When AMD launched its Ryzen AI Max chip line (aka Strix Halo) at the start of 2025, it seemingly bent the rules of CPUs. This was a system-on-chip (SoC) style processor with the graphics and memory advantages seen in Apple's M4 chips but with better gaming performance and, of course, support for Windows' vast app ecosystem.
ExtremeTech has had the opportunity to test the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 in its marquee PC, Asus' ROG Flow Z13 tablet. As we've learned in our deep dive into the chip, AMD has solved some major challenges in portable gaming—but the silicon isn't quite the cure-all some have made it out to be.
Ryzen AI Max+ Productivity Performance: Many Cores and a Strong NPU Make a Great Combo
As the top-of-the-line offering, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is meant to be an all-conquering beast. And for the most part, it is. It has 16 Zen 5 CPU cores (up to 32 processing threads) running between 3GHz and 5.1GHz, up to 128GB of unified RAM, a hefty 80MB of total cache, and an NPU (neural processing unit) capable of 50 tera operations per second (TOPS). On paper, that gives it workstation-class multitasking and AI processing that outperforms the best its rivals can offer, such as the 45TOPS from Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite.
Credit: Jon Fingas
The unified RAM also gives it a massive amount of memory bandwidth at 256GB per second. As with Apple's M series, that provides tremendous boosts to graphics performance (more on that later) and any software that frequently draws on RAM, including large language AI models and audiovisual editing apps.
In practice, that makes the Ryzen AI Max+ one of the fastest all-around laptop CPUs for productivity. In Geekbench 6, a benchmark that gauges performance in general tasks, the ROG Flow Z13's 2,974 single-core score is roughly on par with both AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and Intel's Arrow Lake H-based Core Ultra Series 2. In multi-core, however, those 16 cores help it dominate x86 rivals with a 20,077 result that's as good as what you'd get with Apple's M4 Pro.
With pro apps, it's even speedier. Cinebench R24, a 3D modeling test, sees AMD's part get a good-but-not-great 115-point single-core score, but a very healthy 1,463 multi-core result that puts it closer to AMD's Ryzen 9 7900 X3D and Intel's Core Ultra 5 245K. It certainly didn't bat an eye in real-world situations, where I could manage large images in Adobe Photoshop 2025 even as I juggled several other apps.
Credit: Asus
It's difficult to find benchmarks for large language models, in part because they often run in the cloud (such as OpenAI's GPT or Google's Gemini) and have limited local utility at present. However, you'll want to seriously consider any Ryzen AI Max CPU if you're an AI developer. The unified memory will be helpful for reducing choke points when models frequently want huge amounts of system RAM, GPU RAM, or both.
Ryzen AI Max+ Gaming Performance: The Best Integrated Graphics on Any CPU
The star of the show is undoubtedly the Radeon 8060S integrated GPU. With 40 RDNA 3.5 cores, it would be considered reasonably fast if it were a dedicated video card. It also supports many modern features, including reasonably up-to-date upscaling and ray traced lighting. As part of a CPU? It promises to outshine most of Apple's M4 lineup, and certainly Intel's built-in Arc graphics.
It also has an advantage you won't find in conventional gaming PCs. You can assign virtually all the RAM you want to the GPU, so games that need loads of space for their content (such as detailed textures or large worlds) don't need large volumes of dedicated video memory. Our ROG Flow Z13 review unit with 32GB of RAM could assign anything from 4GB to 24GB of RAM to the GPU, either automatically or in fixed amounts. We found 8GB was the sweet spot. If you can get a Z13 with 64GB or 128GB RAM, you'll have even more headroom.
Credit: Jon Fingas
That translates to real performance you simply wouldn't expect from integrated video. Marvel Rivals runs on the ROG Flow Z13 at around 70 to 80 frames per second with High detail and AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution scaling enabled at the tablet's native 2,560-by-1,600 resolution. Titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Destiny 2 are clearly bound more by the CPU than the GPU, with frame rates routinely climbing well above 100fps, even at maximum detail. Newer games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Avowed also run gracefully, although you won't always get to play with maxed-out visuals.
These numbers effectively amount to GeForce RTX 4060 power. While you can certainly buy cheaper laptops with discrete RTX 4060-level GPUs, it's still wild to see this capability built into a chip so densely packed that it can fit into Asus' 13-inch tablet without the need for an overly bulky chassis or exotic cooling.
Limits: Battery Life and Heat Remain Issues
The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 isn't immune to the laws of physics, mind you. With a thermal design power (TDP) between 45W and 120W, it draws a lot of energy and generates plenty of heat. For contrast, Apple's M4 Pro tops out at 46W.
Credit: Jon Fingas
As such, the ROG Flow Z13 isn't a longevity champion. I never got more than three to four hours of runtime in a productivity workflow that included Adobe Photoshop 2025, several web browser tabs, Slack, and the occasional video call or album stream. With games and creative apps, you can expect even shorter battery life. The fan system kicks in often, although the tablet design works in its favor as the CPU isn't baking your hands or lap.
Asus does offer a Silent mode and other ways to dial back the power consumption, heat, and noise, but those are most useful when you're watching videos in bed or finishing a report at the coffee shop. Those aren't exactly the target scenarios for this machine.
As such, it's evident the Ryzen AI Max line is geared toward raw capability rather than efficiency. This is for gamers and creators who want the best possible performance in form factors where it wasn't previously possible. It does represent a major shift in portable gaming, but it won't make your "traditional" laptop obsolete just yet.
