AMD makes laptop processor model numbers both less and more confusing

Even for someone who pays a lot of attention to them, processor model numbers can be difficult to decipher. Ideally, each model number should report information about the technology and capabilities behind the chip, making it easy to tell the difference between a new chip and an old chip, or between a fast chip and a slow chip. But these model numbers also serve marketing purposes for both AMD and PC makers who want to advertise that their systems use the latest and greatest chips.

AMD is trying to address this by updating laptop processor model numbers, effective in 2023 when Ryzen 7000 branded laptop processors begin shipping. Here’s how AMD breaks it down:

• The first digit now indicates the year the processor was released, with Ryzen 7000 coming in 2023, Ryzen 8000 coming in 2024, and Ryzen 9000 coming in 2025.
• The higher the second digit, the better the performance. It will no longer have anything to do with the underlying processor architecture, as older chips sometimes do (for example, the Ryzen 5 5500U is based on Zen 2, and the Ryzen 5 5600U is based on Zen 3).
• Now the third digit will indicate the used processor architecture. “1”means original Zen or Zen+, “2”means Zen 2, “3”means Zen 3 or Zen 3+, “4”means Zen 4, and “5”means original. the as yet unannounced Zen 5.
• The fourth digit is another inaccurate measure of performance. CPUs ending in “0”will be slower, and CPUs ending in “5”will be faster (only these two numbers are used at the time of this writing).
• The suffix will denote the chip’s TDP, as it does now. HX series chips are from 55W, Hs series chips are from 35W, U series chips are from 15W to 28W, e series chips are 9W components designed for fanless systems, and C series chips are just chips U-series on Chromebook instead of Windows PC.

AMD also provided this slide showing how the new model numbers will work in practice for the Ryzen 7000 series (which will cover at least four different CPU architectures, from Zen 2 to Zen 4).

At the bottom end, the Ryzen 7020 series will include Athlon, Ryzen 3, and Ryzen 5 processors codenamed Mendocino, which combine the 2019 Zen 2 processor architecture with new RDNA2-based GPU cores on an updated 6nm process. The mid-range processors in the Ryzen 7030 and 7035 series will essentially be repackaged versions of the current Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 6000 processors, codenamed Barcelo-R and Rambrandt-R. The 7040 and 7045 series, codenamed Phoenix and Dragon Range respectively, will be the only completely new processors in the entire lineup and will feature brand new Zen 4 processor cores.

It’s really helpful to see the model numbers arranged in this way for people who are often asked to analyze this kind of information. But whether it actually solves the problem depends on how you think about the problem.

The new numbering will help enthusiasts identify the underlying CPU architecture of any given laptop chip without having to look for it, and will also allow AMD to “upgrade”the CPU for their laptops by taking the currently shipped processor, making small changes to clock speed or the number of GPU cores and release it as a new processor with a brand new model number.

But if you think it’s a problem that AMD uses completely different naming schemes for its laptop and desktop processors, it won’t go away (AMD explicitly says it’s not planning changes to its desktop numbering scheme right now).

And if you find it a problem that very similar model numbers can be used for processors with completely different capabilities, the new numbering might be a little worse. As an enthusiast, I can tell you that the hypothetical Ryzen 5 7630U is a rebranded 5000 series chip, while the Ryzen 5 7635U is a rebranded 6000 series chip. But as a consumer, you should still see the number 7 and think, “Oh, this is new,” even though Rembrandt delivers a significant boost in GPU performance and power efficiency over Barcelo. The new numbers are more transparent than the old ones, but the confusion over processor model numbers isn’t going anywhere.

Image listing from AMD