AMD has unveiled its next-generation Ryzen 8000 series processors tailored for gaming laptops, headlined by the powerful Ryzen 9 8945HX. While these new chips are based on the previous Zen 4 architecture, rather than the newer Zen 5 architecture seen in the Ryzen AI 300 series, they promise to deliver exceptional performance for high-end gaming.

The lineup includes four new processors, starting with the flagship Ryzen 9 8945HX, which boasts 16 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock reaching up to 5.4GHz. At the other end of the spectrum, the Ryzen 7 8745HX offers 8 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 5.1GHz. These processors closely mirror the specifications of their last-generation counterparts, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX, which also features 16 cores and a 5.4GHz boost clock, along with 80MB of cache.

These new Ryzen 8000 series chips are designed to pair seamlessly with the most advanced graphics cards available in high-end gaming laptops. My earlier review of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile highlighted some performance limitations when paired with the lower-power AMD Ryzen AI HX 370, despite its use of the newer Zen 5 architecture. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 8945HX offers a configurable TDP ranging from 55W to 75W, which should provide a significant performance boost, although a Zen 5 chip with the same power budget would have offered even greater improvements.

If you've been holding off on purchasing a gaming laptop in anticipation of AMD's latest processors, you won't have to wait much longer. These Ryzen 8000 series chips are expected to be integrated into high-end gaming laptops over the coming months. Below, I've detailed the specifications of the new chips to help you make an informed decision.

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