AMD Unveils Ryzen AI Max+ Chips and Ryzen 7 9850X3D at CES 2026

Exciting Developments for Desktop Fans and Gamers

Though the introduction of AMD's Ryzen AI 400 chips with desktop support is noteworthy, ardent gamers and tech enthusiasts are likely to pay more attention to AMD's latest Ryzen AI Max+ series, including the Ryzen 7 9850X3D. These advancements cater to small system setups and robust laptops, while the 9850X3D serves gamers seeking enhanced performance from 3D V-Cache technology at a lower price point than the premium 9950X3D.

Inspiration from Apple and Community Feedback

Last year, AMD made waves by creating the Ryzen AI Max line, combining strong CPU and GPU cores, alongside NPUs and integrated memory on a single chip—an approach similar to Apple's custom silicon. AMD's Vice President, Joe Macri, highlighted that Apple's innovations influenced the Ryzen AI Max portfolio's viability. Many in the PC realm insisted on discrete graphics for quality assurance, but Apple's demonstration taught consumers to prioritize overall device aesthetics and functionality over specific internal components.

CES 2026 Announcements: Ryzen AI Max+ Advances

This year at CES, AMD introduced the 12-core Ryzen AI Max+ 392 and the 8-core Ryzen AI Max+ 388 models. These chips boast impressive specifications, including up to 5GHz boost speeds, 50 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for NPUs, and GPUs reaching 60 teraflops (TFLOPs). This level of performance parallels previous Ryzen AI Max chip solutions like those in the Framework Desktop and ROG Flow Z13. These systems performed so well in compact device formats that the absence of dedicated graphics went unnoticed.

Ryzen 7 9850X3D: A New Contender

Regarding the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, this 8-core processor can achieve boost speeds up to 5.6GHz and holds 104MB of combined L2 and L3 cache due to AMD's 3D V-Cache stacking approach. This is a notable leap from the standard 9850HX's 76MB cache.

AMD has confirmed a first-quarter release for both the Ryzen AI Max+ chips and the 9850X3D, though pricing details for the latter remain sparse. Preliminary leaks estimate a cost of approximately $200. There's also chatter about an even more powerful dual-cache 9950X3D2 with 192MB potentially on the horizon.