AMD Might Offer a More Affordable Hawk Point APU Soon
AMD seems to be releasing a new version of its Ryzen 7 8845HS APU, potentially called the Ryzen 7 8745HS. The catch? It drops the XDNA NPU, possibly for a lower price point.
Here's the rundown:
- No NPU: The Ryzen 7 8745HS will reportedly have identical specs to the existing 8845HS, minus the dedicated AI processing unit.
- Performance Unaffected: This change shouldn't impact general performance, only AI-specific tasks.
- Potentially Cheaper: The lack of an NPU could translate to a more affordable price tag compared to devices with the Ryzen 7 8845HS.
- Availability Unclear: AMD hasn't officially confirmed the Ryzen 7 8745HS, so its release date and regional availability remain unknown.
Why This Matters:
While the first-gen XDNA NPU wasn't powerful enough for features like Microsoft Copilot+, removing it might allow AMD to offer a more budget-friendly option for users who don't need dedicated AI processing. This could make the powerful Hawk Point architecture accessible to a wider audience.