CES 2025: AMD’s Puzzling Lack of Radeon Coverage
Did AMD actually announce the Radeon RX 9070 XT?
After plenty of leaks leading up to CES, AMD surprised us by barely mentioning RDNA 4 in their presentation, with the promise of more information later in Q1 2025. Thinking that I had missed something, I looked through AMD’s press release entitled “AMD Announces New Graphics and Gaming Products for Ultimate Gameplay Experience at CES”, and found zero information about any new GPUs.
It’s not like we haven’t seen press coverage from AiB partners, but posts like this one about new TUF GAMING RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 from ASUS feel strangely out of place when AMD had nothing to show on stage, and nothing in their official press coverage from CES.
Here is the press release from AMD:
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ahead of CES 2025, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced new gaming products to expand its leadership in desktop, mobile and handheld gaming, and deliver incredible performance for the most demanding games. AMD unveiled new Ryzen™ 9900X3D and 9950X3D Series desktop processors, offering unprecedented performance for desktop gamers, as well as the second-generation handheld gaming PC processor – the Ryzen™ Z2, enabling top-tier performance for AAA titles on the go.
“Gaming has become the one of the biggest forms of entertainment around the world, and with titles becoming more immersive and demanding, having the right hardware and software is critical for the best player experience,” said Jack Huynh, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Group, AMD. “Today’s announcements underscore our commitment to providing gamers everywhere the freedom to choose their own gaming experiences without being held back by performance bottle necks.”
Ryzen 9950X3D and 9900X3D Desktop Processors for Gamers and Content Creators
AMD is rounding out its portfolio of exceptional desktop processors with AMD Ryzen 9950X3D and 9900X3D. The Ryzen 9950X3D is world’s best 16-core processor for gamers1 and content creators2 featuring 16 “Zen 5” CPU cores and AMD RDNA 2 graphics. Based on the utilizing 2nd Gen AMD 3D V-Cache™ technology, the new X3D processors push the boundaries of performance and innovation for desktop gamers.
The new generation of X3D processors relocates the cache memory below the core complex die (CCD), placing “Zen 5” cores closer to the cooling solution, to deliver higher clock speeds at lower temperatures and providing better performance compared to the previous generation3.
New Ryzen X3D models are expected to be on-shelf in Q1 2025.
Ryzen Z2 Series Handheld Gaming Processors
Designed to bring console-class gaming to the palm of customers’ hands, AMD Ryzen™ Z2 Series processors deliver a unique blend of power and efficiency to enable world-class desktop gaming experiences in handheld form factors.
Featuring up to 8 “Zen 5” CPU cores and RDNA 3.5 architecture-powered graphics, the new Ryzen Z2 processors offer ultra-responsive gaming and breathtaking graphics with low power optimizations for hours of uninterrupted play time.
Systems powered by Ryzen Z2 processors are expected to be available starting in Q1 2025.
Ryzen 9000HX Series for Mobile Notebooks
For the ultimate mobile gaming experience, new AMD Ryzen™ 9000HX Series processors deliver the most incredible performance a gaming laptop has ever seen. Re-engineered with 2nd generation 3D V-Cache™ technology, new Ryzen 9000HX Series have relocated the memory below the processor to deliver even higher performance benefits, lower temperatures and higher clock rates.
At the top of the stack, the Ryzen™ 9955HX3D is projected to be one of the fastest mobile processors built for gamers and creators. Featuring up to 16 cores, capable of delivering 32 threads of processing performance, systems powered by Ryzen 9000HX processors are projected to offer the most performance cores you can get in a mobile PC processor. With advanced DDR5 memory support, Ryzen 9000HX processors deliver low-power high-bandwidth memory ideal for the most performant gaming laptops.
Systems are expected to be on shelf starting the first half of 2025.
AMD Strengthens Gaming Ecosystem with OEMs and Game Developers
OEMs across the board are introducing more high-performance gaming systems powered by AMD Ryzen processors. New OEM systems provide gamers with unmatched compute and graphics performance in a variety of form factors.
“We are excited to expand our lineup of AMD-powered high-performance gaming systems in both notebook and handheld form factors,” said Jerry Kao, COO, Acer. “With the growing expectations to make AI-enhanced gaming more immersive and competitive, Acer is delivering next-level experiences for gamers and creators alike with our new devices powered by AMD processors.”
“ASUS has always been at the forefront of innovation to help gamers reach their true potential,” said Samson Hu, co-CEO, ASUS. “With the new ROG systems powered by the AMD Ryzen 9000HX Series processors, gamers can push their limits and experience extreme power and performance in top-of-the-line notebooks.”
“At Lenovo, we’re shaping the future of gaming by delivering innovative solutions from powerful high-performance laptops and towers to handheld devices. With AMD’s cutting-edge Ryzen Z series processors, we’re pushing the boundaries of what handheld gaming devices can achieve,” said Jun Ouyang, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Segment, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo. “Together with AMD, we have reimagined how gamers interact with their technology across every platform, and we are committed to driving the next generation of gaming innovation that adapts to the evolving needs of gamers everywhere.”
