Skip to main content

Here’s why a Surface Laptop 3 launch with Ryzen is exactly the win AMD needs

AMD on the Surface Laptop 3? That's good news for everyone

AMD-powered laptops have struggled to catch on. Despite the advancements the company has made in desktop processors, its laptop selection is severely lacking.

That tide may be starting to turn, however, as with rumors swirling that we’ll see AMD APUs in the Surface Laptop 3. The new laptop is rumored to launch at Microsoft’s upcoming Oct. 2 Surface event. If true, this could pave the way for a tsunami of AMD-powered laptops in 2020, potentially sporting a new-generation of Zen 2 and Navi-powered Ryzen APUs.

Surface Laptop 2 Review
Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

The Zen architecture is at the core of AMD’s impressive CPU resurgence in recent years. From its first iteration in the first generation of Ryzen CPUs, to Zen 2 in the most recent generation of Ryzen 3000 desktop chips. But where Intel tends to lead with mobile designs when it comes to new technologies, AMD’s laptop chips lag a year behind its desktop developments.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

That’s why Ryzen 3000 mobile APUs are still based on the Zen+ architecture found in its second-generation desktop chips. That’s not terrible, but it means that there’s still more greatness to come when the enhancements of Zen 2 hits mobile, potentially sometime in 2020.

But if AMD wants to make any significant sales on that front in the early days of that new, impending generation, then it’ll need to lay the groundwork first. That’s what AMD APUs in Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 could well do. Although we’ve seen a few AMD chips show up in laptops so far in 2019, the space is still very much dominated by Intel. A major brand like the Surface adopting AMD tech, though, could help to change that.

It’s not just about competing with Intel, though. AMD desperately needs laptop buyers to see its name alongside high-end brands like Surface to once again associate AMD with credible mobile performance. In much the same way that AMD’s recent wins in CPU and graphics have helped add AMD back into the buyer conversation about what PC hardware they should consider, getting AMD chips into popular notebook brands would help do the same for AMD on mobile.

With new, impending competition from Qualcomm in that space too, AMD will need to make a strong statement to get its head above water and stand out from the crowd of existing Intel machines and other new entries in the space.

AMD CEO Lisa Ku
AMD CEO Lisa Ku AMD

Intel’s Jon Carvill told Digital Trends during a live-performance test during IFA 2019, that Intel considered the idea of AMD or Qualcomm threatening its mobile business to be “ridiculous.” In many ways he’s not wrong. Intel is practically the only brand to consider when it comes to high-performance laptops in the midrange and beyond. But AMD just might have the momentum to change that. While Zen 2 is likely to be the architecture that really puts its name on the map, getting a few penciled notes in the margins with Zen+ APUs in systems like the Surface Laptop 3, would be a great start.

That might seem like something that matters little for potential buyers, but AMD’s CPU efforts in the desktop space lit a fire under Intel like we haven’t seen in quite some time. Doing so in the mobile space improves competition which helps drive down prices and bolsters features and performance for everyone. That is something that’s worth celebrating, whether you’re an AMD fan or not.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
AMD may be sticking to a controversial choice with Ryzen 8000
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D held between fingertips.

Zen 4 still feels quite new, but AMD is already preparing to launch its Zen 5 architecture in 2024, with AMD Ryzen 8000 processors now on the horizon.

New leaks shed some light on the upcoming chips, and while a lot is still uncertain, one thing is clear -- AMD is sticking to a somewhat controversial design choice that sets it apart from Intel: keeping the same core counts.

Read more
Some Ryzen CPUs are burning up. Here’s what you can do to save yours
AMD Ryzen 7000 processor with a visible bulge, next to a burnt motherboard socket.

If you already have one of AMD's best processors for gaming, such as the Ryzen 9 7950X3D or the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, both your CPU and your motherboard might be in trouble.

Several reports of the processor burning up have recently surfaced. While AMD hasn't made any statements, it's possible that a new BIOS update might be enough to keep your gear safe.

Read more
Nvidia’s outrageous pricing strategy is exactly why we need AMD and Intel
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

If you're finding it hard to keep up with the prices of graphics cards these days, it's not just you. GPUs have been getting pricier with each generation, and Nvidia's latest RTX 40-series is really testing the limits of how much consumers are willing to spend on PC hardware.

Nvidia may have the best GPUs available right now in terms of raw performance, but the way these new GPUs have been priced shows why the role of Intel and AMD is more important than ever.
GPU prices are through the roof

Read more