AMD is rumored to be planning a major product showcase at CES 2025 this January. Leaks from a reputable source on the Chiphell forums suggest a wide range of upcoming consumer hardware, including new X3D desktop CPUs, handheld chips, and RDNA 4 graphics cards. Let’s delve into the potential announcements.
The exciting news originates from Chiphell forum user Zhangzhonghao, known for revealing accurate pre-release information. For laptops, AMD is reportedly preparing next-generation Kraken Point APUs, Ryzen AI Max (or Strix Halo) processors, and Fire Range CPUs.
This represents a diverse product lineup. Kraken Point is anticipated to succeed the Ryzen 8040 series, featuring up to four Zen 5 cores, four Zen 5c cores, and RDNA 3.5 graphics with up to eight compute units (CUs).
Strix Halo processors target the higher end of the laptop market. AMD may initially launch three Ryzen AI Max CPUs: the 16-core Ryzen AI Max+ 395, the 12-core Ryzen AI Max 390, and the 8-core Ryzen AI Max 385. All three are expected to include integrated RDNA 3.5 graphics. Fire Range, the successor to Dragon Range, will effectively be the laptop equivalent of Zen 5 desktop CPUs, designed for high-performance gaming laptops. Zhangzhonghao also suggests AMD will unveil X3D CPUs for laptops at CES 2025.
A forum post describing upcoming AMD releases.
Gaming handheld enthusiasts can anticipate new chips, including the Ryzen Z2, Ryzen Z2 Extreme, and Ryzen Z2G. Given the success of the Ryzen Z1 Extreme in handheld PCs, the improvements offered by the next generation will be highly anticipated.
In the graphics card arena, AMD is rumored to be launching RDNA 4 GPUs at CES 2025. Speculation suggests AMD will focus on the mainstream GPU market with this generation, potentially leaving the high-end segment to Nvidia. This could mean a flagship RX 8800 XT might be on the horizon.
Finally, the leak corroborates existing rumors about new Zen 5 X3D CPUs. While AMD has confirmed a new Ryzen 9000X3D CPU reveal on November 7th, the specific model remains undisclosed. Most sources point to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D potentially following at CES 2025.
2024 has been a relatively underwhelming year for PC hardware. New desktop CPUs from both Intel and AMD offered minimal generational improvements. GPU enthusiasts faced even greater disappointment with the absence of anticipated new lineups. However, CES 2025 promises a resurgence, with AMD’s potential product avalanche and the rumored unveiling of Nvidia’s RTX 50-series.
