Unleashing the Power of AMD Strixpoint Chips

InfoThis is a summary of the following YouTube video:

The Laptop I've ALWAYS Wanted!

Dave2D

Jul 28, 2024

·

Science & Technology

AMD's new chips enhance Asus ZenBook S16

  1. This year marks a significant improvement for Windows laptops, with notable devices from Intel and Qualcomm, but the anticipation was high for AMD's new technology.
  2. AMD has introduced new chips, the Ryzen AI9 HX 370 and the base model 365, in the Asus ZenBook S16, offering excellent performance and energy efficiency.
  3. The ZenBook S16 is an exceptionally thin device, measuring 12 to 13 mm thick, yet it maintains good performance due to the new AMD chip.
  4. Despite its thin design, the ZenBook S16 includes a variety of ports: two USB-C, HDMI, USB-A, and a full-size SD card slot, showcasing a well-rounded package.
  5. The laptop features a unique 'ceramic aluminum' finish, which is a ceramic polymer bonded to the top aluminum layer, making the surface harder and giving it a polished concrete or stone feel.
  6. The ZenBook S16 is available in two colors: dark gray and cream, with the latter being particularly praised for its aesthetic appeal.
  7. The design includes a distinctive grill with small and even tinier holes, providing a unique look and slightly better spill resistance compared to larger holes.

High-performance, energy-efficient, thin laptop

  1. The laptop features a 16-inch OLED panel that offers excellent image quality, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and a response time under a millisecond. It also supports touch and pencil input, although the base configurations do not include a pen.
  2. The performance of the laptop is powered by AMD's Strixpoint RYZEN HX 370 and 365 chips. Both chips operate at default power settings of 17 watts, which can be increased to 28 watts in performance mode. These chips can go up to 54 watts in thicker devices.
  3. Despite the lower power settings, the laptop delivers impressive performance due to the energy efficiency of the chips. This efficiency results in low heat output and quiet fan noise, allowing the device to remain thin.
  4. The laptop's thermal management includes a super thin vapor chamber, graphite sheets, and a pair of fans, ensuring solid thermal performance even during gaming.
  5. The GPU varies depending on the chip: the 365 chip comes with a Radeon 880m, while the HX 370 chip includes a Radeon 890m, which has more compute units and offers a noticeable performance improvement over the previous generation.

Portable but warm keyboard

  1. The AMD 780M onboard GPU is suitable for light and moderately demanding games but not for high-end gaming, which requires discrete GPUs from Nvidia or AMD.
  2. The HX 370 chip in the Asus ZenBook S16 offers impressive video editing performance despite the device's thinness, making it highly portable.
  3. A thermal limitation is noted where the keyboard gets warm during intensive tasks like gaming or video editing, although it doesn't become uncomfortably hot.
  4. The keyboard is backlit and comfortable to type on but lacks responsiveness due to shallow key travel, a compromise made for the device's thinness.
  5. The trackpad is large, centered, and user-friendly, benefiting from the absence of a number pad.

Review of AMD Strixpoint RYZEN HX chips

  1. The review discusses the control features of the Asus ZenBook S16, noting that the touch controls for brightness and volume are not very responsive. The reviewer prefers physical buttons for accuracy.
  2. The speakers on the Asus ZenBook S16 are praised for their quality, with the reviewer stating they are better than most other laptops in the industry, including the 15-inch MacBook Air, but not as good as the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
  3. The battery of the Asus ZenBook S16 is highlighted as a significant feature, with a 78-watt-hour capacity. The reviewer notes that AMD chips have been known for their energy efficiency, and this generation is even better, providing long battery life for light tasks.
  4. The reviewer explains their testing methodology, which involves matching battery sizes across different laptops, including gaming laptops, to ensure fair comparisons.
  5. The topic of AI and the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) in the AMD Strixpoint RYZEN HX chips is mentioned. The reviewer notes that while the NPU has potential, there hasn't been a standout application from Microsoft that fully utilizes it yet. Additionally, the Asus ZenBook S16 is not classified as a 'co-pilot plus' laptop, a designation reserved for Snapdragon X Elite devices.

Premium, thin, high-performance laptop

  1. The Asus ZenBook S16 is reviewed, focusing on its new AMD Strixpoint RYZEN HX 370 and 365 chips.
  2. The base model of the laptop is priced at $1399, which is considered expensive and positions it as a premium product.
  3. The HX 370 equipped model, which includes more RAM, is priced $200 to $300 higher than the base model.
  4. The reviewer emphasizes that purchasing decisions should be based on individual budgets and needs.
  5. The laptop is noted for its thin design and unique performance capabilities with an x86 chip, making it stand out in the market.
  6. The premium finish and aesthetics of the laptop justify its high price, according to the reviewer.
  7. The reviewer suggests that those on a tighter budget might want to wait for other, less expensive devices to become available.
  8. Overall, the Asus ZenBook S16 is described as delivering impressive performance and exceeding expectations.