Could we see a major shakeup in the gaming laptop market this year?
A Redditor shared over the weekend a "how to sell" PDF that's still on the AMD website that reveals what could be bad news for Nvidia — though there are still plenty of question marks.
The document reveals testing benchmarks for AMD's Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" APU processor, and they imply that AMD's integrated Radeon 8060S GPU is more powerful than the Nvidia RTX 4070 discrete mobile GPU.
If these benchmarks are accurate, as AMD claims, they could give budget-conscious gamers an alternative to Nvidia's pricey RTX GPUs.
New Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" performance benchmarks
The benchmarks AMD shared show a 23% average increase in frame rates with the Radeon 8060S iGPU compared to the Nvidia RTX 4070.
Additionally, AMD recorded these results on the 2023 and 2025 Asus ROG Flow Z 13 gaming tablets at similar TDPs and form factors.
AMD tested both systems on High settings at 1080p resolution and ran multiple game benchmarks including: Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, Far Cry 6, Borderlands 3, and Assassin's Creed: Mirage.
Laptop Mag uses many of these same benchmarks in its testing to find the Best gaming laptops. However, we opt for "Ultra" graphics settings — not "High" — and disable frame-generation technology like AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution, or FSR for short.
However, with scores of 77-197 fps (frames per second), the Ryzen AI Max 395 is on the high end of the spectrum for mobile GPU performance.
AMD does not state in the PDF whether FSR or Nvidia's DLSS was enabled while testing the Ryzen AI Max 395 and RTX 4070.
While AMD's benchmarks look reliable, we'll wait for our independent testing to confirm the performance.
However, assuming these benchmarks are accurate, the Ryzen AI Max could be a solid contender for the mid-range gaming space, as it would easily outperform the RTX 4050 and 4060 mobile GPUs.
Is the RTX 4070 a good comparison point for Strix Halo?
AMD's benchmarks are a fair comparison for the RTX 4070 mobile GPU and Ryzen AI Max 395, as both are restricted to a similar device. Though the two Flow Z13 gaming tablets have some differences in build, they are the best comparison we can make with existing consumer devices.
Yes, the 2023 Flow Z13 has an Intel Core i9-13900H processor, nearly two generations behind. And yes, gamers backing Team Blue prefer the Intel HX series CPUs over the H.
Asus likely decided to build the Flow Z13 with the 13900H rather than the HX variant due to the Z13 tablet's thermal constraints.
So, given all that, the comparison to the RTX 4070 feels about as fair as we can expect without running the chips on an independent test bench.
In my hands-on testing with the Flow Z13 at CES, the tablet performed smoothly and at decently high graphics settings while playing Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
Even if Ratchet and Clank isn't the most demanding game, the Ryzen AI Max 395 performed well after hours of running the same demo.
So, while I can't say I can confirm the RTX 4070 comparisons, I can't argue with them either.
Could this indicate a shift in the budget laptop market?
Nvidia will launch the RTX 50 series on laptops in just a few months. However, the desktop RTX 50-series GPUs are already subject to price-hike rumors. Additionally, all of the known launch systems for the RTX 50-series mobile launch are on the premium side of the market.
After all, Nvidia hasn't announced any new lower-end GPUs for desktops or laptops. While those GPUs could launch later this year, the budget gaming space will still utilize the RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 for a while longer.
So if AMD's Radeon 8060S iGPU on the new Ryzen AI Max chips can provide Nvidia RTX 4070-level performance, it could be a cheaper mid-range gaming GPU option that offers better performance than the RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 mobile GPUs.
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 tablet is the only AMD Ryzen AI Max launch system dedicated to gaming. However, the Flow Z13 gaming tablet is a little pricey to be called mid-range at $2,000. But there could be plenty of reasons for that price tag.
We'll have to wait for more Ryzen AI Max systems to hit the shelves to tell.
But so far, 2025 is shaping up an enjoyable time for gaming.
