AMD's latest Ryzen AI Max+ 392 has emerged as a benchmark surprise, outperforming the Ryzen 9 7900X in early tests. This 12-core/24-thread processor, part of the Strix Halo family announced at CES 2026, is designed for more accessible gaming laptops but delivers multicore performance that rivals high-end desktop parts.
The Ryzen AI Max+ 392 features two CCDs, base clocks at 3.2 GHz, and boost clocks reaching 5.0 GHz. It includes a full-featured Radeon 8060S iGPU with all 40 CUs enabled, a 50 TOPS NPU, and supports LPDDR5X memory speeds up to 8533 MT/s with configurations of up to 128 GB of memory. The platform also offers a configurable TDP range from 45W to 120W.
Performance data comes from an ASUS TUF Gaming A14 laptop running the Ryzen AI Max+ 392 with 64 GB of LPDDR5X memory at 8000 MT/s. In Geekbench 6, the system achieved scores of 2,917 points (single-core) and 18,071 points (multicore). The multicore result slightly edges out the desktop Ryzen 9 7900X and comes close to newer Zen 5 desktop parts.
These early results suggest that more affordable AMD Strix Halo SKUs still deliver strong CPU throughput while maintaining a high-end iGPU configuration. Laptops based on Ryzen AI Max+ 392 and Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (8-core/16-thread CPU, single CCD, 3.60 GHz base with 5.00 GHz boost) are expected to arrive in retail during the first half of the year.
Key Specs
- CPU: Ryzen AI Max+ 392 (12-core/24-thread, two CCDs)
- Clock Speeds: Base: 3.2 GHz, Boost: 5.0 GHz
- iGPU: Radeon 8060S with all 40 CUs enabled
- NPU: 50 TOPS
- Memory: LPDDR5X up to 8533 MT/s, configurations with up to 128 GB of memory
- TDP: Configurable range from 45W to 120W
The Ryzen AI Max+ 392's performance in early benchmarks is notable for its multicore capabilities, which rival those of high-end desktop parts. This suggests that AMD has made significant efficiency improvements with the Zen 5 architecture, allowing mobile processors to deliver comparable performance to their desktop counterparts.
However, the single-core performance remains a critical factor, especially for gaming and other tasks that rely heavily on single-threaded performance. The Ryzen AI Max+ 392's single-core score of 2,917 points in Geekbench 6 indicates strong single-threaded capabilities, which are crucial for real-world applications.
