Exclusive: Next Generation AMD Mobility 7nm CPUs Landing In Q1 2020, Will Bring AMD Gaming Laptops Price Down To $699

Usman Pirzada

So, I finally have an update to my story on AMD's 7nm mobility parts not being ready till late-November. I wasn't sure at that time whether AMD was targetting a holiday season 2019 launch or CES 2020 but it looks like they are angling for CES 2020 because I have received confirmation of availability from the first quarter of 2020. Here's the kicker though: AMD's next-generation mobility parts will include a 6-core 7nm Ryzen processor that will bring the cost of AMD gaming laptops with discrete graphics down to just $699 - a pretty steep price cut for the average consumer.

AMD's disruption continues: 7nm 'Zen 2' mobility CPU available from Q1 2020, will bring the price of gaming laptops significantly down

AMD has already managed to completely disrupt the desktop pricing paradigms in the PC industry irrevocably. From a market that was mostly stagnant at 4-6 cores, we are now looking at octa-cores in the mainstream segment and an HEDT side that could soon end up going all the way to 64 cores. AMD has also reduced the cost of ownership of a laptop for the average game, with AMD Ryzen powered laptops bringing the cost of a latest-generation NVIDIA Turing powered laptop down to just $1099.

Related Story AMD Granite Ridge Ryzen Desktop CPUs Spotted: Zen 5 In 8 & 6 Core Flavors, 105W & 170W TDPs

So here is what AMD has planned next: An AMD gaming laptop, equipped with a Ryzen 5 CPU, complete with discrete graphics, starting from $699. While I do not have confirmation of the exact specification, I do know this pricing is being based on a 7nm Ryzen part with 6-cores along with a dGPU (the Radeon RX 5300M/5500M potentially) and will go up against the Intel Core i5-8265U + GTX 1050 setup. This represents a serious level of gaming performance in the mobility segment and the GTX 1050 could be called the starting point of a true gaming laptop. That said, AMD is clearly pursuing the thin, light and fast ideology while offering good gaming performance.

The AMD 6-core Ryzen 5 7nm mobility CPU will have a 12-hour+ battery life

It gets even better, I am told that the new AMD 7nm part (specifically the 6-core) is netting almost 12 hours in battery life for day to day use, which makes it perfect for the thin and light form factor. Needless to say, this will also help it get a lot of design wins since currently Intel processors are considered the fan-favorite when it comes to battery longevity (among x86 parts) and these usually net around 10-11 hours of battery life.

Assuming its the Radeon RX 5300M/RX5500M that OEMs combine the AMD 7nm Ryzen 5 6-core with, we are looking at some serious power in a very decent price tag. AMD's secret sauce is, of course, the 7nm process. With economies of scale and process maturity kicking in, AMD is really starting to reap the benefits of a brand new node. Keeping both CPU and GPU on the 7nm process means double the economy and margins that are completely within AMD's control.

The new parts are going to be based on Zen 2 architecture and Renoir APU should be included in the lineup. My source told me that OEMs are very happy with these new pricing guidelines and are awaiting the arrival of AMD's 7nm with much gusto. One thing is clear: the winds of the mobility industry are changing - and for the better. I will be doing a follow up on this once I hear more, so this is all for now folks.

What do you think of AMD's 7nm mobility series?
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