AMD Launches New Gaming Laptop CPUs

AMD unveils its Ryzen 8000 series processors for gaming laptops, headlined by the Ryzen 9 8945HX, though these chips maintain the previous Zen 4 architecture rather than adopting the newer Zen 5 design featured in the recent Ryzen AI 300 series.

The company is introducing four new laptop processors for premium gaming machines. The flagship Ryzen 9 8945HX boasts 16 cores, 32 threads, and reaches up to 5.4GHz boost clock, while the entry-level Ryzen 7 8745HX offers 8 cores, 16 threads with a 5.1GHz boost. Interestingly, these specifications closely mirror their predecessors like the Ryzen 9 7945HX, which already delivered 16 cores at 5.4GHz with 80MB cache. However, these new chips will pair with top-tier mobile GPUs to power cutting-edge gaming laptops.

Even with using the older architecture, these processors show promise in high-performance scenarios. When pairing with Nvidia's flagship mobile GPU - like the RTX 4090 Mobile reviewed earlier - the higher 55W-75W power envelope of the Ryzen 9 8945HX should deliver noticeable performance gains over lower-power Zen 5 alternatives, though Zen 5 would have offered greater efficiency given the same thermal budget.

Gamers can expect to see these new processors appearing in premium gaming notebooks in the coming months. Below is a detailed specification breakdown of all four new processors:

AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX Specifications

• 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 Specifications

• 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 Specifications

• 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 Specifications

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