AMD has unveiled two of its latest chips aimed at the commercial PC market, hoping to bring enhanced AI capabilities to consumers.
The new AMD Ryzen Pro 8040 series mobile processors and AMD Ryzen Pro 8000 series desktop processors promise the latest AI connectivity features, which the California chipmaker says will improve the computing experience for business users.
The company said the combination of CPU, GPU and dedicated on-chip neural processing unit (NPU) will help it expand its leadership in AI PCs.
New AMD Ryzen Pro chips
The AMD Ryzen Pro 8040 series processors, intended for use in both business laptops and mobile workstations, are said to be “the most advanced x86 processors” built for this purpose.
Built with up to eight powerful cores, 4nm technology and “Zen 4” architecture, AMD estimates users will be able to register 30% more performance. The company also claims that models with AMD Ryzen AI and AMD RDNA 3 graphics can significantly outperform Intel’s Core Ultra 7 165U chip when it comes to video conferencing – an interesting but crucial benchmark for many businesses.
The company’s second offering, the AMD Ryzen Pro 8000 Series, is designed for businesses that use desktops and workstations. As with its mobile counterpart, key figures include up to eight powerful “Zen 4” cores and 4nm base. It compares favorably to the Intel Core i7 14700 processor, which is significantly better in terms of performance and graphics.
In addition to working with high-speed DDR5 and PCIe 4 connections for faster transfers, select Ryzen Pro 8000 series chips also support the latest Wi-Fi 7.
Jack Huynh, SVP and GM for Computing and Graphics Group at AMD, commented: “Our latest Pro Series processors set a new standard for premium computing experiences and help businesses deploy AI capabilities to their PCs with industry-leading performance and security”
Both new chip series are scheduled for release this quarter and are expected to be available on platforms from OEM partners including HP and Lenovo. AMD also named Microsoft as a key industry partner, which will bring more Copilot features to Windows systems, highlighting the chips’ potential to support the additional computing power.
Forward-looking, industry analyst firm Canalys predicts that up to 50 million PCs shipped in 2024 will be AI-enabled, which is expected to fuel the market’s revival after numerous tough post-pandemic quarters.