Let’s get one thing straight: if somebody had time traveled to 1995 and informed me that AMD would possibly be capable of “save” the laptop computer market from Apple with their chips in 2023, I’d have instantly requested them what number of drinks they’d consumed.
After all, the late 1990s was a far completely different time and area for the PC business. Intel was the undisputed king of the business — notably within the desktop space, as laptops had been a comparatively nascent market — and its company-owned foundries allowed it to launch new processors on a cadence that was not solely spectacular but in addition stored rivals reminiscent of AMD at bay.
As somebody who labored at Compaq as a part of the group that certified and marketed AMD processors for its Presario client model PCs as a hedge towards Intel’s impregnable pricing technique, in my expertise, AMD had a repute as straightforward to work with — however a Keystone Kops knack for dangerous, typically abysmal, execution.
How rapidly issues modified after CEO Lisa Siu arrived on the scene at AMD in 2012.
New AMD Chips Might Challenge Apple Silicon
Apple rocked the PC world when it started to ship its personal chips, dubbed Apple Silicon, in late 2020. Numerous expertise publications and business pundits had been instantly impressed with these new chips’ efficiency and battery life, particularly in comparison with x86 designs from each AMD and Intel.
Because Apple owns your complete {hardware} and software program stack that permits the corporate to optimize its macOS for heightened efficiency, Mac desktops, and laptops rapidly grew to become scorching, in-demand objects. While Windows PCs proceed to personal a excessive market share (roughly 58% vs. 30% for macOS), Apple gross sales have steadily elevated over the previous few years.
However, the Windows laptop computer market could also be getting a lift. Recently, AMD unveiled a brand new laptop computer CPU for skinny and light-weight gadgets that, in accordance with the corporate, outperforms Apple’s M2 mannequin from a yr in the past. Is this a real victory for AMD, or is the corporate selectively specializing in particular efficiency metrics that distort the actual story?
Some Important Background
A couple of months again, Intel launched its Core i9 13980HX, a “notebook” CPU — a charitable description, at greatest — that it audaciously claimed outperforms Apple’s firm’s present quickest processor, the M2 Max. Although the exact claims of efficiency victories in sure areas had been technically legitimate, many limitations had been connected to such assertions.
First, the Intel processor was a extremely unusable “notebook” chip because it misplaced all of its efficiency benefits the millisecond it went on battery and devoured watts like an individual misplaced within the desert dying of thirst. Moreover, it produced a ton of warmth that required followers to run at full capability each time a pocket book carried out something strenuous. Finally, at virtually seven kilos, it wasn’t precisely svelte.

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Nevertheless, it outperformed the M2 Max for just a few widespread however specialised processor-intensive purposes with a stronger video card and fixed plugged-in use whereas sporting noise-canceling headphones. Although the concessions had been too appreciable to be a extreme temptation for many Apple shoppers, Intel wriggled to get considered one of its CPUs onto the identical enjoying subject.
This sort of misstep has resulted in Intel inadvertently conceding that Apple’s M-series is the de facto business chief with its continued development in desktop and cell computing, energy and chip effectivity, and built-in graphics functionality. Except for devoted gaming rigs, Macs grew to become far faster than any Windows PC in day by day utilization, beginning with the primary M1 machines.
It’s AMD’s Time To Step Up to the Plate
The latest member of AMD’s Ryzen 7 household, the 7840U, is the chip your complete PC business seems to be buzzing about.
It is straight away obvious that this chip is a much more credible competitor than Intel’s 13980HX. Unlike Intel’s disingenuous “notebook” characterization, the 7840U is really a processor particularly made for thin-and-light laptops. As a outcome, it should produce much less warmth and function extra successfully, and that’s only for openers.
Since AMD solely launched this new chip on the finish of April, no manufacturing machines have but to make use of it in real-world testing, which is a vital level. Despite this, AMD just lately posted a collection of obscure benchmarks that it says reveal higher efficiency over Apple’s primary M2 processor, which is used within the Mac mini, MacE book Air, 13-inch MacE book Pro, and two iPad Pro variations.
AMD Ryzen 7840U vs. Apple M2
Frankly, it’s nonetheless unknown if the 7840U can maintain this ostensibly spectacular efficiency on batteries and the way a lot battery it makes use of for comparable workloads as a result of there isn’t an actual system to check this on.
The extremely generic descriptions of the numerous areas of comparability, the slim variations between the 2 chips in all however two classes, and the absence of particulars and sourcing for any of the findings give rise to considerations that have to be validated in real-life testing.

AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, a part of the Ryzen 7040U Series, benchmark efficiency versus Apple’s M2 (Chart Credit: AMD)

Even if we settle for AMD’s statements on their benefit, a better examination reveals that the corporate solely asserts distinct benefits in two of the six areas that its advertising and marketing group selected as “proof” of its superiority. The different 4 outcomes could also be basically tied throughout the benchmark check margin of error.
Without query, real-world testing on precise gadgets can differ considerably from advertising and marketing division benchmarks. Still, based mostly on these and different early findings, there may be some proof that it seems AMD has credibly — if solely partially — challenged Apple’s M2 hegemony and has considerably defeated Intel’s Core i9 13980HX, which raises much more questions on how far Intel is behind.
With that in thoughts, the Ryzen 7 7840U is a completely built-in laptop computer chip that seems to compete with the bottom M2 processor and possibly the M2 Pro in some areas. That’s a substantial accomplishment.
Even although benchmarking suite scores are aggressive, there are different issues to think about, as video games pressured to play on the Intel Core i9 13980HX laptop computer referenced above skilled a dramatic efficiency plunge when pressured to function on battery energy.
Closing Thoughts
It’s too early to declare AMD’s 7784u as the brand new heavyweight champion that favorably competes with and even exceeds what Apple has completed with its M2.
From a reputational standpoint, AMD acknowledges the stakes right here. We ought to presume that AMD measured the metrics for his or her comparability desk beneath the laptop computer’s optimum circumstances: whereas related to AC energy and with out contemplating elements like warmth and battery consumption. From my viewpoint, that strategy appears completely rational.

But let’s be clear. My interactions with AMD have a tendency to verify that the corporate is working time beyond regulation to provide the best-performing silicon. In my discussions with AMD executives, they don’t seem to be dismissive of Apple’s engineering functionality (not like Intel).
The post-pandemic PC market is presently in a progress funk, unlikely to alter for a number of quarters. Companies like HP, Dell, and Lenovo have produced among the most lovely laptop computer designs seen in years. However, with out best-in-class chips, shoppers and company clients could also be prepared to think about non-Windows options regardless of usually greater costs for Apple merchandise.
If AMD’s 7840U seems as marketed, it’s going to give the Windows laptop computer area a much-needed jolt of adrenalin. No one likes for any firm, together with Apple, to function with out competitors, and AMD’s work right here may very well be music to clients’ ears.