Here on the Computex show floor, the biggest and boldest players in the PC world are roaming about. Adam managed to lasso Donny Woligroski, AMD’s Senior Technical Marketing Manager, in order to pick his brain on a few topics. To find out more about AM4’s incredible longevity, AM5’s new lifespan, Ryzen 9000 chips, and the future of mobile PC gaming, check out our live interview.
First up, two more AM4 chips, after another two were revealed back at CES at the beginning of the year. That gives this single desktop socket seven years of support, and an amazing 145 total chips. Donny says, “Why do we make it? Because there’s a market and we have the material…if we can make something good that people will use, that makes sense for some people, why wouldn’t we make it?
On the topic of the now-standard AM5 socket getting extended support through 2027, Woligroski says there’s no reason not to give users the same kind of extended support. “…the next generation of DDR, or the things that would necessitate a new platform — we don’t see that hitting any time soon. So that gives us runway to keep the platform going, just like we do with AM4.”
When Adam asks about those new Ryzen 9000 chips scheduled for release in July, specifically about the pricing… Donny offered no details. Come on, you know these guys don’t like to give the juicy deets in live interviews. What about the new “Ryzen AI” branding for the laptop chips? “Is AI that huge of a deal, that you’re going to completely change that branding?” Adam asks.
“I think it is. If you look at what our partners are doing, like Microsoft, they’re really committed to adding functionality that would use an NPU that makes a difference in how a person uses their PC. This is a part of that. That’s another reason this is a whole new naming scheme, we’re denoting here this is something different.”
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
Finally they broached Adam’s favorite niche, handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck. Specifically he wanted to know if new silicon is on the way, since the latest chips for these devices (even the one in the brand new ROG Ally X) are over a year old. “In the ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go we have the [Ryzen] Z1. Can we expect a Z2, or a Z2 Extreme, anytime soon?”
“I’m so sorry Adam. I cannot comment on future products.” Hey, no hard feelings Donny. You can’t blame a nerd for trying. Check out the full video for all the details I couldn’t cover, and be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube if you want an absolute avalanche of coverage on all the cool stuff coming out of Computex.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.