AMD has unveiled its next-generation Ryzen 8000 series processors designed specifically for gaming laptops, with the flagship model being the Ryzen 9 8945HX. These new chips, however, are built on the previous Zen 4 architecture, unlike the Ryzen AI 300 series that were introduced earlier this year.
The lineup includes four new processors tailored for high-performance gaming laptops. The Ryzen 9 8945HX boasts 16 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock reaching up to 5.4GHz. At the other end, the Ryzen 7 8745HX comes with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a 5.1GHz boost clock. These new processors closely resemble their last-generation counterparts, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX, which also features 16 cores, a 5.4GHz boost clock, and 80MB of cache.
Despite using the last-generation architecture, these processors are poised to pair with the most powerful graphics chips available in high-end gaming laptops. My earlier review of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile highlighted its struggle when paired with the lower-power AMD Ryzen AI HX 370, which is based on the newer Zen 5 architecture. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 8945HX can be configured to run at a TDP ranging from 55W to 75W, promising a significant performance boost, although a Zen 5 chip with the same power budget would have offered even more.
If you've been holding off on purchasing a gaming laptop in anticipation of AMD's latest processors, you'll be pleased to know that these new chips will be integrated into high-end gaming laptops in the coming months. Below, I've detailed the specifications of the new Ryzen 8000 series processors.
AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX Specs
CPU Cores: 16
Threads: 32
Boost Clock: 5.4GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 55W – 75W
Total Cache: 80MB
AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX Specs
CPU Cores: 16
Threads: 32
Boost Clock: 5.3GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 55W – 75W
Total Cache: 80MB
AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX Specs
CPU Cores: 12
Threads: 24
Boost Clock: 5.1GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 45W – 75W
Total Cache: 76MB
AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX Specs
CPU Cores: 8
Threads: 16
Boost Clock: 5.1GHz
Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon 610M
GPU Cores: 2
Configurable TDP: 45W – 75W
Total Cache: 40MB
