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Intel and AMD won Computex 2019
You can thank AMD and Intel for the influx of news out of Computex over the past week. Both chip companies announced some major new products: Intel showed off its 10-nanometer 10th-gen laptop chips, and AMD gave us details on its third generation Ryzen CPUs and first Navi GPUs. At first glance, that might all sound like typical tradeshow news, the next steps in a boring, iterative upgrade cycle. But each announcement spoke volumes -- they're not just showing us what Intel and AMD are working on for the next year, they gave us a preview of what's to come for the next decade.
Watch AMD's Computex 2019 event in nine minutes!
Computex has kicked off in Taipei today, so probably before you were even awake, AMD revealed its ambitious new CPU and GPU hardware additions. It's going after NVIDIA's middle-weight RTX 2070 graphics with the Radeon RX 5700. Not only will it be the first 7nm consumer video cards out there, the series will also tout PCIe 4.0 and GDDR6 memory support, ensuring the cards won't be irrelevant a year or two down the road. Meanwhile, AMD's third-gen Ryzen 9 CPU is a 12-core beast that's priced to shake up Intel's dominance, striking a strong balance between power efficiency, performance, and sheer bang for your buck. Want specific numbers? We've got them for you.
AMD's third-gen Ryzen 9 CPU is a 12-core powerhouse for $499
AMD just dropped the mic when it comes to ultra-fast consumer CPUs. At Computex today, AMD CEO Lisa Su introduced the company's third-generation Ryzen CPUs, which are also the world's first 7-nanometer desktop chips. Its crown jewel is the 12-core/24-thread Ryzen 9 3900X for $499. And if you're wondering why that's such a big deal, it's because it's going up against Intel's 12-core i9-9920X, which sells for around $1,189. Even better, AMD says the thermal design power (TDP) of its chip is 105W, compared to Intel's far less efficient 165W TDP. The Ryzen 9 3900X speaks to AMD's broader philosophy: It wants to beat Intel when it comes to performance, value and efficiency.
Acer's Nitro 5 and Swift 3 laptops pack the latest AMD Ryzen processors
Acer isn't just sticking to Intel for chips in its latest laptops. The company has rolled out versions of its Nitro 5 gaming laptop and Swift 3 thin-and-light that pack second-generation Ryzen Mobile processors. The 15.6-inch Nitro 5 (above) carries a 2.3GHz quad-core Ryzen 7 3750H and dedicated Radeon RX 560X graphics to handle a moderate amount of gaming. The 14-inch Swift 3 uses the more modest (but still quad-core) 2.3GHz Ryzen 7 3700U and defaults to integrated Vega graphics, but you can get Radeon RX 540X video if you'd like to squeak in some Overwatch when you're not writing reports.
AMD's latest Ryzen Pro chips bring Vega graphics to work laptops
Now that AMD has unveiled second-gen Ryzen chips for everyday laptops, it's turning its attention to the pro crowd. It's releasing a new wave of Ryzen Pro processors aimed at "premium" (but still highly portable) work machines. The four-core Ryzen 3 Pro 3300U, Ryzen 5 Pro 3500U and Ryzen 7 Pro 3700U all take advantage of the updated 12-nanometer design and Vega graphics to deliver reasonably speedy 3D modelling and other tasks that aren't always practical on thin-and-light machines. The "pro" part mostly comes through their sheer resilience -- they have a security co-processor and are designed for "commercial-grade" reliability.
Atari VCS gets a spec boost and another delay
The nostalgic Atari VCS console has been delayed yet again, but at least this time you're getting more for your money. The creators have pushed back the system's launch to the end of 2019 in return for an upgrade to an as yet unannounced embedded AMD Ryzen chip, complete with Vega-based graphics. It'll offer more power for games, of course, but it'll also pull off feats you might not expect in a retro box, like native 4K video playback and support for protected streaming video services like Netflix.
Watch AMD's CES press event in under 9 minutes
AMD didn't just respond to introductions from Intel and NVIDIA at CES 2019 -- it came out swinging. The chipmaker had plenty to show at its press event, and frequently claimed a performance edge over its rivals. The centerpiece was undoubtedly the Radeon VII, the first 7-nanometer graphics processor aimed at gamers. However, AMD had a little something for everyone, whether it was third-generation Ryzen CPUs for desktops, Epyc chips for heavy-duty number crunching and a talk about the hardware behind Google's Project Stream. That's a lot to digest, but our recap should help catch you up in a hurry.
AMD's 3rd-gen Ryzen desktop CPUs are coming in mid-2019
AMD announced that its much-anticipated 7-nanometer, 3rd-generation Ryzen 3 chips will start shipping in mid-2019, and talked about some of the benefits of the new design. The company ran a live Cinebench test at stock frequencies against Intel's latest 8th-generation Core i9-9900K chip to show that it would draw about 30 percent less power, while edging it in performance. "Now you really see the power of 7-nanometer technology and what being aggressive with technology does," said AMD CEO Lisa Su.
AMD's latest laptop CPUs include its first chips for Chromebooks
AMD is kicking off 2019 with an overhaul of its laptop processors, and it's breaking some new ground in the process. The company has unveiled its first two A-Series chips designed explicitly for Chromebooks, the 1.6GHz A4-9120C and 1.8GHz A6-9220C. Both are dual-core chips that use just 6W of power and promise faster performance than the Intel chips you typically see in entry-level Chrome OS portables. The A6 is up to 23 percent faster in web browsing than the Pentium N4200, AMD said, and 42 percent faster in photo editing. You might not have to spend a small fortune to get a Chromebook with decent horsepower.
ASUS turns to AMD for its latest TUF gaming laptops
ASUS' latest TUF gaming laptops may look about the same as before, but under the hood, it's a new ball game. Rather than packing Intel and NVIDIA parts, the 15.6-inch FX505DY (above) and 17-inch FX705DY (below) are all AMD, with a 12-nanometer, four-core Ryzen 2 3550H APU and Radeon RX 560X discrete graphics. Both models also have 1080p FreeSync displays, with the 17-inch model hitting up to 60Hz, and the 15-incher maxing out at a decent 120Hz.
Major AMD chip supplier will no longer make next-gen chips
GlobalFoundries, which manufactures AMD's current Ryzen and Radeon chips, has surprisingly announced that it will stop all development work on next-gen 7-nanometer processors. Furthermore, it has no plans to develop future 5- and 3-nanometer technology, either. The company (which spun off from AMD in 2009) said it simply can't afford to spend billions of dollars developing new lines to keep up with its main rivals, Samsung and TSMC. Instead, it will stick to current-generation 12/14-nanometer processes and expand product offerings around that tech.
AMD's wild 32-core Ryzen Threadripper chip goes on sale
There's good news for graphics pros: AMD's 32-core, 64-thread Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX chip unveiled in June is now up for pre-order. The 2nd-generation chip is built using AMD's 12-nanometer Zen+ core architecture, and works with existing X399 AMD motherboards. The company said it's aimed mainly at "creators, developers and PC enthusiasts" who use software apps like Adobe's Creative Cloud suite that can profit from multi-threaded CPUs.
AMD unveils its second-generation Ryzen CPUs
With last year's Ryzen processors, AMD made a grand re-entry into the world of high-performance desktop computing. Now its improving on those designs with its second-generation Ryzen chips, which are a bit faster and more efficient. And, due to fan demand, AMD is also throwing in free "Wraith" coolers with every CPU. The big takeaway this year: AMD is in an even better place to compete with Intel.
AMD's Radeon Vega GPU is headed everywhere, even to machine learning
For 2018, AMD is building on its major innovations from last year: its new Ryzen CPU architecture and Radeon Vega graphics. Indeed, Vega is so versatile even its main competitor, Intel, has tapped it for its upcoming high-performance laptop chips. At CES, AMD revealed the Radeon Vega Mobile GPU, a dedicated graphics offering that'll go toe-to-toe with NVIDIA's GTX 10-series. Additionally, it'll be bringing Vega graphics into upcoming Ryzen desktop chips, as well as a new machine learning product.
AMD unveils its cheapest Threadripper CPU yet
Intel and AMD are duking it out once again to see how many cores they can cram into a single CPU, and that's great news for PC enthusiasts across all budgets. Professionals likely won't have any qualms dropping $1,000 or $2,000 for their 16- and 18-core behemoths, while thriftier shoppers get more options for less. Today, AMD rounded out its Threadripper lineup with the eight-core Ryzen 1900X, which will cost just $549. In comparison, the recently announced 12-core Threadripper sells for $799, while the top of the line 16-core model goes for $999.
AMD's powerful 16-core Threadripper CPU will cost $999
AMD didn't have many details to share about its 16-core Ryzen Threadripper CPU when it was announced back in May, but now it's ready to spill the beans. The chip, officially known as the Threadripper 1950X, will sell for $999, the company announced today. It'll feature a base speed of 3.4GHz with a boost clock of 4GHz. But that's not all: AMD also revealed a $799 12-core Threadripper 1920X CPU, for extreme PC users looking to save a couple hundred bucks. Both chips, along with new motherboards, should be available in August.
AMD’s 16-core ‘Threadripper’ CPU is built for ultra-high-end PCs
AMD has unveiled Threadripper, a 16-core, 32-thread CPU that will take on Intel in one of its key markets: high-end desktop CPUs. The chip has been rumored for a while now, but AMD finally unveiled it at its analyst day, saying it would arrive by summer of 2017. The company may have wanted to get the launch in ahead of Intel, which will reportedly unveil a long-rumored 12-core Core i9 chip and new X99 HEDT (high-end desktop) platform sometime soon.
AMD's mid-range Ryzen 5 processors start rolling out
AMD wants to break back into desktop CPUs in a big way. After debuting its high-end Ryzen 7 chips last month, which go toe-to-toe with Intel's Core i7 lineup, the company is today releasing its mid-range Ryzen 5 CPUs. As you can imagine, they're a direct competitor to Intel's mainstream Core i5 processors. AMD's big selling point? The Ryzen 5 chips offer a lot more bang for your buck.
AMD returns to high-end gaming CPUs with Ryzen 7
AMD has largely ceded the performance processor space to Intel in recent years. You typically get one of its chips inside a budget PC, not an all-out gaming rig. At last, though, you might have reason to get excited: AMD is launching Ryzen 7, a desktop CPU line based on its much-ballyhooed Zen architecture. The key is a dramatic improvement in the number of instructions the chip can handle at once. A Ryzen 7 CPU can do 52 percent more work every cycle than a similarly-clocked predecessor thanks to a newer 14-nanometer manufacturing process, five times the bandwidth and some overdue architectural upgrades. This is AMD's first processor with simultaneous multithreading (Hyper-Threading in Intel speak), so each core can execute two code paths at the same time.
