It has been 8 months since AMD introduced the Ryzen AI 300 “Strix Point” to the market – these are the first APUs (monolithic low-power CPUs with relatively strong integrated GPUs) based on the Zen 5 architecture. Until now, it was unclear whether these CPUs would ever have a desktop version. However, reports have just emerged suggesting that processors featuring Zen 5 and improved integrated graphics are on the way.
According to a post by Korean leaker or information miner HXL, AMD is indeed preparing new “APUs” for the AM5 socket. This was not something considered a given. There were doubts due to the relatively higher production costs, making it uncertain whether the company would release desktop versions at all. The same post by HXL also mentions that MSI is expected to launch a motherboard for the AM5 socket in the Unify (Unify-X) series (such a model is currently not available – previous AMD-based Unify boards only existed for the B550, X570, and X570S chipsets). But that is something unrelated to the planned new APUs, naturally.
The new APU processors for the AM5 socket could primarily offer improved integrated graphics, with better peak performance that what is possible with the current Ryzen 8000G series, which feature GPUs with up to 768 RDNA 3 architecture shaders (this fully enabled configuration is only found in the Ryzen 7 8700G, however). This would raise the bar for graphics performance in compact formats such as Mini-STX and Mini-ITX scenarios where a dedicated graphics card is not suitable. Additionally, these APUs could introduce a more modern CPU architecture with Zen 5 cores, enhancing single-threaded performance in various applications. The current Ryzen 8000G processors are still based on Zen 4.
Will there finally be a more powerful integrated GPU?
No specifications have been confirmed yet, so it remains unclear whether these processors will be based on the larger Strix Point chip, which includes 12 cores (4× Zen 5 and 8× Zen 5c with lower clock speeds, plus 24 MB of L3 cache in total) and an integrated Radeon RDNA 3.5 GPU with up to 16 CUs (1,024 shaders). This would be the more interesting option.
However, AMD could also use the smaller Krackan Point chip. If desktop versions were limited to this cheaper SoC, the maximum configuration would feature eight cores (4× Zen 5, 4× Zen 5c, and 16 MB of L3 cache). However, this processor crucially has a smaller integrated GPU with just 512 RDNA 3.5 shaders. Such APUs would not provide any breakthrough in gaming 3D performance, the benefit of these new APUs would them primarily stem from the Zen 5 CPU architecture.
Both chips are built on a 4nm process, offering a 128-bit DDR5-5600 memory controller and 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes, so there would be no differences in connectivity between them. The main question is how these lanes will be allocated. It is possible that these processors will have just four lanes (PCIe 4.0 ×4) provided for a discrete GPU,in order to preserve full connectivity for SSDs and potentially a USB4 controller on motherboards with the X870E and X870 chipsets (two PCIe 4.0 ×4 connections), along with four lanes required for the chipset connection
Eight lane interface available for GPUs could only be achieved if both SSD interfaces were reduced to two lanes each, which seems unlikely. Limiting the GPU slot to four lanes would make pairing a discrete graphics card with these APUs an even less attractive option than before. Additionally, if AMD releases any “F” models with the integrated GPU disabled based on these APUs, they would be quite unsuitable for gaming PCs.
Both Strix Point and Krackan Point chips include an NPU with 50 TOPS of performance, meaning that such desktop APUs for the AM5 socket could be branded as Ryzen AI (possibly Ryzen AI 300G or Ryzen AI 9000G) and support Copilot+ PC AI features in Windows 11. This could lead to the emergence of desktop PCs labeled as “Copilot+ PC,” whereas until now, such branding has been reserved for laptops. This might finally allow users to build their own “DIY” Copilot+ PC.
Next year or later this year?
The release is reportedly planned for the fall (Q4 2025), meaning these desktop versions of Zen 5 APUs could theoretically become available this year. However, it is uncertain whether this refers to availability for OEM system manufacturers, as AMD typically does not release these families of processors at the end of the year. It seems more likely that an official launch would take place in January at CES 2026. However, both scenarios remain possible.
Sources: VideoCardz, HXL
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
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