AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ brings a monstrous 40-core GPU and unified memory to laptops

Brief: AMD presented itself at CES 2025 in Las Vegas with its new “Strix Halo” Ryzen AI Max+ mobile processors. Boasting impressive specifications, these chips look set to dominate the competition in the thin and light gaming laptop and AI workstation markets. The lineup includes four models: Ryzen AI Max+ 395/Pro, Ryzen AI Max 390/Pro, Ryzen AI Max 385/Pro, and Ryzen AI Max 380 Pro.

At the top of the range is the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, featuring 16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores, and support for up to 128GB of shared RAM. One floor below is the Ryzen AI Max+ 390, equipped with 12 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores. Next comes the Ryzen AI Max+ 385, offering eight CPU cores and 32 GPU cores. Finally, the Ryzen AI Max Pro 380, designed for professional users, includes six CPU cores, 16 GPU cores, and enhanced security and management features.

All models feature a base TDP of 55W, configurable between 45W and 120W to accommodate more robust cooling solutions. Built on a cutting-edge 3nm process, the chips use a design where the CPU cores are distributed across two smaller chipsets, while the GPU and AI engines reside on a larger central I/O die. They also support up to 128GB of unified memory, with up to 96GB available for graphics – a feature that AMD highlights as crucial for smooth multitasking and handling “incredibly large AI models.”

The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 stands out thanks to its impressive graphics specifications, featuring a 40-core RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU known as the Radeon 8060S. According to AMD, this is the fastest integrated GPU available in any Windows laptop.

AMD claims the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is up to 1.4x faster than Intel’s best Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V chip in terms of gaming performance. For AI workloads, AMD claims that It can deliver up to 2.2x the performance of Nvidia’s desktop RTX 4090 GPU, while consuming only 87% of the power.

While gaming remains a focal point, AMD is positioning Ryzen AI Max+ APUs as versatile powerhouses for demanding workloads like video rendering, 3D modeling, data analysis, and more. According to AMD’s content creation benchmarks, these chips show substantial performance gains over Apple’s latest M4 Pro processors in popular rendering engines such as V-Ray, Blender, and Corona. However, Cinebench scores reveal slightly less impressive, although still competitive, results.

Naturally, references provided by suppliers should always be taken with a grain of salt. However, if these processors can achieve performance levels close to those claimed by AMD, they have the potential to be a game-changer.

The new Ryzen AI Max+ chips are expected to debut in laptops from AMD’s OEM partners starting in Q1 and Q2 2025.