AMD "Ryzen AI 9 HX170" Surfaces, Suggests New Naming Scheme for Ultraportable Processors

[btarunr]

AMD is preparing a new processor naming scheme for its next-generation processors, targeting the ultraportable segment, according to a report by Chinese tech publication ITHome, citing sources in ASUS. The new naming scheme purports to make it easier for customers to identify processors with AI capabilities (integrated NPU), processor class (whether it's U, H, or HX), followed by a numerical component that lets customer know product grade. This runs contrary to yesterday's report that cited a Lenovo product flyer referencing a "Ryzen 8050 series." It remains to be seen if the 8050 series are a class of mainstream processors without AI capabilities, which is unlikely, given that Lenovo is using them with its premium ThinkPad T-series.



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[Tropick]

Hmm, something about "AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX170" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Personally, I'll be holding off until there's at least TWO mentions of AI in the product SKU.

 

[Chaitanya]

Why? As if previous naming wasnt confusing enough and needed a decode sheet now more nonsense.

 

[ghazi]

"Ryzen AI" is a terrible brand. I really hope this does not come to desktops.

 

[Geofrancis]

I can just hear the marketing people.....I have a great original idea......lets call it Ryzen AI! Everyone wants AI right?......right?

 

[roberto888]

Should have just called it "R-AI-Zen"

 

[R0H1T]

Stop effin copying Intel you dumb*****

 

[Fishymachine]

It's better then 9550 HX, launched along-side the "better" 9735U, which is just an overclocked 6800U from 2022.
So same as Core Ultra, it's not good per say, but it flushes the toilet

 

[Battler624]

If thats the case, why not name everything the same?
Name the CPU, the GPU, the NPU and then come all of them to give us 1 name?

this is getting annoying ngl.

 

[john_]

I think it's a good marketing move. Intel rushed to copy Apple's naming with the "Ultra", now AMD is trying to take advantage of the AI hype.
While for most of us this naming looks stupid, for the average "don't know anything about hardware" consumer, putting that "AI" there is important.
I wouldn't surprised if Intel follows with "Ultra AI" models.

 

[Assimilator]

Why not "Ryzen AI 9 AI HX170 AI AI AI AI AI"?

 

[Pumper]

Steve used to complained about the number of Xs in the product name, guess he'll have to move on to counting AIs now.

 

[Denver]

Ever since AMD started mixing several products from different generations in the same 5xxx line and then made it even worse in 7xxx, their naming scheme has become much worse than intel's.

Frankly, AMD has unquestionably the best chips for laptops and handhelds, but they're dirtying the brand they created for nothing.

 

[kondamin]

lol, worthless naming scheme
it's a shame this crap has no impact on how good the products sell

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Whew, for a second there I thought it didn't have AI.

 

[Dragokar]

Maybe it is an ASUS thingie, since Lenovo states the “usual” naming scheme.

 

[Zareek]

As long as AMD continues copying the leader (Intel), they will never earn the respect required to become the leader. Very sad, their marketing department is creatively bankrupt!

 

[GenericUsername2001]

AMD should just tack something like " AI Now!" at the end of the chip name to denote the AI ability.

 

[G777]

I think it's a good marketing move. Intel rushed to copy Apple's naming with the "Ultra", now AMD is trying to take advantage of the AI hype.
While for most of us this naming looks stupid, for the average "don't know anything about hardware" consumer, putting that "AI" there is important.
I wouldn't surprised if Intel follows with "Ultra AI" models.

I think it was a good move for Intel and AMD to switch to new naming schemes. The average consumer doesn’t care/understand the numbers that come after “Core i[x]”, so they would think an i9-9900 is better than an i5 14600K, simply because i9 > i5. Switching to “Core Ultra” distinguishes it from “Core i”, so they immediately will think “Ultra is better than i” since “Ultra” is new.

Same thing with “Ryzen AI [x]”. The most they will know is “my computer has a Ryzen 7” and not whether it is a Ryzen 7 7840HS or Ryzen 7 7730U, which are vastly different in performance. At least they can see that “Ryzen AI 9” has AI in its name while a “Ryzen 9 7945HX” doesn’t, so the AI 9 is probably more advanced.

 

[theouto]

I don't know what AMD's mobile marketing division is smoking, and I am not sure I want to have some either.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I think it was a good move for Intel and AMD to switch to new naming schemes. The average consumer doesn’t care/understand the numbers that come after “Core i[x]”, so they would think an i9-9900 is better than an i5 14600K, simply because i9 > i5. Switching to “Core Ultra” distinguishes it from “Core i”, so they immediately will think “Ultra is better than i” since “Ultra” is new.

Same thing with “Ryzen AI [x]”. The most they will know is “my computer has a Ryzen 7” and not whether it is a Ryzen 7 7840HS or Ryzen 7 7730U, which are vastly different in performance. At least they can see that “Ryzen AI 9” has AI in its name while a “Ryzen 9 7945HX” doesn’t, so the AI 9 is probably more advanced.

In the world of variable NPUs, iGPUs, P-cores and E-cores, “better” requires asking the question “at what task?” NPUs and different core types and counts only further muddy things.

 

[GenericUsername2001]

Something to consider about this possible naming scheme change is that customers AMD has to work with to get mobile sales are not end users like your or I, but the large OEMs like Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus, and so forth. AMD's marketing team is going to be working with those OEMs when coming up with a naming scheme, and it is easy to imagine those companies really pushing hard on the whole "AI" marketing buzz, and wanting AMD to have a somewhat confusing naming scheme, as said confusion makes it easier for said companies to do their own marketing & sell less than optimal machines.

 

[_JP_]

To AMD: By now just head back to the "performance rating" of 20+ years ago, please. Name them like "Ryzen 7800+", idk. Then just jumble the uArch how you want it and keep the same name for the price-point. There, Average Joe will buy it now instead of getting appalled and the feeling he's getting shafted. The same way they know what a RAM 1500 is no matter the year.

At least, it made it somewhat better to distinguish between models.

 

[mechtech]

So what's the delineation between portable and ultraportable?

 

[remixedcat]

Why not this?

"AMD RYZEN AI GT888PMX XFX DRXT HX720P 8K FTX DDR"