, under the aegis of the AI PC—devices with native acceleration for AI workloads. Both Intel and AMD have mobile processors with on-silicon NPUs (neural processing units), which are designed to accelerate the first wave of AI-enhanced client experiences on Windows 11 23H2. Microsoft's bulwark with democratizing AI has been Copilot, as a licensee of Open AI GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, Dali, and other generative AI tools from the Open AI stable. Copilot is currently Microsoft's most heavily invested application, with its most capital and best minds mobilized to making it the most popular AI assistant. Microsoft even pushed for the AI PC designator to PC OEMs, which requires them to have a dedicated Copilot key akin to the Start key (we'll see how anti-competition regulators deal with that).

The problem with Microsoft's tango with Intel and AMD to push AI PCs, is that Copilot doesn't really use an NPU, not even at the edge—you input a query or a prompt, and Copilot hands it over to a cloud-based AI service. This is about to change, with Microsoft announcing that Copilot will be able to run locally on AI PCs. Microsoft identified several kinds of Copilot use-cases that an NPU can handle on-device, which should speed up response times to Copilot queries, but this requires the NPU to have at least 40 TOPS of performance. This is a problem for the current crop of processors with NPUs. Intel's Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" has an AI Boost NPU with 10 TOPS on tap, while the Ryzen 8040 "Hawk Point" is only slightly faster, with a 16 TOPS Ryzen AI NPU. AMD has already revealed that the XDNA 2-based 2nd Generation Ryzen AI NPU in its upcoming "Strix Point" processors will come with over 40 TOPS of performance, and it stands to reason that the NPUs in Intel's "Arrow Lake" or "Lunar Lake" processors are comparable in performance; which should enable on-device Copilot.

AMD has caught up with NVIDIA and Intel in the race to get a locally run AI chatbot up and running on its respective hardware. Team Red's community hub welcomed a new blog entry on Wednesday—AI staffers published a handy "How to run a Large Language Model (LLM) on your AMD Ryzen AI PC or Radeon Graphics Card" step-by-step guide. They recommend that interested parties are best served by downloading the correct version of LM Studio. Their CPU-bound Windows variant—designed for higher-end Phoenix and Hawk Point chips—compatible Ryzen AI PCs can deploy instances of a GPT based LLM-powered AI chatbot. The LM Studio ROCm technical preview functions similarly, but is reliant on Radeon RX 7000 graphics card ownership. Supported GPU targets include: gfx1100, gfx1101 and gfx1102.

AMD believes that: "AI assistants are quickly becoming essential resources to help increase productivity, efficiency or even brainstorm for ideas." Their blog also puts a spotlight on LM Studio's offline functionality: "Not only does the local AI chatbot on your machine not require an internet connection—but your conversations stay on your local machine." The six-step guide invites curious members to experiment with a handful of large language models—most notably Mistral 7b and LLAMA v2 7b. They thoroughly recommend that you select options with "Q4 K M" (AKA 4-bit quantization). You can learn about spooling up "your very own AI chatbot" here.

HP Inc. today announced the industry's largest portfolio of AI PCs leveraging the power of AI to enhance productivity, creativity, and user experiences in hybrid work settings.

In an ever-changing hybrid work landscape, workers are still struggling with disconnection and digital fatigue. HP's 2023 Work Relationship Index reveals that only 27% of knowledge workers have a healthy relationship with work, and 83% believe it's time to redefine our relationships with work. Most employees believe AI will open new opportunities to enjoy work and make their jobs easier, but they need the right AI tools and technology to succeed.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and HiFi audio products, proudly announces the COLORFIRE MEOW R15 and MEOW R16 gaming laptops. Coming from the success and rising popularity of the COLORFIRE MEOW Series gaming desktop, the MEOW R15 and R16 gaming laptops are adorned with designs inspired by our beloved cat—Bobi. The laptop is littered with cat-inspired aesthetics from cat pawprints to the chic orange tabby cat color. The new MEOW Series gaming laptops are equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 8000 Series processor designed for gaming, content creation, and entertainment. It also features the AMD Ryzen AI technology unlocking magical AI experiences.

Like a feline, the COLORFIRE MEOW R15 and R16 gaming laptops are fast and agile - swift in attacking enemies. Both laptops comes equipped with that new AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, with a maximum boost clock of 5.1 GHz in a very efficient 45 W TDP power design. Designed for AI engine capabilities, its AMD Ryzen AI processor performance delivers up to 39 TOPS. For graphics, the MEOW R15 and MEOW R16 comes equipped with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU with up to 140 W maximum performance power.

Acer today announced new models of the Acer Swift Edge 16 and Acer Swift Go 14 laptops, blending AI power and innovative features in stylish thin and light devices. The latest additions to the Swift lineup feature AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with up to AMD Radeon 780M Graphics and equipped with Ryzen AI for versatile performance and support for Acer's AI-powered capabilities such as Acer PurifiedVoice, Acer PurfiedView, and the new Acer LiveArt photo-editing feature. Intuitive control and seamless navigation on the AI PCs are made possible thanks to the AcerSense application and Copilot in Windows with instant access through dedicated keys. Users can also appreciate clear images and rich colors when working or streaming through the OLED laptops' displays, as well as Microsoft Pluton technology, enabled by default, to help secure devices, personal data, and encryption keys.

Harnessing the Power of AI with AMD Ryzen 8040 Series Processors
Designed to deliver premium AI experiences and reliable performance for everyday productivity, the Swift Edge 16 and Swift Go 14 laptops are powered by AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with Ryzen AI technology built in. AMD's latest processors enable the efficient distribution of AI workloads between accelerators on the NPU, GPU, and CPU, to advance user experiences with AI technology on the devices. It leverages AMD's "Zen 4" processor architecture with up to eight cores and delivers up to 16 threads of processing power, so creative professionals and mainstream users can expect fast, power-efficient computing and longer battery life on the ultrathin Swift laptops.

ASUS today announced brand-new ASUS Vivobook S series laptops for 2024, designed for a sleek and lightweight lifestyle. These laptops - all featuring ASUS Lumina OLED display options - are driven by up to the latest AI-enabled processors from AMD, and offer exceptional performance. The series includes the 14.0-inch ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED M5406, the 15.6-inch ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED M5506, and the 16.0-inch ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED M5606. ASUS Vivobook S series laptops are not only powerful but also lightweight, making them perfect for individuals who need both productivity and entertainment while on the move. They come in contemporary color options and feature a minimalist, high-end design, striking a balance between mobility and performance.

The latest 2024 ASUS Vivobook S series laptops are equipped with up to AMD Ryzen 8040 Series Processors, boasting a TDP of up to 50 watts and built-in AMD Ryzen AI acceleration for efficient performance in modern AI applications. A dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard allows users to effortlessly dive into Windows 11's AI-powered tools with just one press.The laptops provide lifelike visuals through ASUS Lumina OLED displays, offering resolutions of up to 3.2K (M5606), a 120 Hz refresh rate, a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification. The ASUS ErgoSense keyboard, known for its style and comfort, now features customizable single-zone RGB backlighting, and there's an extra-large ErgoSense touchpad. Prioritizing user experience, these ASUS Vivobook S models include a lay-flat 180° hinge, an IR camera with a physical shutter, a full range of I/O ports, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio from the powerful Harman Kardon-certified stereo speakers.

Colorful is now exclusively a GeForce RTX graphics card vendor, but it had a brief stint with AMD Radeon under the separate Colorfire brand. This brand is reportedly making it back, but not for graphics cards. Colorful isn't just selling graphics cards and motherboards, but also has a growing line of gaming notebooks. Apparently, the Colorfire brand will denote notebooks powered by AMD Ryzen mobile processors. The discrete GPUs are still GeForce RTX 40-series. The news emerged from a regulatory filing by Colorful's notebook ODM, Clevo, which is a well known notebook manufacturer for several brands. The filings speak of the Colorfire MEOW R15 24, and the MEOW R16 24, which presumably feature 15-inch 16:9 and 16-inch 16:10 displays, respectively.

Both the Colorfire notebooks are powered by AMD Ryzen 8040 series "Hawk Point" mobile processors with full Ryzen AI enablement, while their discrete graphics options include GeForce RTX 4060 series and RTX 4070 series Laptop GPUs. The listings also mention at 180 W power supply for the MEOW R15 24; and a 230 W one for the MEOW R16 24, which seems to tally well with a combination of a Ryzen 8040HS series 45 W-class processor, and a GeForce RTX 4060/4070 series GPU with configured total graphics power in the 130 W to 160 W range.

Recently, MINISFORUM updated the CPU of V3 to AMD's latest Ryzen7 8840U on its official website. Previously, the preview page for V3 went live on January 3rd. It is understood that MINISFORUM is expected to hold the V3 and Spring New Product Launch Event at the end of March 2024. MINISFORUM V3 is the world's first high-performance AMD AI 3-in-1 tablet, featuring AMD's latest Ryzen7 8840U, built on a 4 nm process, with Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU architecture, 8 cores 16 threads, a base frequency of 3.30 GHz, and a maximum boost frequency of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 15-30 W, and a 16 MB L3 cache. It integrates Radeon 780M graphics. V3 also boasts a dual-fan and four-copper-pipe cooling system, achieving 28 W sustained performance release, providing sustained power for AI model training, graphic rendering, video editing, and gaming entertainment.

The AMD 8840U is also paired with a proprietary XDNA AI processor, with NPU computing power up to 16TOPS and processor computing power up to 38TOPS. Based on this, V3 is equipped with a new AMD Ryzen AI, creating an AI Windows triple-in-one tablet PC with the highest security level from Microsoft, supporting Microsoft Real-time Communication, and hardware design supporting Microsoft Copilot, which can be called upon with a single click, providing real-time intelligent suggestions and assistance, helping users easily complete tasks in various scenarios for efficient office work.

AMD's Ryzen 7040 "Phoenix" mobile APUs debuted last year with Ryzen AI capabilities (via onboard Xilinx IP), thanks to the fitting of an on-board NPU—Team Red's first generation XDNA AI Engine received immediate support on Windows platforms. Naturally, Linux users expressed frustration about being left out in the cold—later on in the year, AMD put some feelers out (as reported by Phoronix), and gauged interest in a potential Linux deployment of Ryzen AI. Fast forward to January 2024, we see movement with an initial release on open platforms—according to Michael Larabel's latest article: "More than 1,000 requests for Linux support were logged following that October statement and since then I've been hearing quietly of AMD working on Linux support... Well, there's now an open-source but currently out-of-tree driver available. "

AMD's GitHub has been updated with the "first public code drop of the XDNA Linux driver." According to System Requirements, the entry point "to run AI applications (test machine) on an Ryzen AI processor" is Phoenix silicon, as expected. Ryzen 8040 "Hawk Point" is presumably on the support list, since it shares the same basic underpinnings—albeit with greater NPU performance. One of AMD's GitHub authors has teased that "Strix" will also be supported in the future—second generation XDNA NPUs are expected to drop later this year. Targets for GFX1150 and GFX1151 were uncovered earlier this week—"Strix Point" and "Strix Point Halo" (respectively) are codenames for next generation Team Red APUs.

Microsoft has reportedly set 16 GB as the minimum system requirement for AI PCs, a TrendForce market research report finds. To say that Microsoft has a pivotal role to play in PC hardware specs is an understatement. This year sees the introduction of the first "AI PCs," or PCs with on-device AI acceleration for several new features native to Windows 11 23H2, mainly Microsoft Copilot. From the looks of it, Copilot is receiving the highest corporate attention from Microsoft, as the company looks to integrate the AI chatbot that automates and generates work, into the mainstream PC. In fact, Microsoft is even pushing for a dedicated Copilot button on PC keyboards along the lines of the key that brings up the Start menu. The company's biggest move with Copilot will be the 2024 introduction of Copilot Pro, an AI assistant integrated with Office and 365, which the company plans to sell on a subscription basis alone.

Besides cloud-based acceleration, Microsoft's various AI features will rely on some basic hardware specs for local acceleration. One of them of course is the NPU, with Intel's AI Boost and AMD's Ryzen AI being introduced with their latest mobile processors. The other requirement will be memory. AI acceleration is a highly memory sensitive operation, and LLMs require a sizable amount of fast frequent-access memory. So Microsoft arrived at 16 GB as the bare minimum amount of memory for not just native acceleration, but also cloud-based Copilot AI features to work. This should see the notebooks of 2024 set 16 GB as their baseline memory specs; and for commercial notebooks to scale up to 32 GB or even 64 GB, depending on organizational requirements. The development bodes particularly well for the DRAM industry.

At CES 2024, Razer has updated its Blade laptop family spanning across various sizes, and even got a chance to present a "world's first" feature in a gaming product. The star of the Razer booth is the company's flagship Blade 16 laptop, which now supports 240 Hz refresh rate in its 16-inch OLED display format. Being the first to get there, Razer offers a high refresh rate at 2560 x 1600 QHD+ resolution. In addition to 0.2 ms response time and DCI-P3 100% color gamut, the display had VESA ClearMR 11000 and DisplayHDR True Black 500 certifications. At the center of the laptop is the 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, paired with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU with 175 Watt TGP. Pricing starts at $2999 for lower-end configurations and is available now.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16, the latest in an illustrious lineup of supremely powerful thin-and-light gaming laptops. These machines feature a new CNC-machined aluminium chassis, a customizable Slash Lighting array, and a brand-new Platinum White colorway, while cutting-edge AI accelerated silicon from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA stand ready to push gamers and creators to new heights of performance. Both the Zephyrus G14 and G16 come equipped with the ROG Nebula Display, stunningly color-accurate OLED panels that are also G-SYNC capable for incredible gaming experiences. Ultra-efficient cooling technology, including tri-fan technology, liquid metal, and vapor chambers on select models enable the Zephyrus G14 and G16 to breathe easily despite their ultra-portable designs.

Brand-new chassis design
The 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 have been completely redesigned inside and out. Both machines boast all-new and all-aluminium CNC-machined chassis for the perfect mix of weight reduction, structural rigidity, and increased chassis space. This allows for an edge-to-edge keyboard design, as well as the inclusion of larger and louder speakers with superior bass response down to 100 Hz. The speakers are 25% larger than the previous generation, with a 47% volume increase for more immersive audio experiences than ever before. The Zephyrus G14 and G16 also come with larger individual keycaps and a larger touchpad, for superior typing, precision scrolling, and fluid gaming. Both the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 ship with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of great games.

AMD today announced the Ryzen 8000G line of desktop APUs. These come in the Socket AM5 package, and are supported by all motherboards based on the AMD X670/E, B650/E, and A620 chipsets, with some requiring UEFI firmware updates. Since USB BIOS Flashback is standard issue on AMD motherboards, this should be no problem. With Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael" desktop processors that debut the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, AMD had standardized integrated graphics, however, the iGPU for these are just enough for desktop/productivity workloads, offering comparable performance to the iGPUs of Intel 13th Gen Core desktop processors. AMD doesn't consider Ryzen 7000 chips as APUs for this reason. An APU has to be a processor with powerful integrated graphics that can offer entry-level gaming, high-res content consumption, or multi-monitor productivity, and "Raphael" isn't it. Enter the Ryzen 8000G series.

The AMD Ryzen 8000G series debuts four APU models, the Ryzen 7 8700G, the Ryzen 5 8600G, the Ryzen 5 8500G, and the Ryzen 3 8300G. The 8700G and 8600G are based on the 4 nm "Hawk Point" silicon, feature Ryzen AI, and are the first desktop processors to feature an NPU (neural processing unit). The 8500G and 8300G are based on the 4 nm "Phoenix 2" silicon. The Ryzen 7 8700G leads the pack, and is a maxed out implementation of "Hawk Point," featuring an 8-core/16-thread CPU based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, the full Radeon 780M integrated graphics implementation with 12 RDNA3 compute units; and the Ryzen AI XDNA NPU. The processor has a combined AI throughput of 39 TOPS, with 16 TOPS from the NPU. For reference, an Intel Core Ultra 7 165H "Meteor Lake" mobile processor with its AI Boost NPU, has a combined AI throughput of 34 TOPS.