Navigating AMD's various modern processor model naming schemes is tricky business, and another layer of complexity has been added this week; with newly revealed "Strix Point" and "Krackan Point" CPUs. Three previously unannounced SKUs have appeared on AMD's Chinese website: Ryzen AI 9 H 365, Ryzen AI 7 H 350, and Ryzen AI 5 H 340. At first glance, these models codes seem to be familiar—after a double take, we see a small difference in nomenclature. The addition of a middle-placed/detached "H" has press outlets and hardware enthusiasts scratching their collective heads. After discovering Team Red's Ryzen AI 9 H 365 APU listing, Lonely City Hardware posted a humorous observation on social media: "for the Chinese market. No one can remember the full name."

Frustratingly, Western search engines (at the time of writing) just point you to the non-H equivalents. The "H" designation denotes Chinese market exclusivity; TechPowerUp has covered previous-generation examples in the recent past. When comparing technical details and specification sheets to Western equivalents, VideoCardz noted that there were no apparent differences—platform and packaging are the same (FP8). A cross-reference—of clock speeds, thermal ratings, and core architecture (Zen 5/Zen 5C)—points to spec parity across East and West variants.

It's that time again! 3DExperience World 2025 kicks off on February 23 and runs through February 26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The show is hosted by Dassault Systèmes and highlights annual advances and improvements throughout its product ecosystem. It's a great opportunity to meet the engineers, students, and industry professionals who use SolidWorks and other Dassault Systèmes applications across browsers, local workstations, and the cloud.

One of the best parts of the event for me is showcasing how advances in silicon engineering can lead to transformational products - systems that offer performance, features, and efficiency that wasn't possible before. In 2024, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processor stole the proverbial show with its excellent single-thread performance, support for multi-GPU configurations for AI training, and up to 96 cores and 2T B of memory for the largest and most demanding projects. This year, AMD has complemented these full-size tower systems with compact and mobile workstations based on the new AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO Series processors. Drop by booth #919 and see the array of systems and demos on exhibit.

AMD's "Strix Halo" APU, marketed as Ryzen AI Max+, has just been exposed in die-shot analysis. Confirming the processor's triple-die architecture, the package showcases a total silicon footprint of 441.72 mm² that integrates advanced CPU, GPU, and AI acceleration capabilities within a single package. The processor's architecture centers on two 67.07 mm² CPU CCDs, each housing eight Zen 5 cores with a dedicated 8 MB L2 cache. A substantial 307.58 mm² I/O complements these die that houses an RDNA 3.5-based integrated GPU featuring 40 CUs and AMD's XDNA 2 NPU. The memory subsystem demonstrates a 256-bit LPDDR5X interface capable of delivering 256 GB/s bandwidth, supported by 32 MB of strategically placed Last Level Cache to optimize data throughput.

The die shots reveal notable optimizations for mobile deployment, including shortened die-to-die interfaces that reduce the interconnect distance by 2 mm compared to desktop implementations. Some through-silicon via structures are present, which suggest potential compatibility with AMD's 3D V-Cache technology, though the company has not officially confirmed plans for such implementations. The I/O die integrates comprehensive connectivity options, including PCIe 4.0 x16 lanes and USB4 support, while also housing dedicated media engines with full AV1 codec support. Initial deployments of the Strix Halo APU will commence with the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 launch on February 25, marking the beginning of what AMD anticipates will be broad adoption across premium mobile computing platforms.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) announced that the 2025 ROG Flow Z13 is now available for pre-order. This versatile gaming 2-in-1 can feature up to AMD's newest AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Processor with Radeon 8060S Graphics and a unified memory structure, allowing for incredible performance and power efficiency. A new stainless steel and copper vapor chamber, larger intake vents, and 2nd Gen Arc Flow Fans offer 70% more airflow for quiet and efficient cooling.

This 13-inch tablet boasts a stunning ROG Nebula Display, a 2.5K resolution 180 Hz touchscreen with 500 nits of peak brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Flow Z13 now also features a larger 70Wh battery, a larger touchpad and keycaps, and a convenient Command Center button for quick access to vital system functions. With dual USB-C ports, both of which support USB4 and power delivery, as well as a dedicated HDMI 2.1 port, the Flow Z13 lets gamers leave their dongles at home.

Yesterday, the ASUS Chinese office announced a special event—on February 25—dedicated to launching a next-gen AMD APU-powered premium notebook model: "ROG Magic X (or Illusion X) is the first to be equipped with the Ryzen AI MAX+ three-in-one chip, which can efficiently coordinate multiple modes, provide combat power and computing power on demand, and can handle e-sports, creation and AI with one chip!" The manufacturer's Weibo post has generated plenty of buzz; industry insiders reckon that reviews could be published today (February 18)—HXL/9550pro informed VideoCardz with a not so cryptic message: "STX-Halo NDA: Feb 18th 2025."

Western press outlets point out that the ROG Magic X is a local variant of the familiar ROG Flow Z13 design; a 2025 refresh brings in AMD's much anticipated "Strix Halo" APU design. Team Red-authored marketing material and pre-release evaluation leaks have hinted about impressive integrated graphics solution performance; equalling or even exceeding that of previous-gen dGPUs. Well-known North American hardware review outlets have dropped hints (NDA permitting) about AMD's Ryzen Al Max+ 395 and Max 390 processors. Hardware Canucks could barely contain their excitement regarding the potent Zen 4 and RDNA 3.5 combo package; to the point of wish listing a potential direct successor: "Strix Halo is one of the most exciting things launched into the PC space in the last half decade. Full stop...AMD can't keep this as a one-off. If it's followed up with Zen 6 and RDNA 4 next year...watch out." Naturally, Team Red's cutting-edge mobile CPU technology is arriving in devices with high asking prices. The aforementioned ROG Flow Z13 2025 model—configured with top specs—is priced at $2699. Notebookcheck reckons that ASUS has tacked on an extra $500, since an announcement of initial pricing at CES 2025.

ASUS's Republic of Gamers China account on Weibo has teased the ROG Magic X mobile device that combines laptop/tablet form with a detachable keyboard. Inside, the device is powered by AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ SoC, which ASUS called a "three-in-one" chip, mainly due to its CPU, NPU, and iGPU combination. One possible SKU for ROG Magic X is AMD's top-end Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processor. Carrying 16 "Zen 5" cores and 32 threads, the chip is designed for AI-enhanced laptops with 126 combined TOPS of AI processing power. The Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 features 64 MB of L3 cache and operates at a base clock of 3 GHz, with boost capabilities up to 5.1 GHz, depending on workload conditions. Manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process node, the processor maintains a modest 55 W TDP, suitable for high-performance mobile systems. The chip includes support for ECC memory and PCIe Gen 5. It integrates the Radeon 8060S solution based on RDNA 3.5 architecture for graphics.

We are yet to see more details about the ROG Magic X, but with the arrival of AMD Ryzen AI MAX+, we assume this machine will result in a powerful gaming device for users on the go. More details are expected on February 25, when ASUS plans to showcase it. Pricing and availability are also expected to follow soon after.

AI PC capabilities have evolved rapidly in the two years since AMD introduced the first x86 AI PC CPUs at CES 2023. New neural processing units have debuted, pushing available performance from a peak of 10 AI TOPS at the launch of the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor to peak 50+ TOPS on the latest AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 300 Series processors. A wide range of software and hardware companies have announced various AI development plans or brought AI-infused products to market, while major operating system vendors like Microsoft are actively working to integrate AI into the operating system via its Copilot+ PC capabilities. AMD is on the forefront of those efforts and is working closely with Microsoft to deliver Copilot+ for Ryzen AI and Ryzen AI PRO PCs.

In the report "The Year of the AI PC is 2025," Forrester lays out its argument for why this year is likely to bring significant changes for AI PCs. Forrester defines the term "AI PC" to mean any system "embedded with an AI chip and algorithms specifically designed to improve the experience of AI workloads across the computer processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and neural processing unit (NPU)." This includes AMD products, as well as competing products made by both x86 and non-x86 CPU manufacturers. 2025 represents a turning point for these efforts, both in terms of hardware and software, and this Forrester report is an excellent deep dive into why AI PCs represent the future for enterprise computing.

At some point this week, HP's North American online store was updated with new high-end EliteBooks that feature AMD Strix Point APUs. Three models appear to support up to 128 GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory—these curious entries were highlighted by tech enthusiast Hoang Anh Phu (AnhPhuH). The advertised maximum 8533 MT/s transfer rate exceeds Team Red's official reference figure (7500 MT/s) for the EliteBook X G1a's Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 APU. Looking further up in the Team Red "Strix Point" product stack, we spotted their Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 spec sheet boasting a maximum LPDDR5x transfer speed of 8000 MT/s. Press outlets have expressed doubt when analyzing three of HP's EliteBook X G1a SKUs. Theories point to product pages containing possible placeholder information, or inaccuracies.

Working with the belief that the specs are legit, AnhPhuH commented: "this is the first laptop featured with 128 GB LPDDR5x-8533 128-bit memory. That would mean it's using four 256 Gb x32 modules(?!). As far as I know, all three major DRAM manufacturers currently only have 128 Gb x32 modules...the EliteBook X G1a uses Strix Point, not Strix Halo, so it only pairs with four x32 modules (two 64-bit channels)." HP's web shop states that the EliteBook X G1a models are due to launch on March 14. We hope that further clarification and concrete specifications appear online closer to release time. Initial pricing starts at $2749 for the lowliest of the three "128 GB LPDDR5X-8533" equipped models. The agonizingly named flagship "HP EliteBook X G1a 14 inch Notebook Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition" offering comes in at an eye-watering $4299.

The AOKZOE A1 X was recently teased by its maker as a new AMD Strix Point-powered gaming handheld, featuring the commendably potent Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU with the equally admirable RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 890M iGPU. Details were scarce regarding the handheld, but now the company has shed some much-needed light on a few features of the upcoming handheld. We still do not have a clue as to when the handheld will finally see the light of day, or even an expected price bracket. Considering that AOKZOE is not nearly as well known as its competitors in this space, the A1 X can be expected to launch with a price tag that undercuts its rivals. Thanks to a previous teaser, already know that the A1 X will sport an 8-inch 120 Hz display with VRR support.

Addressing the features teased recently, AOKZOE has revealed that the handheld will sport a 72.7 Wh battery with support for bypass charging, allowing it to draw power directly without having to pass it through the battery, thereby increasing the battery's lifespan. Moreover, the A1 X will also sport MicroSD 4.0 support, allowing for transfer speeds of up to 300 MB/s. The handheld will sport dual USB4 ports, along with an OCuLink port which will allow for speedy eGPU connections for gaming sessions that demand more horsepower than the Radeon 890M can provide. Going by the shared images, the A1 X will also sport at least one USB-A port, which will surely come in handy when the need arises for additional peripherals.

AMD today put out detailed guides on how to get DeepSeek R1 distilled reasoning models to run on Radeon RX graphics cards and Ryzen AI processors. The guide confirms that the new Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" processors come in hardwired to LPCAMM2 memory configurations of 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB, and there won't be a 16 GB memory option for notebook manufacturers to cheap out with. The guide goes on to explain that "Strix Halo" will be able to locally accelerate DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Llama with 70 billion parameters on the 64 GB and 128 GB memory configurations of "Strix Halo" powered notebooks, while the 32 GB model should be able to run DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-32B. Ryzen AI "Strix Point" mobile processors should be capable of running DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-14B and DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Llama-14B on their RDNA 3.5 iGPUs and NPUs. Meanwhile, older generation processors based on "Phoenix Point" and "Hawk Point" chips should be capable of DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Llama-14B. The company recommends running all of the above distills in Q4 K M quantization.

Switching gears to the discrete graphics cards, and AMD is only recommending its Radeon RX 7000 series for now, since the RDNA 3 graphics architecture introduces AI accelerators. The flagship Radeon RX 7900 XTX is recommended for DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-32B distill, while all SKUs with 12 GB to 20 GB of memory—that's RX 7600 XT, RX 7700 XT, RX 7800 XT, RX 7900 GRE, and RX 7900 XT, are recommended till DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-14B. The mainstream RX 7600 with its 8 GB memory is only recommended till DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Llama-8B. You will need LM Studio 0.3.8 or later and Radeon Software Adrenalin 25.1.1 beta or later drivers. AMD put out first party LMStudio 0.3.8 tokens/second performance numbers for the RX 7900 XTX, comparing it with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER and the RTX 4090.

AMD has just published its "How to Sell" Ryzen AI MAX series guide—several news outlets have pored over the "claimed" gaming performance charts contained within this two-page document. Team Red appears to be in a boastful mood—their 1080p benchmark results reveal compelling numbers, as produced by their flagship Zen 5 "Strix Halo" processor (baseline 55 W TDP). According to Team Red's marketing guidelines, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU: "competes with a GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile GPU at similar TDP and form factor." The first-party produced comparison points to their Radeon 8060S integrated graphics solution being up to 68% faster—in modern gaming environments at 1080p settings—than the competing Team Green dedicated laptop-oriented GPU, limited to 65 W TGP due to form factor restrictions. Overall, the AMD test unit does better by 23.2% on average (referring to Wccftech's calculations).

According to the document, AMD's reference system was lined up against an ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2023) gaming laptop specced with an Intel Core i9-13900H processor, and a GeForce RTX 4070 mobile graphics card. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395's "massive iGPU" can unleash the full force of forty RDNA 3.5 compute units, paired with up to 96 GB of unified on-board memory (from a total pool of 128 GB). Non-gaming benchmarks place the flagship Team Red processor above Intel Core Ultra 9 288V and Apple M4 Pro (12-core) CPUs—as always, it is best to wait for verification from independent evaluators. Saying that, the "Strix Halo" APU family has generated a lot of excitement—even going back to early leaks—and the latest marketed performance could drum up further interest.

After several months of teasers, the Ayaneo 3 gaming handheld has finally witnessed its official launch. The product will be available with two APUs - the Ryzen 7 8840U for the entry variant, and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 for the high-end variant. The system can be equipped with up to 64 GB of LPDDR5X-7500 memory, and a whopping 4 TB of SSD storage. The handheld will also feature modular controllers, which can be detached with the click of a single button.

The Ayaneo 3 will also give customers the option to chose between an LCD or an OLED panel, and as VideoCardz notes, selecting the OLED option does not change the final price. As mentioned earlier, the system will be available with either a Zen 4 or a Zen 5 APU. The Strix Point variant leads the Hawk Point part by almost around 50% in multicore tests, and the HX 370's integrated Radeon 890M iGPU is somewhere around 25% more performant than the 8840U's Radeon 780M. Clearly, the performance gap between the two variants will be substantial.

As a leader in innovative technology, Acemagic is excited to announce the upcoming pre-sale launch of the F3A AI 370 MINI PC by the end of January 2025. Powered by AMD's latest Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, this high-performance mini PC combines outstanding computational power with cutting-edge cooling technology, designed to meet the needs of professionals, content creators, and high-end users.

The F3A AI 370 MINI PC features an advanced 12-core, 24-thread processor, built on AMD's Zen 5 and Zen 5c architecture. With a base clock speed of 2.0 GHz and a turboboost up to 5.1 GHz, it delivers exceptional multithreaded performance and processing power. Additionally, the F3A is equipped with the third-generation Ryzen AI NPU (Neural Processing Unit) based on the XDNA2 architecture, offering up to 50 TOPS of AI computing performance. With seamless collaboration between the GPU and CPU, the F3A achieves an impressive total performance of up to 80 TOPS, making it ideal for high-demand applications like deep learning and AI inference.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), a globally recognized leader in motherboards, mini PCs, and laptops, will participate in the renowned Bett 2025 education technology exhibition in London from January 22 to 24, 2025. ECS will showcase its new series of education laptops integrated with AI technology and multifunctional mini PCs, designed to enhance teaching efficiency and the learning experience. These products not only offer exceptional performance and portability but also incorporate innovative solutions to provide smarter technological support for the education sector.

A New Series of AI-Powered Education Laptops, Delivering Smart Learning Solutions
At Bett 2025, ECS will feature a series of lightweight AI laptops tailored for higher education, including the 14-inch UP40ML, UP42KP, and UP42PW models, as well as the 15.3-inch UP52PW model. These laptops are focused on improving the teaching and learning experience by offering powerful computing capabilities and advanced features. They support multiple processor platforms, such as Intel, AMD and Snapdragon, providing flexibility to meet various needs while maintaining a high-quality metal chassis for durability in campus environments.

AMD has released its latest Adrenalin Edition 25.1.1 Radeon beta driver today, supporting additional gaming titles, improvements, and bug fixes. In this release, AMD has brought driver game support for the newly released FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, released today, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which is finally coming to PCs after being console-exclusive for years. AMD has brought day-one support and has managed to fix some software issues along the way. First in line is the improvement in performance while playing Apex Legends with DirectX 12 API, which has been a pain point for AMD's drivers. Previously, some AI enthusiasts experienced lower-than-expected performance while using LM Studio on AMD Ryzen AI and Radeon products, which is now also fixed.

However, some issues persist. Users can experience a partial black screen problem in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 when using Radeon Anti-Lag 2 and Ray Tracing on AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors, intermittent crashes in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, driver timeouts in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and performance stuttering in Marvel Rivals with AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 frame generation. Additionally, users may encounter an intermittent AMD Bug Report Tool appearance after using the AMD Cleanup Utility and potential HEVC encoding issues with OBS Studio's Twitch-enhanced broadcasting, which will hopefully be fixed soon.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 25.1.1 Beta

Ayaneo has been teasing the Ayaneo 3 gaming handheld for what seems like an eternity now. The handheld was among the first to be powered by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU with the extremely potent Radeon 890M iGPU, promising impressive performance potential. However, the 7-inch gaming handheld is yet to see the light of day, and we still have no clue when it finally will.

However, Ayaneo has gone ahead and teased the Ayaneo 3 once again, showing off a new colorway for the gaming handheld. This edition, dubbed "Retro Power", utilizes a beige-themed design with red accents on some of the controls. The device will also be available in black and white colorways, making the "Retro Power" variant a fun alternative for those who prefer something other than black or white for their handheld gaming console. That is, when the Ayaneo 3 finally ships, of course.

Advantech, a global leader in embedded IoT computing, is excited to launch its latest Edge AI solutions featuring the advanced AMD Ryzen Embedded 8000 Series processors. The SOM-6873 (COMe Compact), AIMB-2210 (Mini-ITX motherboards), and AIR-410 (AI Inference System) deliver exceptional AI performance leveraging the first AMD embedded devices with integrated Neural Processing Units. These integrated NPUs are optimized to enhance AI inference efficiency and precision. Together with traditional CPU and GPU elements, the architecture delivers performance up to 39 TOPS. They also support dual-channel DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 4, providing ample computing power with flexible TDP options and thermal solutions.

Within value-added software services, such as the Edge AI SDK that integrates the AMD Ryzen AI software, the model porting procedure is accelerated. These features make the solutions ideal for edge applications such as HMI, machine vision in industrial automation, smart management and interactive services in urban entertainment systems, and healthcare devices such as ultrasound machines.

The Beelink SER9 Pro made headlines a few months ago as one of the first mini PCs with AMD's Strix Point APUs. Powered by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU with the powerful Radeon 890M iGPU, the SER9 Pro promised impressive performance and efficiency in a commendably compact form factor. Now, the brand has unveiled a new variant of the SER9 Pro, powered by the slightly less-powerful Ryzen AI 9 365 APU. This variant will likely be more affordable than its higher-tier sibling, which currently starts from $999 in the US.

The differences between the Ryzen AI HX 370 and the Ryzen AI 365 are actually more substantial than one might think. Both the APUs sport four Zen 5 cores, while the AI 365 gets only six Zen 5c cores compared to the HX 370's eight. The AI 365 also gets a 100 MHz lower boost clock, and a notably slower Radeon 880M iGPU with fewer shaders. Beelink had equipped the HX 370 variant with a 65 watt TDP, but has not disclosed the TDP value for the AI 365 variant yet. That said, going by synthetic benchmark scores, the Ryzen AI 9 365 variant will likely be roughly 20% and 10% slower in CPU and GPU performance respectively than the Ryzen AI HX 370 variant.

The market for compact gaming handheld is expanding at an unprecedented rate, thanks to the popularity boom that handhelds have received in recent months. The GPD Win Min (2025) is one such offering, sitting alongside the rest of interesting gaming products that GPD is known for. The Win Mini is now available for pre-order on Indiegogo, with a starting price of $769 (backers only), and a retail price of $839. Of course, interested buyers are encouraged to be mindful of the risks associated with crowdfunding campaigns, although GPD has mostly had a complaint-free track record.

Unfortunately, and rather unsurprisingly, the entry-level variant does not ship with the latest AMD Strix Point chips, but rather the older Hawk Point offerings, specifically the Ryzen 7 8840U with the Radeon 780M iGPU with 12 CUs. The higher-tier variants ship with Strix Point APUs, starting at the Ryzen AI 9 HX 365 APU, going all the way up to the 12-core Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with the powerful Radeon 890M iGPU. To accommodate the new APUs, GPD has reworked the thermals, and has added room for full-sized M.2 2280 SSD drives as well. The product packs hall-effect joysticks, plug-and-play grips, and a bunch of useful ports including USB4, USB 3.2 Type-C, an SD Card slot, an audio jack, as well as a good old USB-A port. The 7-inch 1080p display ramps up to 120 Hz, and the system can be equipped with up to 64 GB of memory and 2 TB of PCIe 4.0 storage, and a 44.24 Wh battery is also present.

Thanks to the informative breakdown by Chips and Cheese, we are learning that AMD's latest Ryzen AI processors for laptops, codenamed "Strix Halo," utilize a parallel "sea of wires" interconnect system between their chiplets, replacing the SERDES (serializer/deserializer) approach found in desktop Ryzen models. The processor's physical implementation consists of two Core Complex Dies (CCDs), each manufactured on TSMC's N4 (4 nm) process and containing up to eight Zen 5 cores with full 512-bit floating point units. Notably, the I/O die (IOD) is also produced using the N4 process, marking an advancement from the N6 (6 nm) process used in standard Ryzen IODs on desktops. The key change lies in the inter-chiplet communication system. While the Ryzen 9000 series (Granite Ridge) employs SERDES to convert parallel data to serial for transmission between chiplets, Strix Halo implements direct parallel data transmission through multiple physical connections.

This design achieves 32 bytes per clock cycle throughput and eliminates the latency overhead associated with serialization/deserialization processes. The parallel interconnect architecture also removes the need for connection retraining during power state transitions, a limitation present in SERDES implementations. However, this design choice necessitates additional substrate complexity due to increased connection density and requires more pins for external connections, suggesting possible modifications to the CCD design compared to desktop variants. AMD's implementation required more complex substrate manufacturing processes to accommodate the dense parallel connections between chiplets. The decision to prioritize this more challenging design approach was driven by requirements for lower latency and power consumption in data-intensive workloads, where consistent high-bandwidth communication between chiplets is crucial.

At CES, AMD unleashed the much awaited Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" APUs with mammoth iGPUs, up to a whopping 40 CUs for the Radeon 8060S. These chips are powerful enough to not require discrete graphics at all, making them ideal for mini PCs, which lack the physical room for dedicated graphics. GMK appears to be among the first to announce a mini PC with the top-end Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU, although any further details are under wraps as of now.

Unlike the Strix Point parts, Strix Halo abandons the smaller and more efficient Zen 5c cores for a Zen 5-only setup, with up to 16 Zen 5 cores for the highest-end Ryzen AI Max+ 395 SKU. This allows for some serious performance potential, with AMD promising substantially better performance than both Intel's Lunar Lake and Apple's M4 Pro, although it would be much fairer to compare Strix Halo to Apple's M4 Max, and Intel's Arrow Lake-H/X instead. Regardless, there is no denying Strix Halo APUs open up new doors in terms of performance for compact systems, the rest remains to be seen as and when the products reach reviewers.

Minisforum, a leader in innovative compact computing solutions, is thrilled to announce its participation in CES 2025, the world's premier technology showcase. Minisforum will unveil two game-changing products: the AI X1 Mini PC and the N5 Pro NAS as part of its commitment to pushing technological boundaries.

Minisforum AI X1 Mini PC: Where AI Meets Compact Computing
The Minisforum AI X1 Mini PC sets a new benchmark in miniaturized computing, leveraging the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, the NO.1 Low Power Efficiency Chip. Designed for seamless AI integration, it utilizes cutting-edge features such as:

• Copilot AI Compatibility: Elevating productivity and optimizing workflows with intelligent AI integration.
• 60+ FPS 3 A Gaming: Powered by the AMD Radeon 890M, delivering smooth, high-quality visuals.
• Versatile Extension Support: Featuring Dual USB4 and Oculink for enhanced connectivity and expansion.

We had a chance to get close and personal with the new ZOTAC ZONE GAMING prototype at the CES 2025 show. While it is not a final product, we had a chance to see it in action as it is a working prototype and thanks to updated hardware, it should provide much higher performance compared to the ZOTAC Zone that we had a chance to review last year.

The biggest update is the 4 nm Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor. The Strix Point architecture brings 12-core/24-thread CPU (four performance and eight efficiency) based on Zen 5 architecture, 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. It also comes with Radeon 890M, a RDNA 3.5 architecture GPU with 16 Compute Units. ZOTAC also increased the amount of LPDDR5X RAM to 32 GB and raised M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD storage space to 1 TB. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has a standard TDP of 28 W, and a configurable TDP between 15 W and 54 W, so it gives ZOTAC a lot of room to work with. It also features 50 TOPS XDNA NPU.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, unveiled its next-gen AI PCs at CES 2025. GiMATE, a groundbreaking AI agent for seamless hardware and software control, takes center stage in the all-new lineup, redefining gaming, creation, and productivity in the AI era. Powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs and NVIDIA NIM microservices for advanced AI NIM and RTX AI, AMD Ryzen AI, Intel NPU AI, and enhanced by Microsoft Copilot, the AORUS MASTER, GIGABYTE AERO, and the GIGABYTE GAMING series deliver cutting-edge performance with upgraded WINDFORCE cooling in sleek, portable designs.

GiMATE, GIGABYTE's exclusive AI agent, integrates with an advanced Large Language Model (LLM) and the "Press and Speak" feature, making laptop control more natural and intuitive. From AI Power Gear II for optimal energy efficiency to AI Boost II's precision overclocking, GiMATE ensures optimal settings for every scenario. AI Cooling delivers 0dB ambiance, perfect for work environments, while AI Audio and AI Voice optimize sound for any setting. Safeguard your screen with AI Privacy, which detects prying eyes and activates protection instantly. GiMATE aims to be users' smart AI Mate, that redefines laptops in users' daily lives.

ASUS at the 2025 International CES showed off some of the first NUC desktops that meet Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC logo requirements. The new ASUS NUC 14 Pro AI measures 130 mm x 130 mm x 34 mm. It runs an Intel Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake" processor. Depending on the processor model, you get 16 GB or 32 GB of hardwired LPDDR5X memory. You also get the processor's Xe2 "Battlemage" iGPU. Its NPU provides up to 45 AI TOPS of performance, meeting Copilot+ requirements. Storage is care of an M.2-2280 slot with NVMe Gen 4 x4 wiring. I/O options include two 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports including DisplayPort passthrough, and networking that includes Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7.

ASUS won't (or probably can't use the "NUC" moniker with AMD processors), and so there's the ExpertCenter PN54 for those who want essentially the same device, but with an AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processor. This mini PC has the same exact dimensions as the NUC 14 Pro AI, and is powered by a Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" processor, with options going all the way up to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. This chip includes the XDNA 2 NPU with 50 AI TOPS on tap, which means it meets Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC logo requirements. It also features the Radeon 870M RDNA 3.5 graphics with 16 CU. The chip uses standard dual-channel DDR5-5600 using SODIMMs. Storage includes an M.2-2280 slot with Gen 4 x4 wiring. In place of Thunderbolt 4, you get a couple of USB4 ports with 40 Gbps bandwidth and DP passthrough. Comms include Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7, just like on its Intel-powered sibling.