XDNA, Zen 4 and RDNA 3 are on the program for AMD’s Ryzen 8040. © AMD
Manufacturers of laptop processors are convinced: the future of the PC lies in its ability to locally manage the calculations necessary for artificial intelligence rather than relying on online services. Microsoft and Intel already have a ready-made name for these PCs: AI PC.
AI PC: the future of the PC
While AMD usually takes advantage of CES in Las Vegas to announce its new processors for laptop PCs, the microprocessor designer pulls the rug out from under Intel, which is due to present its Meteor Lake on December 14, which will illustrate the company’s vision. ‘Intel for AI PCs.
AMD takes this opportunity to remind you that they are the ones who released the first x86 processors equipped with an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) – capable of carrying out the calculations necessary for the various AI functions –, with the Ryzen 7040.
AMD announces that it is collaborating with a number of partners to take advantage of its NPU. © AMD
If AMD insists on the usefulness of an NPU in its Ryzen, it is because the brand is convinced that the future of the calculations necessary for AI must be carried out locally. So performance would be better: there is no queue to get your result or subscription to subscribe to. Furthermore, the data is not entrusted to third parties.
Ryzen 8040: Zen 4, RDNA 3 and XDNA
The Ryzen 8040 processors do not introduce any real novelty since the CPU cores remain on the Zen4 architecture; the GPU cores use the 3rd version of RDNA and only the XDNA NPU – which offered 10 TOPS in the Ryzen 7040 – now peaks at 16 TOPS or 39 TOPS by adding the capacities of the Zen 4 and RDNA 3 cores. Qualcomm announces a capacity of 40 TOPS on its Snapdragon X Elite which will be released next year.
The Ryzen 8040 range is made up of 9 models. © AMD
Nine models make up the Ryzen 8040 range known as Hawk Point with 5 -HS having a power envelope of 35-54 Watts for high-performance laptop PCs and 4 -U processors having 15-30 Watts for ultrabook type PCs. The range extends from Ryzen 3 with 4 multithreaded cores to Ryzen 9 with 8 multithreaded cores that can reach up to 5.2 GHz
On the performance side, AMD announces an increase in the computing capacities of its NPU by 40%, while the Ryzen 9 8945HS (8C/16T) would be 10% more efficient than the Intel Core i9-13900H (14C/20T) in multithreading, 80%. more efficient in games and 40% in content creation.
AMD compares its Ryzen 9 8845HS to the Intel Core i9-13900H processor. © AMD
To conclude, AMD wanted to whet the mouths of artificial intelligence enthusiasts by announcing a new architecture for its NPU in the Strix Point processors which will be released in 2024: XDNA 2. AMD is already announcing tripled performance , which suggests that the 48 TOPS are targeted. This teasing from AMD aims above all to put pressure on its competitors who intend to make a name for themselves in the AI PC field.
Availability: 1st quarter 2024
Many laptop models already feature an AMD XDNA NPU. © AMD
The first laptops equipped with AMD Ryzen 8040 processors are expected in the first quarter of 2024. Acer will notably offer a Nitro V 16 from 1,199 euros in April 2024.