What kind of 2024 did AMD expertise? This yr was quiet in some respects for Staff Pink – with not a lot exercise within the GPU house, save for one notable exception – however there was extra taking place on the CPU entrance, though the introduction of latest Zen 5 processors proved controversial.
New laptop computer chips for Copilot+ PCs and a recent X3D providing had been particular highlights, so with none additional preamble, let’s dig into what was good, unhealthy, or detached for AMD in 2024.
Vanilla Ryzen 9000 CPUs fizzled upon launch
This yr we acquired new Ryzen processors, though the launch of those Zen 5 chips was pushed again a month from July to August – a delay which some thought to be ominous on the time. These extra pessimistic mutterings was one thing of a web based outcry when the Ryzen 9000 vary did ultimately arrive, with the PC neighborhood seemingly fast to label the brand new processors a flop.
That’s a harsh conclusion to leap to, maybe, though it’s simple that Ryzen 9000 didn’t meet the expectations of would-be CPU consumers, notably for gaming efficiency, the place uplifts had been extensively reported to be nearer to five% than the ten% AMD was touting prerelease (which is the place the ‘Zen 5%’ joke comes from). The higher information is that Ryzen 9000 swiftly acquired higher efficiency because of fine-tuning work in Home windows 11 24H2 – although crucially, Ryzen 7000 chips obtained near the identical (main) uplift.
Following quite shaky evaluations of the mainstream Ryzen 9700X and 9600X choices, gross sales appeared to flag out of the gate – partly on account of Ryzen 7000 chips nonetheless being round with fairly deep reductions utilized, making them comparatively extra tempting.
So, the flak AMD caught from a gaming angle wasn’t good in any respect right here, however Staff Pink did have a few issues in its favor. Its desktop CPU rival, Intel, spent the entire of 2024 coping with manner worse points than a lukewarm reception round gaming prowess – with Staff Blue’s thirteenth and 14th-gen processors being tormented by nasty instability points (that had been ultimately fastened). On prime of that, Intel’s new Core Extremely 200S (Arrow Lake) desktop CPUs fared simply as badly as Ryzen 9000 – truly, worse – out of the gate by way of gaming efficiency.
That gave AMD some respiratory room, after which Staff Pink shot again with a robust volley to entice PC players by way of a swift launch of its new 3D V-Cache processors.
Ryzen 9800X3D to the rescue
Final yr, we noticed the introduction of 3D V-Cache for Zen 4 CPUs, and the Ryzen 7800X3D caught hearth as the most well-liked gaming CPU on the market. Whereas usually AMD takes a while to push out X3D chips for any given era, with Zen 5, these gaming-focused processors arrived very swiftly. Certainly, the Ryzen 9800X3D debuted within the first week of November, only some months after Ryzen 9000 chips.
You might argue that this hasty look was pushed by to remove the unhealthy style from Ryzen 9000, and certainly the Ryzen 9800X3D did precisely that for PC players. As we present in our evaluate, this CPU is critically pepped up (with the power to be overclocked for the primary time, too), and a very good gaming chip – we known as it the perfect processor launch of 2024, in actual fact.
The sticking level for the 9800X3D was the marginally hiked MSRP, together with the preliminary inventory promoting out in a short time, a scenario compounded by scalping woes. Nonetheless, this clearly was the piece of silicon AMD wanted to get out of the door to recuperate its CPU fame, and actually take the combat to Intel.
Additionally, i’s price noting that we had been handled to a welcome wallet-friendly last-gen providing from AMD, the Ryzen 7600X3D, as a finances gaming CPU (and a fantastic match for small form-factor builds) – however as a Micro Middle unique within the US (once more).
GPU disappointment – with a giant saving grace
AMD was a hive of exercise with graphics playing cards final yr, filling out the RDNA 3 sequence with numerous fashions of GPU, from the lower-end RX 7600, by the mid-range territory with the RX 7700 XT and 7800 XT. Earlier than that in 2022, we solely had high-end fashions with the RDNA 3 household.
To say this yr was a little bit of a distinction is an understatement. On the very begin of 2024, we did get a brand new RX 7600 XT, the pepped-up tackle essentially the most wallet-friendly RDNA 3 GPU, nevertheless it was a modest improve, not all that compelling within the worth stakes, and general it didn’t arise nicely in comparison with its Nvidia rival (the RTX 4060).
We had been hoping for some new entrants on the true finances finish of the GPU market in 2024, under the RX 7600, however the rumored RX 7400 and 7300 by no means confirmed. (Though bizarrely, we did get some milking of historic low-end Radeon GPUs).
We had been additionally hoping for RDNA 4 with much more eagerness, after all, however that didn’t occur both. Regardless of the rumor mill firmly believing these next-gen graphics playing cards might debut later in 2024, they didn’t – and the grapevine now has a Q1 2025 launch predicted. General, the no-show from RDNA 4 – which is rumored to prime out on the mid-range, with an RX 8700 XT flagship in principle – was one of many largest disappointments within the PC sphere for us in 2024.
What we did get, although, was a rocket-powered rabbit – a Golden Rabbit Version, or GRE, model of the RX 7900, to be exact. Now, this was a GPU that was launched in China in the midst of 2023, nevertheless it was solely launched globally in February 2024. At that time, the RX 7900 GRE stormed our listing of the perfect GPUs and stole the highest place, arguably being the perfect entry-level choice for 4K gaming.
So, it wasn’t an entire washout for Staff Pink in any case, notably when you think about that the RX 7800 XT additionally topped our greatest GPU listing when it emerged final yr. The GRE was the one factor that was GRE-at (sorry) about 2024 for AMD’s GPUs, although.
Ryzen AI 300 bursts onto the scene to tackle Qualcomm Snapdragon X
As you likely observed, 2024 was the yr that Copilot+ PCs launched, and the one chips powering these AI laptops had been Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X SoCs to start with.
AMD and Intel weren’t that far behind with CPUs that had a beefy sufficient NPU to qualify because the engine of a Copilot+ PC, although, and Staff Pink’s Ryzen AI 300 (x86) processors (also called Strix Level) arrived in laptops ranging from July 2024. Nonetheless, the obtainable fashions had been very skinny on the bottom to start with, and certainly the quantity of alternative with Strix Level notebooks stays restricted whilst this yr attracts to an in depth.
Ryzen AI 300 proved to be robust for AI, and in addition basic efficiency and cellular gaming, too, simply matching Qualcomm’s effort – with the benefit of getting not one of the compatibility points that the Arm-based Snapdragon X CPUs have as baggage.
That mentioned, Intel additionally debuted Lunar Lake cellular (x86) processors for Copilot+ PCs in 2024, and these additionally proved to be very robust CPUs – and a match for Ryzen AI 300 in lots of respects. Briefly, two nice x86 alternate options to Qualcomm Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ PCs emerged in 2024, albeit we want extra laptops packing this silicon.
Concluding ideas
Different notable happenings for AMD in 2024 included the discharge of FSR 3.1 – which stays lagging behind Nvidia DLSS, though possibly AI will repair that – and an eye-opening achievement in outgunning Intel within the information heart area by way of general income.
Whereas the launch of Ryzen 9000 CPUs triggered some wobbles, we’ve got to keep in mind that these aren’t unhealthy chips by any means – they only didn’t meet (gaming) expectations, and didn’t appear all that nice worth in comparison with previous-gen processors (at closely lower costs) that are nonetheless very a lot on cabinets (in the intervening time).
Ryzen 9000’s time will likely come, and at any price, AMD recovered suitably with the Ryzen 9800X3D – and wasn’t precisely underneath stress from Intel, both, as Staff Blue had larger worries than the criticisms Staff Pink confronted.
GPU launches had been skinny on the bottom from AMD, and quite disappointing – save for that RX 7900 GRE – and RDNA 4 failing to look this yr was an extra supply of some dismay.
Sadly, 2024 additionally noticed AMD implement main layoffs, with the corporate making no bones about an rising deal with the world of AI, the place plentiful income are to be made.
Is that elevated leaning into AI something to do with pushing again RDNA 4 graphics playing cards, maybe? We don’t know that, and wouldn’t get carried away with any paranoia round AMD deprioritizing shopper GPUs but – it’s in all probability extra to do with market situations and promoting by current-gen RDNA 3 inventory. Moreover, you may apply that line of nervous pondering to Nvidia equally, with next-gen Blackwell gaming GPUs additionally failing to show up this yr, and maybe set to launch within the shadow of a lot larger potential AI income.
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