Excitement is building in the tech world with the sighting of AMD’s forthcoming Ryzen “Krackan Point” APUs on the Openbenchmarking database. These processors, tailored for mainstream laptops, promise to pack a powerful punch with support for ultra-fast LPDDR5X-8000 memory and up to 8 Zen 5 cores.
AMD’s journey into the Zen 5 realm initially began with the Strix Point “Ryzen AI 300” APUs, targeting the high-performance computing crowd. Now, AMD is broadening its horizons by introducing the Ryzen “Krackan Point” series aimed at the more budget-conscious market, specifically laptops priced around $1000 or less. One such chip, identified as the AMD 100-000000713-21_N, has made its appearance as an engineering sample, showcasing 8 cores and 16 threads with a clock speed soaring to 3.95 GHz.
This engineering marvel was tested on the Birman Plus-KRK evaluation motherboard, reaffirming its association with the Krackan Point series. The test setup included 32 GB of LP5X 8000 MT/s memory from Hynix, though details on the graphics capabilities remain under wraps except for a maximum graphics clock of 2500 MHz.
In terms of performance, this APU draws comparisons with the Ryzen 7 7840HS, which belongs to AMD’s Phoenix family. While these preliminary results display somewhat lower performance due to its early-stage nature, enthusiasts can anticipate notable improvements leading up to its official release.
The Krackan Point family is expected to feature up to 8 cores, combining Zen 5 and Zen 5C architectures, along with 16 MB of shared L3 cache, 8 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units, and compatibility with LPDDR5X-8000 plus DDR5 memory formats. Additional features include the integrated XDNA 2 Engine and anticipated support of up to 50 AI TOPS. A launch could be on the horizon in the first half of 2025, hitting the FP8 platform with a power envelope of 15W to 45W.
Poised to compete with Intel’s Lunar Lake SOCs such as the Core Ultra 200V series, the Ryzen “Krackan Point” processors may have an edge with a more appealing price. Pricing strategies and performance benchmarks will be critical in swaying the preferences of potential buyers.
Furthermore, the Krackan Point series has been uncovered in two PRO configurations, the Ryzen 5 PRO and Ryzen 7 PRO models, both designed with a 28W rating on the FP8 platform. As the release date draws nearer, industry insiders anticipate the unveiling of these processors at CES 2025, with retail availability slated for early 2025.
With AMD pushing the boundaries of what the Zen 5 could achieve, the Krackan Point series stands as a promising development for users seeking high-performance at more affordable price points in the laptop sector. Stay tuned as more details emerge and we inch closer to these chips hitting the market.
