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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AMD Ryzen AI Max Geekbench scores reveal a power drop in 300-series APUs
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Not all laptop chips are created equal, and that's as true of AMD's innovative Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" APU as any. AMD unveiled the Strix Halo APU in January as the Ryzen AI Max 300 series, debuting three consumer chipset variants and four variants made for workstation-class machines. While we normally expect a large performance gap in between, say, a Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 9. But, with a name like Ryzen AI Max, you may not be expecting such a performance gap between the three APUs in the AI Max series. An APU, or accelerated processing unit, is a chipset that combines the CPU and an integrated graphics tile. AMD coined the term back in 2011. AMD uses APU for all of its mobile chipsets, from the Ryzen AI Max to the Ryzen AI 300 series. So far, we've seen only systems powered by the 16-core Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip, including the Asus ROG Flow Z 13 gaming laptop. However, the Ryzen AI Max family offers more budget-friendly options, too, from the 12-core Ryzen AI Max 390 down to the 8-core Ryzen AI Max 385. Last week, we finally saw the 8-core Strix Halo chipset's performance. An HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a featuring this budget-friendly APU has been benchmarked on Geekbench 6, and the results were uploaded to the Geekbench archives. So, how does the 8-core Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 stack up against the 16-core 395? Let's take a look. According to results uploaded to Geekbench on May 27, the HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a with an AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 APU scored a Geekbench single-core score of 2,489 and a multicore score of 14,136. We expected these scores to be higher. However, a few factors may explain the larger-than-expected performance gap. First, there's the hardware matchup (8 cores vs. 16). The Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 also has a lower max frequency than the flagship, which could explain the dip in single-core performance. The difference in RAM between the HP ZBook Ultra configuration Laptop reviewed and the ZBook scores uploaded to Geekbench could also be behind the score differences, as RAM affects how Geekbench scores are calculated. Our take: It has long battery life, a sharp, bright display, solid speakers, and incredible performance and graphics. Specs: Windows 11 Pro, AMD Ryzen™ AI Max+ PRO 395 (up to 5.1 GHz max boost clock, 64 MB L3 cache, 16 cores, 32 threads), 64 GB memory; 2 TB SSD storage, 14" diagonal 2.8K touch display, AMD Radeon™ 8060S Deal Geekbench's HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a (Ryzen AI Max PRO 385) Laptop Mag's HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a (Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395) Laptop Mag's Asus ROG Flow Z13 (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) Geekbench 6 Single-core (Higher is better) 2,489 2,837 2,995 Geekbench 6 Multicore (Higher is better) 14,136 17,721 19,457 Chipset CPU cores CPU threads GPU cores Max GHz Cache NPU cTDP Ryzen AI Max+ 395 16 cores 32 threads 40 cores 5.1GHz 80MB 50 TOPS 45-120W Ryzen AI Max 390 12 cores 24 threads 32 cores 5.0GHz 76MB 50 TOPS 45-120W Ryzen AI Max 385 8 cores 16 threads 32 cores 5.0GHz 40MB 50 TOPS 45-120W Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 16 cores 32 threads 40 cores 5.1GHz 80 MB 50 TOPS 45-120W Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 12 cores 24 threads 32 cores 5.0GHz 76MB 50 TOPS 45-120W Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 8 cores 16 threads 32 cores 5.0GHz 40MB 50 TOPS 45-120W Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 6 cores 12 threads 16 cores 4.9GHz 22MB 50 TOPS 45-120W While the Ryzen AI Max 385 and its professional variant will still be interesting chipsets — as both still feature the larger Radeon 8060S integrated graphics tile — these early benchmarks clarify a few things. The Ryzen AI Max 300 series starts at 385 and tops out at 395. The Ryzen AI 300 Strix Point series starts with the Ryzen AI 9 365 and tops out with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375. The Ryzen AI 7 350 and Ryzen AI 5 340 are both technically on AMD's Krackan Point architecture. Based on AMD's naming convention, the Ryzen AI Max 300 is designed to sit directly atop the Ryzen AI 300 series. So, as the entry-level Ryzen AI Max chip, the 385's Geekbench scores are just above what we've seen from the top end of the Ryzen AI 300 series. We're not certain yet how expensive the Ryzen AI Max 385 will be compared to its slightly less powerful Ryzen AI 300 series counterparts, as only two Ryzen AI Max systems are on the market so far. The HP ZBook Ultra with the Ryzen AI Max 385 starts at $2,599. Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 doesn't have a Ryzen AI Max 385 variant but costs $2,099 for the slightly more powerful Ryzen AI Max 390 chipset. But based on those prices, you are paying quite a bit more for the Ryzen AI Max chipset and its more powerful Radeon 8060S iGPU. The real question is, is the Ryzen AI Max worth its high price tag? Right now, that's still up for debate. Why Apple's next macOS might signal a shift. Here's why A 1mm fan inside your laptop's hard drive? Here's how the micro xMEMS fan works Don't buy an Nvidia RTX 5060 laptop, wait for the RTX 5050
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
The HP ZBook Ultra outperforms the MacBook Pro in key areas, but it comes at a price
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. HP's ZBook Ultra is a hyper-portable mobile workstation that immediately feels like a competitor to Apple's MacBook Pro lineup. Not only is it a light and thin workstation, but it's also got a new, innovative chipset under the chassis. AMD's Ryzen AI Max chipset is an ambitious project for x86 CPU architecture and something of a gamble. While we did have a blast with the gaming-centered version on the Asus ROG Flow Z13, I've been waiting to get my hands on this chip in the HP ZBook Ultra since CES back in January. The Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 chip in the ZBook Ultra 14 G1a offers fantastic all-around performance, solid Radeon 8060s GPU power, and more memory than I know what to do with. The ZBook also features a vivid display, a slim, portable design, powerful audio, and a professional port array. A steep price tag, lackluster battery life, and a grainy webcam hold it back, but they aren't shocking for a 14-inch workstation laptop. Does the MacBook Pro 14 finally have competition in the form of the HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a? Is it powerful enough to land a spot on our best workstations list? Let's take a look. Price: $2,599 starting, $4,049 as reviewed CPU: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 GPU: AMD Radeon 8060S integrated graphics RAM: 128GB Storage: 2TB SSD Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, Touch OLED Battery (HH:MM): 6:46 Dimensions: 12.29 x 8.45 x 0.71 inches Weight: 3.4 pounds Click to view full benchmark test results HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a Geekbench 6 Single-core (Higher is better) 2,837 Geekbench 6 Multicore (Higher is better) 17,721 Handbrake conversion (Lower is better) 02:34 25GB File Transfer Test (Lower is better) 20 25GB File Transfer Test (SSD speed) 1,342 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Read (Higher is better) 4,468.0 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Write (HIgher is better) 4276.1 SPECWorkstation 3.1: Blender (1060p, Higher is better) DNR SPECWorkstation 3.1: FSI (1060p, Higher is better) 6.5 PugetBench Photoshop (Higher is better) 10,186 Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit) 99.6 Battery life (Higher is better) 06:45 Display brightness (Higher is better) 368 sRGB color gamut (Higher is better) 197.6% DCI-P3 color gamut (Higher is better) 139.9% Color accuracy (Lower is better) 0.31 3DMark Fire Strike (Higher is better) 23,459 3DMark Time Spy (Higher is better) 10,114 3DMark Steel Nomad (Higher is better) 1,992.00 SPECWorkstation 3.1: maya-05 (1060p, Higher is better) 3.68 SPECWorkstation 3.1: energy-02 (1060p, Higher is better) 14.86 PugetBench Premiere Pro (Higher is better) 7,223 Borderlands 3 (1080p, fps) 97.19 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, fps) 81 Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, fps) 168.62 No workstation is cheap, and if you hoped the ZBook Ultra might be an exception to that rule, you'll be disappointed. The base configuration of HP's ZBook Ultra 15 G1a costs $2,599 and gets you the powerful combination of the Ryzen AI Max Pro 385 CPU with Radeon 8060S integrated graphics, 32GB of memory, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200, IPS display. You can upgrade to the Ryzen AI Max Pro 390 chipset with a 1TB SSD and a 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, OLED touchscreen for an additional $350. Upgrading the Ryzen AI Max Pro 390 model to 64GB of RAM for an additional $300 brings the total to $3,249. Upgrading to the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 model costs $5,660 and comes with 64GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, OLED display. Upgrading the RAM to 64GB and storage to 2TB brings the total to $6,290. The top-end configuration of the ZBook Ultra with the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395, Radeon 8060S integrated graphics, 128GB of RAM, 4TB of SSD storage, and 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, OLED display costs a total of $8,250. However, our review spec is perhaps the best value for the ZBook Ultra. For $4,049, you get the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 CPU, Radeon 8060S integrated graphics, 128GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD storage, and the 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, OLED touchscreen. This gives you the most use of the unified memory, with additional storage space, an upgraded CPU, and an OLED display. While none of these configurations are cheap, they're not too steep compared to the average workstation price. However, it does start higher than other portable content creation laptops like the Apple MacBook Pro 14 ($1,599 starting price) or Asus ProArt PX13 ($1,699). It is worth noting that upgrades on the MacBook Pro, in particular, are expensive, to match our recommended ZBook Ultra configuration, it would be $5,099. Most ZBook workstations aren't laptops you'd want in your lap for long. HP hasn't changed much of the ZBook aesthetic for the ZBook Ultra 15 G1a. It has a Meteorite Silver magnesium alloy chassis with a minimalist chrome HP logo on the top cover and a sleek keyboard deck with a centered touchpad. The ZBook Ultra does have slim bezels on the display, with a slight increase in bezel size along the top to fit the webcam. The hinges are nice and sturdy, with an almost 180-degree rotation in case you need to use the ZBook on your lap and tilt the display back for better ergonomics. Most ZBook workstations aren't laptops you'd want in your lap for long. Even the slim ZBook Studio can feel a bit hefty after some time, but the ZBook Ultra is designed to be a completely portable powerhouse machine, and its chassis design is small and lightweight to match. The ZBook Ultra measures just 12.29 x 8.45 x 0.71 inches and weighs just 3.4 pounds. While this is pretty light and portable compared to most powerful workstation laptops, it is a bit closer in dimensions to more mobile creator devices like: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4 2024): 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.61 inches, 3.4 pounds Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7: 13.95 x 9.49 x 0.67 inches, 4.3 pounds Asus ProArt PX13: 11.74 x 8.26 x 0.62 inches, 3.04 pounds Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 2024): 14 x 9.7 x 0.66 inches, 4.7 pounds Image 1 of 2 Image 2 of 2 As a mobile workstation, the ZBook Ultra comes with a full port array to connect all of your devices: 2x USB 4 Type-C (40Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 2.1) 1x USB Type-C (10Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 2.1) 1x USB Type-A (10Gbps) 1x HDMI 2.1 1x Audio combo 1x Security lock slot The ZBook Ultra offers the majority of ports you could want with multiple DisplayPort 2.1 USB-C connections, additional USB Type-C and Type-A ports, and an HDMI port. The only major workstation port missing is an SD card reader, so if you need a quick-access SD slot, you may want to snag one of the best laptop docking stations or USB-C hubs. The Achilles' heel of most Windows workstations is battery life. The Achilles' heel of most Windows workstations is battery life. And the HP ZBook Ultra is no exception. While it doesn't have a discrete graphics card, its Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 chipset is still a bit of a power hog. I easily got through half of my workday, with 15-20 Chrome tabs and Photoshop running, without needing to find an outlet, but I did have to plug the ZBook into its charger around my lunch break. It's not awful for a powerful workstation laptop, but it's not touching MacBook Pros, which offer over 18 hours of battery life. On the Laptop Mag web surfing battery test, the HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a lasted 6 hours and 46 minutes. It's not much worse compared to most workstation laptops, but when compared to its hyper-portable competition, the ZBook Ultra does fall short against the ProArt PX13 and ThinkPad P1 Gen 7. Click to view chart data in table format HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 Asus ProArt PX13 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) Battery life (Higher is better) 06:45 18:32 17:24 09:28 20:46 The ZBook Ultra features HP Wolf Pro Security, a TPM 2.0 embedded security chip, and a nano security lock slot, so it has plenty of hardware and software security. The ZBook also features an IR webcam for Windows Hello secure sign-in, and a fingerprint reader on the power button. HP has run the ZBook Ultra through all 21 durability tests to meet the MIL-STD-810H standard, including exposure to extreme high and low temperatures, dust, humidity, and high altitude. So the ZBook Ultra can follow you on location to The numbers don't lie; this display is fantastic. More than other laptops, workstations require a high level of color accuracy in their displays. After all, if you're using the ZBook Ultra for design work, you need to know the color you see on your display is what will be seen by customers. The glossy 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, OLED touchscreen display on our ZBook Ultra model is absolutely what you'd expect from a ZBook laptop. Pulling up photos of a recent trip to put the ZBook through its editing paces, I was taken back by just how well the OLED touchscreen captured the vivid, bright colors of the Walt Disney World parks, even at night. From the cyberpunk blue lights of the new Tron Lightcycle Run coaster to the terracotta pink of the Tower of Terror, I've rarely been more nostalgic for a family Disney trip than when editing my vacation photos on the ZBook Ultra. In our lab testing, the ZBook's display covered 139% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with an accuracy of 0.31 (lower is better) and had a max SDR brightness of 368 nits, with a peak HDR brightness of 575 nits. The numbers don't lie; this display is fantastic. Click to view chart data in table format. HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 Asus ProArt PX13 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) Display brightness (Higher is better) 368 557 386 350 565 sRGB color gamut (Higher is better) 197.6% 113.3% 111.0% 113.1% 115.0% DCI-P3 color gamut (Higher is better) 139.9% 80.2% 78.6% 80.1% 81.4% Color accuracy (Lower is better) 0.31 0.19 0.29 0.22 0.27 The ZBook Ultra's keyboard is crisp, with a springy activation feel. HP opted for the Premium keyboard on the ZBook Ultra, and it's a choice that's paid off. The ZBook Ultra's keyboard is crisp, with a springy activation feel. On the advanced typing test, I averaged a typing speed of words per minute (WPM), which is just shy of the 88 WPM I maintain on the MacBook Pro 14. The HP Premium keyboard is also mounted underneath the keyboard deck, making it easier to swap out for repair or IT recycling to a different region. While not necessary on more consumer-focused devices, it's a valuable option on a professional workstation, as most of these laptops will be used for at least 4 years. The large glass touchpad on the ZBook Ultra is also a delight, sporting multigesture support and a silky feel. The touchpad is clickable through about 90% of the area, with only the top edge being unclickable. I didn't notice the difference while using the ZBook until I looked for it. Not only can they fill a room, but the speakers have a high degree of audio clarity HP has loaded four integrated stereo speakers with tuning by PolyStudio into the ZBook Ultra, and those top-firing speakers pack an impressive amount of power. Not only can they fill a room, but the speakers have a high degree of audio clarity, even at full volume. I could differentiate between the screaming guitars and melodic synth of Sleep Token's 'The Summoning' at high and medium volumes. The PolyStudio audio offered serious fidelity from the rich, driving bass to Vessel's soaring vocals. The ZBook Ultra's audio can handle web calls and video or audio editing sessions. However, if you spend a lot of time editing in the field or office, we'd recommend a set of the best headphones so you don't need to worry about background noise getting in the way. Even editing multi-layered projects for my work at Laptop Mag was a breeze. The ZBook Ultra 14 G1a features AMD's most ambitious mobile chipset, the Ryzen AI Max series, specifically the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395. This massive APU is supported by 128GB of unified memory and a speedy SSD. I used the ZBook Ultra to edit some of my recent vacation photos, and even unplugged, the ZBook Ultra could handle my usual edits without issue. Even editing multi-layered projects for my work at Laptop Mag was a breeze. In our performance testing, the ZBook Ultra's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro chipset outperformed the MacBook Pro 14's M4, the ThinkPad P1 Gen 7's Intel's Core Ultra 7 165H, and the ProArt PX13's Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 processors in Geekbench 6 multicore performance by up to 36%. Only the MacBook Pro 16's M4 Pro outpaced the ZBook Ultra. The ZBook does get a bit hot under strain, with its hottest point measuring 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the F4 key after streaming a 4K video for at least 15 minutes. While not the hottest laptop temperature we've ever measured, it can get toasty on your fingertips. Thankfully, the rest of the laptop stays a bit cooler, with the area between the G and H keys hitting 95.5 degrees and the underside measuring 92.3 degrees. Click to view chart data in table format. HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 Asus ProArt PX13 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) Geekbench 6 Single-core (Higher is better) 2,837 3,807 2,424 2,847 3,910 Geekbench 6 Multicore (Higher is better) 17,721 15,114 12,974 15,203 22,822 Handbrake conversion (Lower is better) 02:34 4:27 4:22 3:36 2:38 25GB File Transfer Test (Lower is better) 20 12.97 16.96 25GB File Transfer Test (SSD speed) 1,342 2,071 1,583 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Read (Higher is better) 4,468.0 2,900.1 4,713.4 3,586.2 5,353.7 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Write (HIgher is better) 4276.1 3,318.6 4,154.9 3,345.6 6,640.5 SPECWorkstation 3.1: Blender (1060p, Higher is better) DNR 2.11 SPECWorkstation 3.1: FSI (1060p, Higher is better) 6.5 3.44 PugetBench Photoshop (Higher is better) 10,186 10,542 7,948 12,292 Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit) 99.6 84.5 88.0 95.5 90.5 if you want to use the ZBook Ultra as your daily driver, it can keep up with some light gaming. The HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a is a thin, light, and ultraportable workstation. Not a gaming laptop. Workstation laptops do feature powerful GPUs, but they historically perform poorly in gaming compared to high-powered gaming laptops because workstation GPUs are designed for precision rather than raw power. While I am a self-professed MMO hermit who will play Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail on any platform capable of running it, even I hesitate to game on a workstation. However, the ZBook Ultra is a competitor of the MacBook Pro 14, and I like to play games on my Mac. So I eventually convinced myself to download and run FFXIV on the ZBook Ultra, not that it took too much effort. I didn't expect the ZBook Ultra to play as well as a dedicated gaming laptop, but it maintained a smooth 55 to 60 frames per second on the Standard (Laptop) preset at 1800p. So, if you want to use the ZBook Ultra as your daily driver, it can keep up with some light gaming. Click to view chart data in table format. HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 Asus ProArt PX13 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) 3DMark Fire Strike (Higher is better) 23,459 19,607 18,634 3DMark Time Spy (Higher is better) 10,114 8,505 7,861 3DMark Steel Nomad (Higher is better) 1,992.00 1,783 1,654 SPECWorkstation 3.1: maya-05 (1060p, Higher is better) 3.68 3.49 SPECWorkstation 3.1: energy-02 (1060p, Higher is better) 14.86 9.94 PugetBench Premiere Pro (Higher is better) 7,223 4,618 7,178 7,074 8,888 Borderlands 3 (1080p, fps) 97.19 23.03 69.02 62.22 42.80 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, fps) 81 36 78 72 79 Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, fps) 168.62 53.548 152.765 115.736 98.357 The HP ZBook Ultra features an AMD Ryzen AI chipset, which means it has a 50 TOPS NPU onboard, which gets you access to the entire Copilot+ suite of applications like CoCreate, LiveCaptions, and Recall, in addition to advanced Windows Studio Effects and the full version of Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant. As an AMD laptop, the ZBook Ultra also has access to AMD's AI-optimized software, which includes Amuse, Topaz Labs, Camo Studio, and Arkrunr. The ZBook Ultra sports a 5MP IR camera, which is ideal for Windows Hello secure sign-in and not so great for virtual meetings. The feed is a bit grainy with some color distortion, which casts a persistent pink layer over my face. It's perfectly serviceable for the occasional Zoom call, but if you want to use the ZBook Ultra as your daily work laptop, you may want to invest in one of our best webcams to handle your virtual meetings rather than use the onboard camera. The ZBook Ultra ships with Windows 11 Pro, which includes standard Microsoft applications like Copilot, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Windows Media Player, and Microsoft Teams. The ZBook Ultra has some pre-installed AMD software, like AMD Bug Report Tool and AMD Install Manager. HP also pre-loaded proprietary software, such as HP Audio Control, Connection Optimizer, Insights, Sure Recover, Poly Camera Pro, and HP Support Assistant. There are more than 15 different HP and Poly programs pre-installed on the ZBook Ultra, which is a bit much. Thankfully, the programs don't take up much space on the SSD. HP offers a three-year limited warranty with the HP ZBook Ultra. But if you need the full breadth of the Windows ecosystem, the HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a is a worthy contender. If you're OS agnostic like I tend to be, you want a portable, powerful, efficient workstation to meet your day-to-day requirements and make sure you don't miss a beat when working or creating in your off time. The HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a comes very close to eclipsing my MacBook Pro in terms of portability and beats the base MacBook Pro's CPU power, but it comes at the cost of battery life and a higher price. The base configuration of the ZBook Ultra costs $2,599, which is a bit steep for the average consumer. And it doesn't get the full leverage of the Ryzen AI Max Pro chipset's unified memory. If you need the ultimate combination of affordability, power, and battery life, the MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) is still the way to go, especially if you don't need to run Windows to access all of your applications. But if you need the full breadth of the Windows ecosystem, the HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a is a worthy contender. Unlike the Asus ProArt PX13, the ZBook Ultra is more powerful than the base M4 chipset, offers more GPU power for data analysis and video editing, and has a much better display. While the ProArt PX13 is the cheaper option, the ZBook Ultra gets you far more power. It's got your back if you've got funds.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
AMD's Ryzen AI Max Pro and Apple's M4 Pro are strong, but which powers the better workstation?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Not all workstations are created equal. Some are designed for STEM research and data analysis, while others are more design-focused. Either way, workstations need to be powerful machines with brawny processors to match. Apple's Pro-series silicon powers the MacBook Pros, which have become a staple for many designers thanks to their unmatched CPU and GPU performance. But AMD's newest Ryzen AI Max chip could potentially change that. We've compared AMD's Ryzen AI Max chip to the Apple M4 Pro before, based on our testing of the Asus ROG Flow Z 13 and MacBook Pro 16. But the M4 Pro isn't a gaming chipset; it's intended for high-performance design work like illustration, architecture, or app development. That makes the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro variant in HP's recently reviewed ZBook Ultra 14 G1a a far better competitor. The ZBook Ultra is also aimed at creative professionals who need powerful computing in a portable package. So, which is the better workstation chip? Apple's high-end M4 Pro, or AMD's Ryzen AI Max Pro? View Deal View Deal Workstations need good general performance, so we still run the usual Geekbench and Handbrake tests and more design and data analysis-focused benchmarks like the PugetBench Adobe suite tests and SPECWorkstation for compatible Windows machines. The HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a outperforms the Apple MacBook Pro 14's M4 chip in general performance and the PugetBench tests, but the MacBook Pro 16's M4 Pro holds onto its lead. However, the ZBook closed the gap between the Ryzen AI Max and the M4 Pro compared to the ROG Flow Z13, as the Flow Z13's performance was capped at 70 Watts due to its tablet-style design. Click to view chart data in table format. HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) Geekbench 6 Single-core (Higher is better) 2,837 3,807 3,910 Geekbench 6 Multicore (Higher is better) 17,721 15,114 22,822 Handbrake conversion (Lower is better) 02:34 4:27 2:38 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Read (Higher is better) 4,468.0 2,900.1 5,353.7 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Write (HIgher is better) 4276.1 3,318.6 6,640.5 PugetBench Photoshop (Higher is better) 10,186 10,542 12,292 PugetBench Premiere Pro (Higher is better) 7,223 4,618 8,888 Borderlands 3 (1080p, fps) 97.19 23.03 42.80 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, fps) 81 36 79 Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, fps) 168.62 53.548 98.357 While the M4 Pro is still the more powerful chip, the Ryzen AI Max Pro offers some solid competition. It has the advantage of operating on Windows 11, which offers a broader range of supported programs. That might make it a better fit, depending on what applications you need to run. Unfortunately, all of the Ryzen AI Max's power comes at the cost of battery life. The HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a lasted 6 hours and 45 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, while the MacBooks lasted 18 hours. Click to view chart data in table format. HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024) Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro, 2024) Battery life (Higher is better) 06:45 18:32 20:46 As always, this depends. If you need to use specialty CAD software like SolidWorks, macOS isn't the best bet. At the same time, you can run Windows programs through various virtualization tools and emulation, which can often cause performance issues and slow down your processing speeds, making the M4 Pro's increased performance gains functionally worthless. But if you primarily intend to use design tools like Blender or the Adobe suite, you can run almost everything you need on Apple Silicon. And if you want the best performance, a great display, and industry-leading battery life, Apple is still the way to go. Assuming, of course, you have the flexibility to choose macOS. The HP ZBook Ultra with AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro chip is an excellent alternative if you don't. Apple is ramping up its iPhone release cycle at the worst possible time Are Snapdragon X Elite chips that much better on battery power than AMD and Intel? I've found the best new laptop for designers, and it's a Lenovo Legion 9i
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Framework's first desktop PC is optimized for gaming and local AI inference
Framework, the company that is better known for its modular, repairable laptops, just released its first desktop computer. It's a small desktop PC that punches above its weight. The most interesting part is what's inside the device. Framework is one of the first companies to use AMD's recently announced Strix Halo architecture, also known as the Ryzen AI Max processors. It's an all-in-one processing unit that promises some serious performance. In other words, Framework just designed a PC for two types of customers: people looking for an extremely small gaming PC, or people who want to run large language models on their own computers. From the outside, the Framework Desktop looks more like a toy than a serious computer. It is a small 4.5L computer built around a mini-ITX mainboard, which makes it smaller than a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X. It has a customizable front panel with 21 interchangeable plastic square tiles. When you buy a Framework Desktop on the company's website, you can select tile colors and patterns to create your own front panel. In addition to the usual ports that you usually get with a mini-ITX mainboard, you'll find Framework's iconic expansion cards at the bottom of the device — two at the front, and two at the back. You can select between a wide range of modules, such as USB-C or USB-A ports, a headphone jack, an SD card reader, or even a storage expansion card. The internals are quite simple: There's the mainboard with AMD's accelerated processing unit, a fan, a heat sink, a power supply, and two M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots for storage. AMD's Strix Halo APU is soldered to the mainboard. Framework offers two different configurations — the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395. The top configuration comes with 16 CPU cores, 40 graphics cores, and 80MB of cache, while the entry-level configuration comes with 8 CPU cores, 32 graphics cores, and 40MB of cache. But where's the RAM? That's certainly going to be the most divisive design choice since Framework offers 32GB to 128GB of soldered-in RAM. You won't be able to buy more RAM or upgrade it down the road. 'There is one place we did have to step away from PC norms, though, which is on memory. To enable the massive 256GB/s memory bandwidth that Ryzen AI Max delivers, the LPDDR5x is soldered,' Framework CEO Nirav Patel wrote on the company's blog. 'We spent months working with AMD to explore ways around this, but ultimately determined that it wasn't technically feasible to land modular memory at high throughput with the 256-bit memory bus,' he added. Nevertheless, having as much as 128GB of unified memory unlocks many possibilities when it comes to large language models. Llama 3.3 70B can run without any hiccup using Ollama, and other open source tools for local AI workloads. Other open-weight models from Mistral, Nous, Hermes, or DeepSeek should also run fine. Framework also sells the mainboard without a case. For instance, the company has built a mini-rack with four Framework Desktop mainboards running in parallel for AI testing. The base model of the Framework Desktop starts at $1,099, while the top-end version costs $1,999. Like other Framework computers, the company promises support for Windows as well as popular Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, or its gaming-focused cousin Bazzite. Preorders are open now, but shipments will only start in early Q3 2025.
WIRED
27-02-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Framework's First Desktop Is an Xbox-Sized Mini Gaming PC
The Framework Desktop is built around a mini ITX board that will fit in any PC case, but it's less upgradeable than most desktops. Framework If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED The original Framework Laptop's sales pitch was that it wanted to bring some of the modularity and repairability of the desktop PC ecosystem to a functional, thin, and light laptop. For nearly half a decade, the company has made good on that promise with multiple motherboard upgrades and other tweaks for the original 13-inch Framework Laptop; with the Framework Laptop 16 and Laptop 12, the company has tried to bring the same ethos to gaming/workstation laptops and budget PCs for students. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica, a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Condé Nast. One of Framework's announcements this week was for the company's first desktop PC. Unsurprisingly dubbed the Framework Desktop, it's aimed less at the general-purpose PC crowd and more at people who want the smallest, most powerful desktop they can build and will pay extra money to get it. Preorders for this system start now, and Framework says it should ship in Q3 of 2025. Here was my first question: What does a company trying to build a more desktop-like laptop have to bring to the desktop ecosystem, where things are already standardized, upgradeable, and repairable? The answer, at least for the Framework Desktop announced today: a gaming PC that takes advantage of many PC standards and offers a unique combination of small size and high performance, but which is otherwise substantially less modular and upgradeable than a mini PC you can already buy or build for yourself. Tiny but Fast This mini ITX board is based on existing PC standards—note the M.2 slot, the regular USB-C front headers, and the four-lane PCIe slot—but also comes with a soldered-down CPU and GPU and soldered-down, non-upgradeable RAM. Framework The Framework Desktop is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI Max processor, a Radeon 8060S integrated GPU, and between 32 GB and 128 GB of soldered-in RAM. Over at Ars, we reviewed a more thermally constrained version of these chips in the Asus ROG Flow Z13 tablet—despite technically being an 'integrated' GPU built into the same silicon as the CPU, the number of compute units (up to 40, based on AMD's RDNA 3.5 architecture) plus the high-speed bank of soldered-in RAM gives it performance similar to a midrange dedicated laptop GPU. In Framework's first-party case, the PC starts at $1,099, which gets you a Ryzen AI Max 385 (that's an 8-core CPU and 32 GPU cores) and 32 GB of RAM. A fully loaded 128 GB with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 configuration (16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores) will run you $1,999. There's also an in-between build with the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip and 64 GB of RAM for $1,599. If you just want the mini ITX board to put in a case of your choosing, that starts at $799. None of these are impulse buys, exactly, but they're priced a bit better than a gaming-focused mini PC like the Asus ROG NUC, which starts at nearly $1,300 as of this writing and comes with half as much RAM. It's also priced well compared to what you can get out of a DIY mini ITX PC based on integrated graphics—the Ryzen 7 8700G, an AM5 ITX motherboard, and 32 GB of DDR5 can all be had for around $500 collectively before you add a case, power supply, or SSD, but for considerably slower performance. The volume of the Framework Desktop's first-party case is just 4.5 liters—for reference, the SSUPD Meshroom S is 14.9 liters, a fairly middle-of-the-road volume for an ITX case that can fit a full-size GPU. An Xbox Series X is about 6.9 liters, and the Xbox Series S is 4.4 liters. Apple's Mac Studio is about 3.7 liters. The Framework Desktop isn't breaking records, but it's definitely tiny. Despite the non-upgradeability of the main components, Framework has tried to stick to existing standards where it can by using a flex ATX power supply, ATX headers on the motherboard, regular 120 mm fans that can be changed out, and of course the mini ITX form factor itself. Framework So the pitch for the system is easy: You get a reasonably powerful 1440p-capable gaming and workstation PC inside a case the size of a small game console. 'If the Series S could run Windows, I'd buy it in a second' is a thought that has occurred to me, so I can see the appeal, even though it costs at least three times as much. But it does feel like a strange fit for Framework, given that it's so much less upgradeable than most PCs. The CPU and GPU are one piece of silicon, and they're soldered to the motherboard. The RAM is also soldered down and not upgradeable once you've bought it, setting it apart from nearly every other board Framework sells. 'To enable the massive 256GB/s memory bandwidth that Ryzen AI Max delivers, the LPDDR5x is soldered,' writes Framework CEO Nirav Patel in a post about this week's announcements. 'We spent months working with AMD to explore ways around this but ultimately determined that it wasn't technically feasible to land modular memory at high throughput with the 256-bit memory bus. Because the memory is non-upgradeable, we're being deliberate in making memory pricing more reasonable than you might find with other brands.' Patel notes that Framework 'leveraged all of the key PC standards everywhere we could.' That starts with a mini ITX board that uses standard ATX headers so it can fit into any PC case. The system's 400-W power supply is based on the established Flex ATX standard, and its 120-mm fans (made in cooperation with Cooler Master and Noctua) can be swapped out for any other fan of the same size. A front panel with customizable, 3D-printable square swatches adds a touch of personality and customization. Framework The system also retains some modularity, with swappable black or translucent side panels, an optional carrying handle, 21 customizable tiles on the front (which can be either bought or 3D-printed), and two slots on the front for the same expansion cards used for Framework Laptops. The system also includes a PCI Express slot with four lanes of bandwidth and two M.2 2280 slots for SSDs. Rear I/O includes two USB4 ports, two DisplayPorts, an HDMI port, and a 5-gigabit Ethernet port. Framework says the Desktop will work with not just Windows 11 and the typical Ubuntu and Fedora Linux distributions but also with more gaming-focused Linux distributions like Playtron OS and the SteamOS-based Bazzite. (We don't know whether the Framework Desktop will be supported by actual SteamOS when Valve starts distributing it on third-party PCs, but the desktop seems like a near-ideal way to resurrect the dead Steam Machine idea). So while the non-upgradeable nature of key system components make this machine seem distinctively un-Framework-like, it is Framework-like in that it attempts to identify and address an underserved market niche with something as standards-based as possible. To those looking to put together a more fully modular system with a user-replaceable CPU, GPU, and memory, I'm sure the Framework team would be the first to point you toward the wider PC ecosystem. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
