Techies, get this. Some juicy benchmark figures of the upcoming Ryzen AI 7 350 APU, codenamed Krackan Point, have been leaked. These scores are popping online. The world gets its first serious look into the power capabilities of this new chip. Let us break it down and see what it all means.
Cinebench Scores: R23 and R24
The benchmark sets we are considering are Cinebench. Cinebench is an industry-recognized CPU stress-testing tool. We have scores for both Cinebench R23 and the more recent Cinebench 2024. To break it down again on the Ryzen AI 7 350:
- Cinebench R23 Single-Core: 1943 points
- Cinebench R23 Multi-Core: 14607 points
- Cinebench 2024 Single-Core: 114 points
- Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core: 820 points
These tests were apparently run at a 28W TDP. This is quite power efficient for a chip aiming for that level of performance.
Performance Comparison: Where Does It Fit?
Numbers are cool, but what do they mean. The leaker also placed the Ryzen AI 7 350 alongside some existing chips for context:
- Against Ryzen 7 7840H (28W): The new chip shows about 15% performance gain in single-core tests (using R24 as the comparison point). That is a worth jump in efficiency.
- Against Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 (Strix Point): Performance levels are explained as being "almost identical." Not a big surprise, as they were expected to be in the same class. Single-core scores are very close. Multi-core is touching down the same playing field as well.
- Against Ryzen 7 8845HS (Hawk Point): The Ryzen 7 8845HS (which has 8 full-fat Zen 4 cores) actually seems to have a slight edge in multi-core in Cinebench 2024. However, the Krackan Point chip seems to be doing a bit better in single-core in that test. This could be attributed to architectural improvements in Zen 5 and Zen 5c, notwithstanding the core configuration being a mixed one.
Insights on Zen 5 + Zen 5c: Core Configuration
The leak also touched on something interesting about the core setup: 4+4 in the same CCX (Core Complex). What does that mean. It means the 4 "big" Zen 5 cores and the 4 "smaller" Zen 5c cores could share the same 16MB L3 cache. This matters a lot. It could reduce latency and increase performance in the applications that make good use of quick access to cached data.
Initial Thoughts and What Next?
All considered, the leaked benchmarks tell a story of a central processing unit that meets expectations for the "orthodox iteration" of the Phoneix/Hawk lines. CPU performance appears to be right where it was anticipated to be. The integrated graphics (8CU 860M) may not necessarily outperform the 780M in any way that could be rightly called significant, though that may not worry anyone much. This is a fairly balanced and efficient chip, by the looks.
Now remember that these benchmarks are, indeed, leaks. Therefore take them with a pinch of salt. They give a wonderful early insight into the workings of Ryzen AI 7 350, aka Krackan Point. Quite intriguing, is it not. We shall be looking out for any official information and actual testing as we near these chips' release.
