At CES 2025, AMD took the spotlight by unveiling its latest gaming processors and GPUs. The company revealed the Ryzen 9950X3D and 9900X3D desktop processors, alongside the Ryzen™ Z2 Series for handhelds, marking a significant leap in Zen 5 performance.
AMD Ryzen™ 9950X3D and 9900X3D Desktop Processors
The Ryzen 9950X3D and 9900X3D are engineered for elite gaming and content creation, utilizing 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache technology for superior efficiency.
| Model | Cores/Threads | Boost / Base Frequency | Total Cache | PCIe | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen™ 9950X3D | 16C/32T | Up to 5.7 / 4.3 GHz | 144 MB | Gen 5 | 170W |
| AMD Ryzen™ 9900X3D | 12C/24T | Up to 5.5 / 4.4 GHz | 140 MB | Gen 5 | 120W |
- Ryzen™ 9950X3D (16 cores, 32 threads, up to 5.7 GHz boost)
- Ryzen™ 9900X3D (12 cores, 24 threads, up to 5.5 GHz boost)
Radeon RX 9000 Series: RDNA 4 and FSR 4
AMD also announced the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, powered by the RDNA 4 architecture. Shifting focus to the high-performance midrange, these cards debuted with a massive AI performance boost.
- Radeon RX 9070 XT ($599): Launched March 6, 2025. Features 16GB GDDR6 and 64 Compute Units.
- Radeon RX 9070 ($549): Launched March 6, 2025. Aimed at outperforming the previous gen RX 7800 XT.
- FSR 4: Introduced a machine-learning upscaler, debuting with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Ryzen™ Z2 Series: Handheld Gaming on the Go
For gamers on the move, AMD introduced the Ryzen™ Z2 Series processors, bringing console-class gaming to handheld devices. With up to 8 Zen 5 cores and RDNA™ 3.5 architecture, the Z2 processors deliver ultra-responsive gaming and power-efficient designs for long-lasting play sessions. Available in Q1 2025, the lineup includes:
- Ryzen™ Z2 Extreme (8 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.0 GHz)
- Ryzen™ Z2 (4 cores, 8 threads, up to 5.1 GHz)
- Ryzen™ Z2 Go (4 cores, 8 threads, up to 4.3 GHz)
Key Features of RDNA 4:
- Increased SIMD Performance: AMD claims RDNA 4 will offer a significant boost in SIMD performance for gaming workloads.
- Generational AI Performance Boost: The 2nd Gen AI accelerators bring enhanced performance. AMD is also introducing its own generative AI tool, “AMD Adrenalin AI,” which can generate images, summarize documents, assist with linguistic tasks, and act as a chatbot for AMD-related queries.
- 3rd Gen Ray Accelerator: This upgrade will help improve ray tracing performance by offloading more tasks to dedicated hardware, freeing up the SIMD engine.
- Media and Display I/O: AMD promises major improvements to media acceleration and display I/O in the new GPUs.
New FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4)
AMD also unveiled FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) for RDNA 4, featuring a machine learning-based upscaling component. This will work in tandem with Frame Generation and an upgraded Anti-Lag 2, enhancing gaming performance. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is confirmed to be one of the first games to utilize FSR 4.
Add-In Board Partners and Launch Details
Nearly all of AMD’s hardware partners, such as Acer, ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE, Sapphire, PowerColor, XFX, Vastarmor, and Yeston, are preparing Radeon 9070 series graphics cards. These partners manufacture and sell custom-designed versions of AMD’s reference GPUs, known as Add-In Boards (AIBs). However, MSI has reportedly discontinued its participation in the AMD AIB market.
GPU Architecture: The “Navi 48”
AMD also gave us a glimpse of the “Navi 48” GPU powering the Radeon RX 9070 series. The GPU features a unique rectangular die with a 2:1 aspect ratio, which suggests that it may combine two “Navi 44” dies for improved performance. The “Navi 48” is expected to feature a 256-bit GDDR6 memory interface and 64 compute units (4,096 stream processors), while the “Navi 44” is half that, with a 128-bit memory interface and 32 compute units.
Both the “Navi 48” and “Navi 44” will be built on TSMC’s N4P (4 nm EUV) foundry node, which is used for AMD’s mobile processors and CPU chiplets.
Shaping the Future of Gaming: AMD’s Ambitious 2025 Roadmap
AMD’s announcements at CES 2025 showcase the company’s continued push to lead the gaming and computing industries with technology. From the powerful Ryzen™ 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors for desktop gamers and creators, to the versatile Ryzen Z2 handheld gaming processors, AMD is providing a variety of high-performance options for every type of gamer.
The unveiling of the Radeon RX 9070 series powered by the revolutionary RDNA 4 architecture promises to elevate graphics performance across the board, with features like AI-enhanced upscaling, improved ray tracing, and better media acceleration.
As we look ahead, the competition in both CPU and GPU markets will intensify with AMD’s strong offerings, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming and content creation. Keep an eye out for these groundbreaking products set to launch throughout 2025, as AMD continues to reshape the for gamers worldwide.
