Microsoft has announced its new Azure HBv5 virtual machines, featuring unique custom hardware made by AMD. CEO Satya Nadella made the announcement during Microsoft Ignite, introducing a custom-designed AMD processor solution that achieves remarkable performance metrics. The new HBv5 virtual machines deliver an extraordinary 6.9 TB/s of memory bandwidth, utilizing four specialized AMD processors equipped with HBM3 technology. This represents an eightfold improvement over existing cloud alternatives and a staggering 20-fold increase compared to previous Azure HBv3 configurations. Each HBv5 virtual machine boasts impressive specifications, including up to 352 AMD EPYC "Zen4" CPU cores capable of reaching 4 GHz peak frequencies. The system provides users with 400-450 GB of HBM3 RAM and features doubled Infinity Fabric bandwidth compared to any previous AMD EPYC server platform. Given that each VM had four CPUs, this yields 88 Zen 4 cores per CPU socket, with 9 GB of memory per core.

The architecture includes 800 Gb/s of NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand connectivity and 14 TB of local NVMe SSD storage. The development marks a strategic shift in addressing memory performance limitations, which Microsoft identifies as a critical bottleneck in HPC applications. This custom design particularly benefits sectors requiring intensive computational resources, including automotive design, aerospace simulation, weather modeling, and energy research. While the CPU appears custom-designed for Microsoft's needs, it bears similarities to previously rumored AMD processors, suggesting a possible connection to the speculated MI300C chip architecture. The system's design choices, including disabled SMT and single-tenant configuration, clearly focus on optimizing performance for specific HPC workloads. If readers can recall, Intel also made customized Xeons for AWS and their needs, which is normal in the hyperscaler space, given they drive most of the revenue.

AYANEO has officially revealed its latest handheld gaming console, dubbed the AYANEO 3. The company has teased the handheld multiple times in the past, while refraining from sharing any specifications regarding the same. Now, however, the company has detailed the internals for its new flagship handheld along with a few extra details.

The AYANEO 3 appears to be powered exclusively by AMD APUs, with Intel's Lunar Lake options nowhere to be found. Interested buyers will get to choose between either the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU, or the Ryzen 7 8840U "Hawk Point" APU. The "Strix Point" option happens to be AMD's latest and greatest, packing 4 Zen 5 and 8 Zen 5c cores, while the "Hawk Point" option sports 8 Zen 4 cores only.

We are days away from the official November 7 launch of AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU with 3D V-Cache, and we are already seeing some estimates of the speedup compared to the last-generation Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU. According to a Geekbench submission discovered by Everest (Olrak29_) on X, the upcoming AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been spotted running at a clock speed of 5.46 GHz. This is a 260 MHz increase from the official boost frequency of 5.2 GHz, which indicates overclocking has been applied. If readers recall, the last generations of X3D processors had overclocking disabled, and this time, things are looking different thanks to the compute die being placed on top of SRAM. AMD attributes this to CCD being closer to the heat spreader instead of memory and allowing it to spread heat more effectively, ensuring a stable overclock.

Regarding performance, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D outperforms its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, by an impressive 27.4% in the single-core Geekbench v6 test and 26.8% in the multicore test. The last generation CPU scored 2,726 points in single-core and 15,157 points in multicore tests, while the new Zen 5 design has managed to produce 3,473 points in single-core and 19,216 in multicore tests. These results are approximately 27% improvement over the Zen 4, suggesting that the Zen 5 architecture benefits greatly from better SRAM bandwidth and capacity. While these results only come from synthetic benchmarks, they give us a picture of what to expect from this CPU. We have to wait for more real-world test cases to fully conclude the improvement factor.

High-resolution die-shots of the AMD "Zen 5" 8-core CCD were released and annotated by Nemez, Fitzchens Fitz, and HighYieldYT. These provide a detailed view of how the silicon and its various components appear, particularly the new "Zen 5" CPU core with its 512-bit FPU. The "Granite Ridge" package looks similar to "Raphael," with up to two 8-core CPU complex dies (CCDs) depending on the processor model, and a centrally located client I/O die (cIOD). This cIOD is carried over from "Raphael," which minimizes product development costs for AMD at least for the uncore portion of the processor. The "Zen 5" CCD is built on the TSMC N4P (4 nm) foundry node.

The "Granite Ridge" package sees the up to two "Zen 5" CCDs snuck up closer to each other than the "Zen 4" CCDs on "Raphael." In the picture above, you can see the pad of the absent CCD behind the solder mask of the fiberglass substrate, close to the present CCD. The CCD contains 8 full-sized "Zen 5" CPU cores, each with 1 MB of L2 cache, and a centrally located 32 MB L3 cache that's shared among all eight cores. The only other components are an SMU (system management unit), and the Infinity Fabric over Package (IFoP) PHYs, which connect the CCD to the cIOD.

According to new latest testing, the latest AGESA (AMD Generic Encapsulated Software Architecture) update, version 1.2.0.2, promises a significant boost in performance for AMD Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5" processors. This update is targeting one of the most crucial aspects of multi-core processing: inter-core latency. The AGESA 1.2.0.2 update addresses challenges initially reported in AMD's Zen 5 architecture, particularly in scenarios demanding rapid communication between multiple cores. Early reports suggest a remarkable reduction in inter-core latency by up to 58%. According to Overclock.net testing, older AGESA 1.2.0.1A showed the cross-CCD latency at around 180 ns. However, with the new AGESA 1.2.0.2 BIOS, the latency is seemingly around 75 ns.

Interestingly, the update has arrived on the ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E motherboard, with BIOS version 2401. BIOS updates with the latest AGESA 1.2.0.2 are still rolling out, so it will be interesting to see further testing and possible improvements. It could be that the cross-CCD latency has just been reported badly, so final testing will conclude the latency increase from Zen 4 to Zen 5 debate.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D Socket AM5 desktop processor isn't a MicroCenter USA-exclusive anymore, with the chip now being available across the pond in Germany. Major German retailer Mindfactory.de has the processor listed at €329 (including taxes). This puts its pricing €60 less than that of the popular Ryzen 7 7800X3D (going for €390 on the site). Unlike the MicroCenter deal, the Mindfactory listing is standalone—you get the processor in a retail PIB package, and not part of a bundle. To sweeten things, you also get an AMD-branded T-shirt.

The 6-core/12-thead processor is based on the older "Zen 4" microarchitecture, but supercharged with 3D V-cache technology, which gives it 96 MB of last-level cache that is known to have a significant impact on gaming performance. The 7600X3D comes with a 4.10 GHz base frequency, and 4.70 GHz maximum turbo frequency. The retail PIB box resembles that of the 7800X3D, but with the Ryzen 5 brand extension. There's no cooling solution included in the box, but the cooling requirements of this processor aren't steep, with its TDP being rated at just 65 W.

We've known for the past couple of weeks that AMD is working on the Ryzen 5 7600X3D—a 6-core/12-thread processor based on the older "Zen 4" microarchitecture, but featuring 3D V-cache that enables significant gaming performance uplifts. The company finally launched the chip, but here's the bummer—it's only available in the US, and is a MicroCenter exclusive, where's it's going for $299.99. Here's the second bummer—you can't buy the processor on its own, but in a 3-part bundle that includes it, an ASUS TUF Gaming B650-Plus Wi-Fi motherboard, and an unspecified brand of 32 GB (2x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 memory kit. When you add up the prices of the three parts when purchased separately, you arrive at $630, but MicroCenter is selling the bundle for an impressive $450—a $180 discount.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D comes with a maximum boost frequency of 4.70 GHz, which is a steep 600 MHz fall from that of the regular Ryzen 5 7600X, and 400 MHz less than that of the 65 W Ryzen 5 7600 (non-X). Much like the 7600, the 7600X3D comes with a 65 W TDP. Where it loses on clock speeds, it makes up for with its large cache—1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 96 MB of L3 cache (or 102 MB of L2+L3 "total cache."). The bundle could offer good value for those building PCs from scratch, or coming in from the older Socket AM4 platform. The TUF Gaming B650-Plus Wi-Fi is a fairly feature-packed mid-range ATX motherboard.

AMD announced that its Ryzen processor branch prediction optimization that provide gaming performance uplifts, is now available for Windows 11 23H2, through an optional update. This update applies to AMD Ryzen processors based on the "Zen 3," "Zen 4," and "Zen 5" microarchitectures, and essentially yields the kind of performance you get in the real Administrator account, on regular Windows accounts, especially non-local (online) accounts. Users should look for "Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5041587)" in Windows Update, which should begin showing up as an optional update. This update requires a system restart to apply.

With this update in place, gaming performance uplifts between Windows 11 23H2 and 24H2 should be identical. "We wanted to let you know that the branch prediction optimization found in Windows 11 24H2 has now been backported to Windows 11 23H2. Users will need to look for KB5041587 under Windows update > Advanced options > Optional updates. We expect the performance uplift to be very similar between 24H2 and 23H2 with KB5041587 installed," AMD said in a statement to Wccftech.

AMD's Ryzen processors have received a significant performance upgrade, thanks to the recent Windows 11 24H2 update. This development addresses initial disappointments with the Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5" series performance, particularly in gaming applications. The update, which improves branch prediction capabilities, has resulted in substantial gains for both the Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5" and Ryzen 7000 "Zen 4" CPU lineups. According to tests by Hardware Unboxed, Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5" CPUs have shown double-digit performance increases across multiple game titles, a boost typically seen only between generational upgrades.

Interestingly, contrary to AMD's initial claims, the performance gains are not limited to the Zen 5 architecture. The Ryzen 7000 "Zen 4" processors have also benefited from the update, with minimal performance differences observed between comparable Zen 5 and Zen 4 models after the update. This development marks a crucial turning point for AMD, addressing earlier criticisms and narrowing the gap between reported and expected performance figures. As users install the Windows 11 24H2 update, they can expect enhanced gaming experiences across a wide range of titles, highlighting the complex interplay between hardware capabilities and software optimization in modern computing. Below are the results from Hardware Unboxed benchmarks.

AMD Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" desktop processors have been out for a couple of weeks now, and the "Zen 5" based processors have fallen short of gaming performance expectations, set mainly by some of the numbers AMD put out in its Computex 2024 reveal for the processors. The consensus among the tech press is that these processors are roughly 3-5% faster than Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael," but with noteworthy improvements in energy efficiency. AMD set out to study why there are such vast deltas in performance between its numbers and those of reviews, and arrived a few possible explanations. The company also stated that it is working with Microsoft to fix this in the next major update to Windows 11.

One of them is that AMD's testing was done on Windows 11 23H2 with Admin mode (i.e. a local system administrator account was used), while some reviewers tested with a regular user account that has some admin privileges. Apparently this affects the way the branch prediction units of "Zen 5" processors work. "Our automated test methodology was run in "Admin" mode which produced results that reflect branch prediction code optimizations not present in the version of Windows reviewers used to test Ryzen 9000 Series," AMD said in a statement.

AMD is reportedly giving finishing touches to the Ryzen 5 7600X3D 6-core/12-thread processor featuring 3D V-cache. The company plans to launch this chip in early September 2024. The timing of this launch is particularly interesting, given that the company just got its Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" desktop processors powered by the latest "Zen 5" microarchitecture into the shelves. The 7600X3D is probably designed to be the company's fastest gaming processor in the Ryzen 5 series, the Ryzen 5 9600X is already 5.2% faster in games than the Intel Core i5-14600K, however, the 14600K makes up for this with 7.8% better multithreaded application performance. The 7600X3D with its 3D V-cache could offer a sufficiently higher gaming performance than the i5-14600K to woo the sub-$300 crowd to the AMD camp.

Why "Zen 4" now? AMD is definitely developing a Ryzen 9000X3D series powered by "Zen 5," but those processors probably won't arrive until the very end of 2024 or Q1-2025. It's easier for the company to come up with the 7600X3D by simply disabling two cores from the 8-core "Zen 4" 3D V-cache CCD used in the popular 7800X3D. Not much else is known about the 7600X3D other than its existence, its likely core-count of 6-core/12-thread, and of course its cache sizes of 1 MB per core L2, with 96 MB of L3 cache (32 MB on-die + 64 MB 3D V-cache).

ZOTAC GAMING proudly announces the much-anticipated premium gaming handheld, the ZOTAC GAMING ZONE, is ready to begin accepting preorders in select regions and e-tailer platforms. The ZONE, which emphasizes premium hardware and elite controls, was announced COMPUTEX 2024 with great anticipation. Visitors arriving at GAMESCOM 2024, one of the largest video game trade fairs held annually in Cologne, Germany, will be the first to experience the thrills of gaming on the ZONE. The ZOTAC GAMING ZONE is the first handheld gaming PC on the market to incorporate premium hardware and elite control features that players will not find on other handheld PCs, offering gamers more immersion and advantages in PC games like non-other.

The ZOTAC GAMING ZONE is powered by AMD's Ryzen 7 8840U, an efficient powerhouse with bleeding edge Zen 4 architecture and RDNA 3 graphics that enables even AAA gaming at native 1080p resolution. Along with the 16 GB of LPDDR5X-7500 Memory on board, the ZONE makes the full spectrum of experiences that PC gaming can offer through stunning visuals and performance, and take advantage of AMD's driver-level Fluid Motion Frames (FMF) and FidelityFX Super Resolution technology to enhance gameplay performance and immersion further. Also featured are a full-sized 2280 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD and a UHS-II microSD card reader to cover every gamer's storage needs.

MINISFORUM is proud to announce the MS-A1, the world's smallest and most expandable AM5 platform Mini PC. Equipped with the latest AMD AM5 platform, the MS-A1 offers a replaceable CPU, ensuring a longer motherboard lifecycle and sustainable upgrades for future generations of CPUs. Integrated with the AMD Radeon 780M graphics card, the MS-A1 includes 12 GPU cores and a GPU frequency of up to 2900 MHz, effortlessly handling both graphical and gaming demands. Additionally, it incorporates a dedicated NPU unit with up to 16 TOPS of processing power, making it the first desktop processor to include a specialized AI neural processing unit (NPU).

At its highest configuration, the MS-A1 features the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G desktop processor, built on the Zen 4 architecture. This powerhouse boasts 8 cores and 16 threads, a maximum boost clock of 5.10 GHz, and a 65 W TDP, delivering unparalleled performance. The MS-A1 supports dual-channel DDR5 5200 MHz high-speed memory, with a capacity of up to 96 GB, enabling users to achieve fast and efficient multitasking. It also features four M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD slots, offering transfer speeds of up to 7000 MB/s. These extensive expansion slots allow for a maximum system capacity of up to 27 TB, catering to the vast storage needs of creative and multimedia professionals.

Prices of AMD's current generation flagship desktop processor, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, dropped earlier this week, to a record low $464.99 on Amazon and Newegg. The 16-core/32-thread Socket AM5 processor features 3D V-cache technology, and roughly matches the gaming performance of Intel Core i9-14900K, in our testing. It also offers a much stronger productivity and content creation performance than the Ryzen 7 7800X3D owing to its 16-core compute muscle. The $465 new price is exactly two-thirds the processor's launch price of $700. The chip was designed to topple the Core i9-13900K "Raptor Lake." The price cuts are triggered by the impending launch of the Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" processors based on the newer "Zen 5" microarchitecture.

AMD is about give the new "Zen 5" microarchitecture a near-simultaneous launch across both its client segments—desktop and mobile. The desktop front is held by the Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" Socket AM5 processors; while Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" powers the company's crucial effort to capture Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC market share. We recently did a technical deep-dive on the two. HardwareLuxx.de scored two important bits of specs for both processors in its Q&A interaction with AMD—die sizes and transistor counts.

To begin with, "Strix Point" is a monolithic silicon, which is confirmed to be built on the TSMC N4P foundry node (4 nm). This is a slight upgrade over the N4 node that the company built its previous generation "Phoenix" and "Hawk Point" processors on. The "Strix Point" silicon measures 232.5 mm² in area, which is significantly larger than the 178 mm² of "Hawk Point" and "Phoenix." The added die area comes from there being 12 CPU cores instead of 8, and 16 iGPU compute units instead of 12; and a larger NPU. There are many other factors, such as the larger 24 MB CPU L3 cache; and the sizes of the "Zen 5" and "Zen 5c" cores themselves.

According to a recent leak from Golden Pig on Weibo, AMD is gearing up to introduce the Ryzen 7 8745HS, a modified version of the existing Ryzen 7 8845HS APU. The key difference in this new chip lies in its neural processing capabilities. While the 8845HS boasts AMD's XDNA-based NPU (Neural Processing Unit), the upcoming 8745HS is rumored to have this feature disabled. Specifications for the 8745HS are expected to closely mirror its predecessor, featuring eight Zen 4 cores, 16 threads, and a configurable TDP range of 35-54 W. The chip will likely retain the Radeon 780M integrated GPU with 12 Compute Units. However, it is possible that AMD might introduce slight clock speed reductions to differentiate the new model further.

It is also worth pointing out that Hawk Point generation is not Copilot+ certified due to first-generation XDNA NPU being only 16 TOPS out of 40 TOPS required, so having an NPU doesn't help AMD advertise these processors as Copilot+ ready. The success of this new variant will largely depend on its pricing and adoption by laptop/mobile OEMs. Without the NPU, the 8745HS could offer a more budget-friendly option for users who don't require extensive local AI processing capabilities. After all, AI workloads remain a niche segment in consumer computing, and many users may find the 8745HS an attractive alternative if pricing is reduced, especially given the availability of cloud-based AI tools.

AMD Ryzen 8000G desktop APUs combine "Zen 4" CPU cores with a powerful iGPU based on the RDNA 3 architecture, and are the first desktop processors to pack an NPU with 16 TOPS of performance on tap. These Socket AM5 processors based on the "Hawk Point" silicon have been on a downward price trend. Last month, the top Ryzen 7 8700G asked for $299 compared to its $329 launch price; and the 6-core Ryzen 5 8600G went for $199, down from its $229 launch price. This month, the downward pricing trend continues.

According to the latest prices charted on B&H Photo, the Ryzen 7 8700G is now just $269, a $60 cut from its launch price; while the Ryzen 5 8600G faces its biggest ever cut, sending it all the way down to $152, a $77 or a 33% reduction from its launch price. At this price, the 8600G is a formidable processor, with a 6-core/12-thread CPU based on the "Zen 4" architecture (all 6 of which are full-sized "Zen 4" cores); a 16 TOPS NPU, and a Radeon 760M iGPU with 8 compute units (512 stream processors). The Ryzen 5 8500G based on the "Phoenix 2" silicon, with a combination of 2 "Zen 4" and 4 "Zen 4c" cores, is now priced at $139, a $40 cut from its original.

Prices of AMD Ryzen 8000G "Hawk Point" desktop APUs in the Socket AM5 package saw reductions over the week. The Ryzen 7 8700G, the fully unlocked part, is now available for $299, a $30 cut from its launch price of $329. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5 8600G has now slipped under the $200-mark, with a $199 price-tag. The chip had originally launched at $229. Both these chips feature a 16 TOPS NPU, and are the first desktop processors that are capable of on-chip AI acceleration. Both processors are based on the 4 nm "Hawk Point" monolithic silicon, and feature "Zen 4" CPU cores. The 8700G packs an 8-core/16-thread CPU with an RDNA 3 iGPU that has 12 compute units (CU); while the 8600G is 6-core/12-thread, with an iGPU that has 8 CU.

Things get interesting with the Ryzen 5 8500G, which is now down to $159 from its launch price of $179. This new price makes the processor competitive with the 13th Gen Core i3 and the lower end of the Core i5 lineup. Unlike the other two 8000G series chips, the 8500G lacks an NPU, and is based on the 4 nm "Phoenix 2" silicon that has two "Zen 4" and four "Zen 4c" CPU cores for a 6-core/12-thread CPU configuration. Both kinds of cores share a 16 MB L3 cache. It has a heavily cut-down RDNA 3 iGPU with just 4 CU. The Ryzen 8000G desktop APU series only features PCIe Gen 4 (no Gen 5), which may not mean much for today's discrete GPUs, but limit your SSD upgrade path to Gen 4 (Gen 5 SSDs will be limited to 7 GB/s).

Prices of AMD's flagship desktop processor, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, dropped to under $500 for the first time, with Amazon listing it at $492. This 16-core/32-thread processor features 3D V-cache on one of its two 8-core CCDs, which gives it the gaming performance boost that the technology provides, while leaving its second CCD to sustain higher boost clocks, benefiting multithreaded productivity workloads. Is the 7950X3D a good buy at $492? In a recent interview with Tom's Hardware, AMD confided that the first wave of Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5" desktop processors, codenamed "Granite Ridge," don't quite beat the gaming performance of the company's 7000X3D processors, but are significantly faster at productivity workloads, which makes the 7950X3D a tempting buy at $492. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the fastest desktop processor for gaming, is priced at $339.

Acer today announced a new range of AI-enhanced TravelMate business laptops. Powered with the latest generation of processors with built-in NPUs, the new laptops offer professionals and executives next-level performance, productivity, and mobility, in addition to enhanced security and connectivity features.

Optimized to deliver new AI-powered capabilities and user experiences, all of the new business laptops come with Acer TravelMateSense for quick access to device management settings and customizations, a new Acer Experience Zone for the collection of the devices' AI features, and Copilot accessible through a dedicated hotkey. Each model also offers advanced security and administration features to streamline device deployment and management for business, ensuring data are safeguarded with discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, biometric security, and a camera privacy shutter.

ASRock Rack Inc., a leading innovative server company, announces its support for the new AMD EPYC 4004 Series CPUs. The latest BIOS updates for all ASRock Rack AM5 socket products are now available online, ensuring that ASRock Rack motherboards for AMD EPYC 4004 CPUs are ready to support the new processors.

The AMD EPYC 4004 Processors utilize the AM5 socket and feature from 4 to 16 SMT-capable (Simultaneous Multithreading), energy-efficient "Zen 4" processor cores, enabling needed performance in cost-efficient system designs. ASRock Rack launched a complete range of boards and systems based on AM5 socket and pioneered equipping the servers with IPMI since 2022. Now, with the launch of AMD EPYC 4004 Processors, ASRock Rack releases the new BIOS for these servers to leverage AMD official server-grade features such as the support of Windows Server 2022; RHEL 8 and 9; Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04.

AMD today introduced the EPYC 4004 line of server processors in the Socket AM5 package. These chips come with up to 16 "Zen 4" CPU cores, a 2-channel DDR5 memory interface, and a 28-lane PCIe Gen 5 I/O, and are meant to power small-business servers, as well as cater to the dedicated web-server hosting business that generally attracts client-segment processors. This is the exact segment of market that Intel addresses with its Xeon E-2400 series processors in the LGA1700 package. The EPYC 4004 series offers a superior support and warranty regime compared to client-segment processors, besides ECC memory support, and AMD Secure Processor, and all of the security features you get with Ryzen PRO 7000 series processors for commercial desktops.

AMD's offer over the Xeon E-2400 series is its CPU core count of up to 16, which lets you fully utilize the 16-core limit of the Windows 2022 Server base license. The EPYC 4004 series is functionally the same processor as the Ryzen 7000 "Raphael" except for its ECC memory support. This chip features up to two 5 nm "Zen 4" CCDs with up to 8 cores, each; and an I/O die that puts out two DDR5 memory channels, and 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Besides today's processor launch, several server motherboard vendors are announcing Socket AM5 server boards that are rackmount-friendly, and with server-relevant features.

AMD formally launched the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F Socket AM5 desktop processors. These are variants based on the Ryzen 8000-series desktop APUs, but with their integrated graphics disabled. The 8700F may lack integrated graphics, but includes the Ryzen AI NPU, with up to 16 AI TOPS performance. The 8400F lacks an NPU. Much like the 8700G, the 8700F packs an 8-core/16-thread CPU based on the current "Zen 4" architecture, but with a 100 MHz lower maximum boost frequency of 5.00 GHz. The TDP is the same, at 65 W, and the retail package includes a Wraith Stealth cooler.

The Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core/12-thread processor, but much like the 8500G, it is based on the "Phoenix 2" silicon, which has two "Zen 4" cores that can achieve the maximum 4.70 GHz boost frequency for this chip, and four "Zen 4c" that boost lower. Both kinds of cores feature an identical IPC and ISA, and so AMD Chipset Software uses UEFI CPPC preferred cores software flags to prioritize workload to the "Zen 4" cores. AMD in its launch presentation claims that the 8700F should offer competitive gaming and productivity performance to an Intel Core i5-14400F, and that the 8400F should offer gaming performance in the league of an i5-13400F. The company is pricing the 8700F at $269, or $60 cheaper than the 8700G; while the 8400F is priced at $169, or $10 less than the 8500G.

AMD is indeed bringing the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F desktop processors to the retail PIB channel. Both these processors are based on the 4 nm "Hawk Point" or "Phoenix 2" silicon, but with their iGPU disabled, hence the "F" in the model name. Company slides related to the two were leaked to the web. The processors feature CPU cores based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, and are built in the Socket AM5 package.

The Ryzen 7 8700F features the 8-core/16-thread "Zen 4" CPU that the 8700G, but with lower CPU clock speeds of up to 5.00 GHz boost (compared to up to 5.10 GHz for the 8700G). Although its iGPU is disabled, its NPU isn't. The Ryzen AI NPU offers 16 AI TOPS performance. The processor retains the 65 W TDP of the 8700G. Moving on to the 8400G, and here we see the processor being based on the "Phoenix 2" silicon, with 6 CPU cores. Two of these are "Zen 4," and can reach the processor's 4.70 GHz maximum boost frequency; while the other four are "Zen 4c," and operate at lower clock speeds. The chip physically lacks an NPU, and its iGPU is disabled. It still has 65 W TDP to feed its CPU cores. In their retail packages, both processors include a Wraith Stealth cooling solution that's meant for 65 W TDP processors.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D, the 12-core/24-thread Socket AM5 processor with 3D V-cache, is selling at a new low price of just $329. A retailer-specific discount by AntOnline puts the processor at a price lower than the launch price of the Ryzen 7 7700X, and Core i5-14600K. While we haven't had a chance to test this chip, testing by Tom's Hardware puts its gaming performance higher than the Core i9-13900K, with a multithreaded productivity performance in a similar range. The 7900X3D probably suffers from bad sales due to the popularity of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which remains the fastest gaming processor, and the 7950X3D, which is AMD's flagship processor.

That's not all, prices of even some of the recently launched processors for the older Socket AM4 platform are on a slope, which could attract sales from those that want to upgrade. The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is a slightly slower version of the 5800X3D—the fastest gaming processor for AM4, with a gaming performance rivaling the Core i9-12900K. This new chip can be had at just $229 on Amazon US. The Ryzen 7 5800X was once a solid gaming processor when AMD dominated Intel's 10th- and 11th Gen, it's now going for just $179.