Skip to content 
In a subtle yet strategic move, AMD has rolled out a new series of high-end mobile processors—the Ryzen 8000HX family—reviving its Dragon Range platform for gaming laptops. While the company has recently directed much of its spotlight toward its AI-accelerated Zen 5 chips like the Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen AI Max, this launch signals that AMD still sees value in powerful CPU-GPU laptop configurations for traditional gamers.
The refreshed 8000HX chips, now listed on AMD’s official website, are built on the familiar Zen 4 architecture and closely mirror the specifications of the earlier 7000HX series. These chips continue to leverage TSMC’s 5nm FinFET process and feature modest RDNA 2-based Radeon 610M integrated graphics, with power consumption peaking at 75 watts.
Leading the lineup is the Ryzen 9 8945HX, boasting 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Ryzen 7 8745HX rounds out the offering with 8 cores and 16 threads. Notably absent is a Ryzen 5 variant, a clear sign that AMD is targeting premium-tier laptops with this release.
Despite their relatively outdated integrated graphics, these chips are designed to pair with powerful discrete GPUs—likely Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 50 series—since AMD currently has no plans to release mobile RDNA 4 GPUs. With Nvidia effectively owning the high-end mobile GPU space, AMD’s move appears to be about giving laptop manufacturers a cost-effective alternative while filling the gap before more Zen 5-based models gain traction.
This quiet launch is also interesting given that AMD introduced its next-gen Fire Range 9000HX series—based on Zen 5—just a few months ago. The 8000HX chips may serve as a mid-tier offering for OEMs seeking performance without the premium of the latest silicon.
However, timing could be tricky. The recent wave of U.S. tariffs on tech imports, especially from China, poses a challenge for upcoming laptop shipments. Brands like Razer and Framework have already halted pre-orders on certain models due to the new duties, which can hit as high as 125% for some components. While exceptions have been made for countries like Japan and Vietnam, China’s dominance in the supply chain means many devices could still face cost hikes.
Despite geopolitical headwinds, laptops equipped with the Ryzen 8000HX processors are expected to hit the market soon—offering a last hurrah for Zen 4 in the competitive gaming notebook arena.