Analyst(s): Olivier Blanchard
Publication Date: April 10, 2025
AMD’s Ryzen AI Max processors, initially developed for laptops, are now making their way into desktop PCs. The lineup includes the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which combines high-performance Zen 5 CPU cores and RDNA 3.5 graphics, enabling 1440p gaming and advanced AI processing without discrete GPUs.
What is Covered in this Article:
- AMD CEO Lisa Su confirms Ryzen AI Max processors are expanding into desktop PCs
- The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 delivers 1440p gaming at ultra settings without a discrete GPU
- AMD’s internal benchmarks show up to 12.2x faster AI inference performance over Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V
- The chip leverages Zen 5 CPU cores, RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, and a 120W TDP for enhanced performance
- Integrated AI and gaming performance may influence mid-range PC and mini-PC designs
The News: In a recent interview with DeepSeek Exploded on Bilibili, AMD CEO Lisa Su confirmed the company’s plans to bring more Ryzen AI Max processors to desktop PCs. These processors, initially designed for laptops and select mini-PCs, are now set to play a broader role in desktop computing.
Among the lineup, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 stands out for its ability to run AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p ultra settings with frame rates between 55 and 60fps – achieved without a discrete GPU. AMD has also released benchmark data comparing the chip to Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V, showing substantial gains across multiple AI inference workloads.
AMD Brings Ryzen AI Max Processors to Desktops: A Shift in Mainstream PC Design?
Analyst Take: AMD’s decision to bring the Ryzen AI Max processors to desktops marks a notable development in the evolving design of mainstream PCs. This move not only blurs the line between integrated and discrete components but also positions AMD to offer a more efficient and flexible platform for AI workloads and gaming, particularly in compact form factors. Based on the Zen 5 CPU and RDNA 3.5 GPU architectures, the top-end processor (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) offers a powerful integrated platform that delivers tangible performance gains across multiple use cases, as well as attractive potential economies of scale for AMD. Given how young the AI PC segment still is, AMD’s gambit here is relatively low risk and potentially high gain, so looking at this with an open mind, my reaction is essentially: why not?
Integrated Graphics Now Viable for High-Quality Gaming
In a recent test setup, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 was installed in a compact desktop configuration built using a modular compute unit – commonly referred to as a Framework Desktop – demonstrating its ability to run Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p ultra settings with framerates between 55 and 60 frames per second (fps), all without a discrete GPU. This performance is driven by the Radeon 8060S iGPU with 40 compute units based on RDNA 3.5. While it may not replace high-end GPUs, this level of integrated performance offers a practical alternative for budget-conscious gamers and small form factor systems. It may also influence OEMs to reconsider default configurations in the mid-range desktop segment, especially with the potential expansion of FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 4 support for RDNA 3 hardware.
Dominance in AI Workloads Highlights Broader Utility
AMD’s benchmarks show the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 delivering 2.1x to 12.2x performance gains over Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V in AI inference tasks. These tests spanned large language models (LLMs) like Distill Qwen, Llama, and Phi models, as well as vision benchmarks like IBM Granite Vision and Google’s Gemma models. The performance advantage stems from the chip’s expanded compute resources – including eight more CPU cores, a 120W configurable thermal design power (TDP), and a powerful iGPU with AI-capable compute units. These capabilities could attract developers building or testing AI models on local machines, offering a more accessible alternative to cloud inferencing.
Thermal and Power Considerations in Desktop Use
The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is built for power, not efficiency. Its maximum TDP of 120W makes it significantly more power-hungry than Intel’s Lunar Lake chips (37W max) and AMD’s own non-Max Ryzen AI 300 series processors, but this also means the chip can fully stretch its capabilities in desktop environments. While this trade-off limits its viability in thin-and-light laptops, the tables are turned into small form factor desktops, where power and cooling are more easily managed. In this context, AMD’s choice to extend its laptop-first APU to desktops seems on target, even if it requires a bit of extra tuning for thermal headroom and power delivery.
Discrete GPU Pressure Likely Limited to Mid-Tier Segment
Despite strong integrated performance, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is unlikely to replace high-end discrete GPUs. However, its entry into the desktop segment gives users an interesting new option against standalone mid-tier GPUs in systems built for 1080p–1440p gaming (or light AI development). For AMD, this positions its APU line as a flexible platform for users who don’t require the full overhead of a GPU but still expect competitive performance.
It also serves as a timely response to Nvidia’s reported RTX 50-series laptop GPU supply delays, giving AMD a credible performance narrative to push in both mobile and desktop spaces at exactly the right time.
What to Watch:
- Integrating Ryzen AI Max processors into desktops requires careful power delivery and thermal management optimization to ensure stable performance across workloads.
- AMD and OEM partners will need to balance cost, cooling, and performance in mini-PC and mainstream desktop designs using APUs.
- Competing vendors, particularly Intel and Nvidia, may accelerate their integrated AI and GPU roadmaps to respond to AMD’s performance positioning.
- Success of these desktop APUs could influence broader adoption of integrated solutions and challenge discrete GPU relevance in mid-range systems.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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Image Credit: AMD
Author Information
Research Director Olivier Blanchard covers edge semiconductors and intelligent AI-capable devices for Futurum. In addition to having co-authored several books about digital transformation and AI with Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman, Blanchard brings considerable experience demystifying new and emerging technologies, advising clients on how best to future-proof their organizations, and helping maximize the positive impacts of technology disruption while mitigating their potentially negative effects. Follow his extended analysis on X and LinkedIn.
