AMD preps yet another Ryzen AI MAX SKU: 388 with 40 RDNA3.5 Compute Units
The new chip would feature one CPU chiplet and full graphics.
While there are hardly any gaming handhelds or gaming-oriented Strix Halo products, users who are focused purely on gaming can save hundreds of dollars if they choose the lower-end SKU called Ryzen AI MAX 385. Unlike the flagship MAX+ 395, it has 8 instead of 16 cores, and it also has cut-down graphics from 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units to 32.
Still, for many this is a good balance for gaming. The good news is that this choice may soon have another option that would require no such sacrifices. The Ryzen AI MAX+ 388 was just spotted over at PassMark.
Initially it was not quite clear what the “+” means in MAX branding, but the explanation may be simpler than that. The + applies to all SKUs with full Radeon 8060S graphics featuring 40 CUs. For this reason, the new SKU, although it should sit below MAX 390, would still feature the plus branding. This matches what Intel is planning for the Core Ultra 300 series, where “X” variants would also feature full graphics.
Ryzen AI MAX+ 388 is an 8-core CPU that has been spotted over at PassMark. This does not mean the SKU is confirmed, but PassMark rarely lists SKUs that never reach the market. In fact, it is much more reliable than Geekbench, which might have such variants.
Source: PassMark
The APU is apparently used for a product called SU AXP77. This name rings a bell, and a quick check confirms that this is a product from Six United that we covered last month . The AXP77 is a 14-inch tablet, and it was listed with a Strix Halo 65 W TDP variant and an 1800p AMOLED screen. PassMark data claims this product would have featured 24 GB of memory, which is usually a good choice for gaming handhelds, but officially Six United plans to have up to a 64 GB option there.
Source: PassMark
While the first product is not a gaming handheld (sadly), the MAX+ 388 looks like a strong APU for gaming systems. It took a long time for AMD to even start making more Halo products for general use, a segment currently dominated by AI-oriented mini-PCs that feature 128 GB of memory. For gaming, that spec is irrelevant, and we look forward to more options with such APUs and less memory at considerably lower price points (below $1000 would already be great).
| AMD Ryzen 300 Series | ||
|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz | Cores/Threads | GPU |
AMD RYZEN AI 300 Max Series Zen5, RDNA3.5, XDNA2, 45-120W | ||
| AI Ryzen Max+ (Pro) 395 | 16C/32T | R8060S 40CU |
| AI Ryzen Max (Pro) 390 | 12C/24T | R8050S 32CU |
| AI Ryzen Max+ 388 🆕 | 8C/16T | R8060S 40CU |
| AI Ryzen Max (Pro) 385 | 8C/16T | R8050S 32CU |
| AI Ryzen Max Pro 380 | 6C/12T | R8040S 16CU |
Source: PassMark via @realVictor_M
