Nvidia and AMD may be battling for GPU supremacy, but Team Red’s processors are about to steal the show. The Ryzen AI Max APUs, previously reserved for laptops, have proven themselves capable of handling demanding AAA games. But that’s about to change—big time.
In a recent interview with DeepSeek Exploded on Bilibili, AMD CEO Lisa Su dropped a tantalizing hint: Ryzen AI Max processors could soon be making their way to desktop PCs. We’ve already seen the high-end Ryzen AI 395+ powering mini-PCs and gaming laptops with impressive results. If these chips were to be employed in hardcore desktop builds, it could just bring about a new revolution in the gaming market.
The reason is simple – You see, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 isn’t just another run of the mill processor—it’s a whole lot more. With a Radeon 8060S iGPU sporting 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, plus 16 CPU cores and 32 threads, it delivers stellar performance even beyond 1080p. Tests on ETA Prime’s Framework Desktop PC confirm it: Cyberpunk 2077 runs at a silky-smooth 55-60 FPS at 1440p with ultra settings. And if FSR 4 extends to RDNA 3 (right now, it’s limited to RDNA 4), these APUs could be even more formidable.
The real game-changer? This level of performance—all without a discrete GPU. In a desktop PC, that means better efficiency, less power consumption, and a compelling alternative to traditional graphics cards. No, it won’t rival a high-end RTX 4090, but it doesn’t have to.
For year, discrete GPUs have been the golden ticket to top-tier gaming. But that’s changing. Just look at the rise of handheld gaming PCs: the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw 8 AI+ are all embracing powerful APUs. While the Ryzen AI Max chips haven’t yet made their way into handhelds, they’re a perfect match for mini-PCs—offering strong performance without the power-hungry nature of desktop GPUs.
Could this be the beginning of the end for traditional GPUs? Maybe not just yet. But if AMD keeps pushing the envelope, a world where gaming without a dedicated graphics card feels just as premium as with one isn’t as far-fetched as it once seemed.
