The Ryzen AI Max series was not made specifically for gaming; it was a platform designed for power users and professionals who need a super-fast computing chip in an ultra-compact mobile form factor. It was also designed to run large language models, especially the 128GB LPDDR5x models, and allegedly has the performance chops to outperform an RTX 4090 by over 2x in tokens per second.
But, all of that high-performance hardware, by nature, turns the APU into a very good gaming processor (albeit an overkill gaming platform in some regards). We've already seen impressive benchmark numbers from the 395+'s integrated 8060S iGPU, with performance equivalent to an RTX 4060 in other devices. The 8060S' performance is a testament to its impressive specs, featuring 40 CUs and 2,560 shader cores – more CUs than a vanilla PlayStation 5 , and 16 Zen 5 CPU cores paired to a huge (for a mobile APU) 256-bit interface with fast LPDDR5X memory. RandomGaminginHD's benchmarks further solidify the 8060S's impressive performance as an integrated graphics solution.
It is no wonder handheld gaming manufacturers are implementing this APU as a flagship gaming option, including GPD and its Win 5 .
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Aaron Klotz Social Links Navigation Contributing Writer Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.
BingyMike1982 It is important to remember this is an APU. There is no GPU. Just CUs on the CPU die and shared system ram. This performance is amazing and AMD is on to something here. But just wait. If the rumors are true about the refresh and Medusa Point Zen 6 variant, There will be a new halo chip released with 3DV Cache. Why would that matter so much? Memory bandwidth to the igpu cores. The 3DV cache will act as a buffer between the IGPU and the system ram, reducing latency to near instantaneous. This could in theory make frame buffer performance faster than GDDR memory. Ultra low latency cache will obliterate the 1% lows and push the sustained FPS to new heights. This is exciting tech and this is just the first iteration of it. Given the cost of GPUs thanks to the Ai scam bubble, This is what gamers need. Imagine potentially native 4k 60fps gaming in a hand held or small form factor PC. That is the inevitable end game of where this is going. Exciting times ahead for AMD and their Halo APUs. Reply
heffeque Can confirm. Very happy Framework Desktop 128 GB owner. I got the Noctua version, I 3D printed Noctua's modded panel at a shop for next to no price (HERE), so now I have a dead silent mini-PC that performs like a decent gaming PC while sipping barely any power. Couldn't be happier! Reply
heffeque BingyMike1982 said: It is important to remember this is an APU. There is no GPU. Just CUs on the CPU die and shared system ram. This performance is amazing and AMD is on to something here. But just wait. If the rumors are true about the refresh and Medusa Point Zen 6 variant, There will be a new halo chip released with 3DV Cache. Why would that matter so much? Memory bandwidth to the igpu cores. The 3DV cache will act as a buffer between the IGPU and the system ram, reducing latency to near instantaneous. This could in theory make frame buffer performance faster than GDDR memory. Ultra low latency cache will obliterate the 1% lows and push the sustained FPS to new heights. This is exciting tech and this is just the first iteration of it. Given the cost of GPUs thanks to the Ai scam bubble, This is what gamers need. Imagine potentially native 4k 60fps gaming in a hand held or small form factor PC. That is the inevitable end game of where this is going. Exciting times ahead for AMD and their Halo APUs. You are thinking of Medusa Halo. It won't be out until 2027 (more likely 2028). Strix Point -> Medusa Point Strix Halo -> Medusa Halo Reply
BingyMike1982 heffeque said: You are thinking of Medusa Halo. It won't be out until 2027 (more likely 2028). Yes I clearly said the medusa Point variant. Just as Strix halo is a strix point zen 5 halo variant, Medusa Halo will be a Medusa point zen 6 variant. And indeed it's going to be awesome. Ut rumor on the streets there is a strix halo refresh coming with 3DV cache. But not confirmed. Reply
helper800 BingyMike1982 said: It is important to remember this is an APU. There is no GPU. Just CUs on the CPU die and shared system ram. If the PC did not have a GPU, it would not be able to output video. There is a GPU within the CPU called an iGPU. To my understanding, APU is only a marketing term that AMD uses to signify a CPU with an iGPU that is more powerful than just a video output. Reply
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/strix-halo-radeon-8060s-benchmarked-in-games-delivers-butter-smooth-1080p-performance-ryzen-ai-max-395-apu-is-a-pretty-solid-gaming-offering#main
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