AMD Mobile Ryzen APUs To Power Acer, HP, Lenovo Ultra-Thin Laptops
AMD announced the first SKUs for its mobile Ryzen APUs, in addition to revealing that Acer, HP, and Lenovo would be featuring the new chips in several new mobile products. AMD provided limited information about the new laptops, but we do know a few important details.
Acer Swift 3
Acer is still working out the final specifications of the new Ryzen-powered Swift 3, but AMD gave us a brief summary of what to expect when it arrives. The new Acer Swift 3 will be available with either AMD Ryzen 5 2500U or Ryzen 7 2700U processors, with up to 8GB of DDR4-2400 memory and up to a 256GB SSD. The 15.6” 1920 x 1080 IPS display is a worthy match to the onboard Vega graphics (with 8 or 10 CUs for 2500U and 2700U, respectively), and the device features a 48 WH battery and weighs in under 3.96lbs.
Full specifications, pricing, and availability of the new Acer Swift 3 with AMD Ryzen processors is currently unknown.
HP Envy x360
The new HP Envy x360 is a straight refresh of the previous model, which featured an AMD FX A12-9800P processor. AMD also stated that the new Envy x360 will likely operate under the same target TDP as the previous iteration.
We reached out to HP and were able to obtain the full specifications of the Envy x360, which can be equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U. The memory and storage options remain the same, with up to 8GB (2 x 4GB) of DDR4-2400 and up to a 512GB SSD or 1TB HDD. The 15.6” 1920 x 1080 IPS display is also a touchscreen, and you can get online using 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
The Envy x360 sports two USB 3.0 ports, in addition to a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port with 5 Gb/s data transfer speeds and DisplayPort 1.2 connectivity. You can also connect an external display with an HDMI port. The device is powered by a 65W AC adapter and a 3-cell 55.8 WH lithium-ion prismatic battery, and it weighs in at 4.75 lbs.
HP indicated that the new Envy x360 will debut in November, starting at $699.
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| Header Cell - Column 0 | HP Envy x360 |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 2500U |
| Memory | Up to 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-2400 |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Vega Graphics (8 CUs) |
| Display | 15.6” 1920 x 1080 IPS Touchscreen |
| Ports | - USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen 1)- USB 3.1 Type-A x2- Card Reader |
| Display Output | - HDMI- USB 3.1 Type-C (DisplayPort 1.2) |
| Networking | 802.11ac Wi-Fi |
| Battery | 3-cell 55.8 WH Lithium-Ion |
| Dimensions | 9.8 x 14.16 x 0.77” |
| Weight | 4.75lbs. |
| Starting MSRP | $699 |
Lenovo Ideapad 720S
Lenovo also declined to offer any further information when we reached out about its new AMD Ryzen-powered laptop, the Ideapad 720S. However, AMD provided basic specifications, revealing that the 720S would feature both of the new mobile Ryzen APUs, the 2500U and 2700U. The 720S will also feature up to a 512GB NVMe SSD and single-channel DDR4-2133, the maximum capacity of which was not disclosed. Similar to the Acer-branded Ryzen laptop offering, the Lenovo 720S also features a 48WH battery, and like the HP Envy x360, it also offers a USB 3.1 Type-C port with DisplayPort connectivity.
The Lenovo Ideapad 720S features a 13.3” 1920 x 1080 IPS display and weighs about 2.51lbs, making it the smallest and lightest laptop among the new Ryzen-equipped notebooks that AMD detailed. Pricing and availability are currently unknown, but Lenovo indicated it would be making a formal announcement for the new 720S in the near future.
Derek Forrest was a contributing freelance writer for Tom's Hardware. He covered hardware news and reviews, focusing on gaming desktops and laptops.
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spiketheaardvark AMD has to do something to discourage these single channel set ups. Putting that much gpu behind a dual channel is pushing it as it is. OEM cheaping out on the RAM may kill these before they've had a chance to prove their worth. It's happened before to AMD APU. Maybe a small discount to help offset the price for OEMReply -
sykozis If AMD keeps allowing OEMs like Lenovo to run single channel memory, they might as well abandon the mobile market altogether.Reply -
neblogai Reply20311859 said:AMD has to do something to discourage these single channel set ups. Putting that much gpu behind a dual channel is pushing it as it is. OEM cheaping out on the RAM may kill these before they've had a chance to prove their worth. It's happened before to AMD APU. Maybe a small discount to help offset the price for OEM
20313089 said:If AMD keeps allowing OEMs like Lenovo to run single channel memory, they might as well abandon the mobile market altogether.
It is not too bad in a case of this Lenovo which is basically an ultra-portable. After all, the iGPU in 2700U/2500U is coupled with fast quadcore/8thread CPU, and will not have much juice left to run heavy continuous tasks like AAA games. Laptop model itself uses only one stick of soldered RAM, both for Intel and AMD models. Maybe AMD's iGPU is affected a bit more- but this is not a gaming machine anyway, and it was sure saving space to make 720S so small and light. As for the other models- sure it is good to see HP x360 using RAM in dual channel. It also comes with 65W power supply, which hopefully indicates higher APU TDP allowance and better cooling- after all- it is twice the weight of the Lenovo. -
muzzin I currently have a 7 year old HP Elitebook with 8GB of RAM. I was very excited to hear I'd have a real shot at an AMD APU in a decent laptop. Not.Reply
8GB max? In a single slot design? What a waste of time. This is the polar opposite bookend to the desktop launch. My expectation for minimum RAM upgrade-ability is 2 slots/16GB for laptops and 4 slots/32GB for desktops. Frankly, that is setting my expectations as low as possible.
8GB= Fail, 1 slot=fail. Try again. -
dbricher Too bad they didn't pick the 14" 720s. They could have used the board real estate gained from removing MX150, GDDR5 and power supply/sequencer to add a second channel of DDR4. This might allow for a higher a TPD.Reply