AMD Ryzen AI 400 Unveiled: Can These Chips Keep AMD in the Lead?

In 2024, skepticism surrounded AMD's Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" laptop processors, yet these chips have become popular in many top-tier laptops thanks to a balance of cost, power, and longevity.

Today at CES, AMD introduced the Ryzen AI 400 line, though there isn't much that appears particularly groundbreaking about the new "Gorgon Point" series.

They retain the Zen 5 and Zen 5c CPU cores seen in the prior models, equipped with RDNA 3.5 graphics, and maintain the same core and thread count — for illustration, a "475" mirrors a "375" with 12 cores, 24 threads, and 16 graphics compute units.

Refinements Over the Predecessor

The most noticeable updates are a slight enhancement in CPU and GPU speeds, expanded memory bandwidth, and an accelerated NPU for artificial intelligence functions in the top models. The HX 475 now delivers 60 TOPS compared to the HX 470's 55.

Although AMD's explanation of performance gains was evasive, a direct comparison was made to Intel's Lunar Lake series. Rahul Tikoo, head of AMD's client CPU division, said the new AI 400 is marginally quicker than the AI 300 due to refinements in production, firmware, software, and frequency improvements.

The Competition Ahead

Given the success of AMD’s AI 300 chips, even small performance increments might suffice. As laptops featuring these chips are expected to ship this first quarter of 2026 from major manufacturers like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, the market will see intensified rivalry with other major chip players.

Pricing and Market Position

AMD has hinted at competitive pricing, generally starting from around $499, with higher-end Ryzen AI Max models priced between $1,000 and $1,500. The focus remains on providing robust integrated graphics solutions that are cost-effective.