AMD Launches Gaming Laptop CPUs With Older Architecture

AMD unveils its Ryzen 8000 series processors for premium gaming laptops, headlined by the flagship Ryzen 9 8945HX. While not featuring the latest Zen 5 architecture found in this year's Ryzen AI 300 series, these chips continue using the proven Zen 4 design.

The lineup includes four powerful mobile processors tailored for gaming rigs. The top-tier Ryzen 9 8945HX delivers 16 cores, 32 threads, and boosts up to 5.4GHz. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 7 8745HX offers 8 cores handling 16 threads with clock speeds reaching 5.1GHz. Interestingly, their specifications closely mirror previous-generation models like the Ryzen 9 7945HX, which also packed 16 cores, 5.4GHz boost clocks, and 80MB cache.

Despite using older architecture, these processors will power high-end gaming laptops equipped with cutting-edge GPUs. During recent testing, Nvidia's RTX 5090 Mobile faced limitations when paired with AMD's newer Zen 5-based Ryzen AI HX 370 chip. The Ryzen 9 8945HX proves more capable due to its flexible 55W-75W TDP range, delivering substantial performance gains - though Zen 5 chips could potentially achieve more within similar power constraints.

Gaming enthusiasts can expect these new AMD processors to debut in premium laptops within months. Below, you'll find detailed specifications for each SKU in the Ryzen 8000 mobile series.