amd has sleepless its first Ryzen 7000 laptop processors, but they’re aimed at a very different audience than enthusiast desktop chips. The recently introduced Ryzen 7020 mobile series is heralded as a performance boost for budget laptops that combines AMD’s older Zen 2 architecture with some newer technologies, including RDNA 2 (Radeon 610M) graphics and LPDDR5 memory. It also promises a healthy, if not spectacular, 12 hours of maximum battery life.
In theory, the result outperforms comparable Intel-based systems. AMD claims that a 2.4GHz quad-core Ryzen 3 7320U with 4GB RAM offers 58% faster multitasking and 31% faster app launch than a dual-core Core i3-1115G4 machine with 8GB RAM. GB of RAM. Instead, we would have pitted the new Ryzen against a six-core 12th-gen Core i3, but this still suggests you’re getting solid performance for relatively little money.
In addition to the Ryzen 3 variant, there is also a Ryzen 5 7520U with a base clock of 2.8GHz. Both have 6MB of total cache. Particularly cost-conscious buyers can also opt for a dual-core Athlon Gold 7220U with a base 2.4GHz, 5MB cache, and the same Radeon 610M graphics. All three chips offer a thermal design power of 15W, making them suitable for thin and light systems.
You won’t have to wait long to buy a laptop with either of these chips. AMD expects the first Ryzen and Athlon 7020 series laptops to arrive in Q4 this year (ie October to December) starting at $399. Acer promises 14-inch and 15-inch Aspire 3 systems with the new Ryzen inside, while an upgraded HP “17-inch laptop” and Lenovo IdeaPads are also in the works. That price of entry matters: AMD is targeting everyday users who won’t spend much, but still want solid capabilities.
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