Telling mobile processors apart, be it Intel or AMD, simply by looking at a series of numbers is a difficult task. Can one really differentiate between Core i5-1240P and i5-12450H? or between Ryzen 5900X and 5900HX? The process becomes even more challenging as we head down the lineup. As in the case of AMD, where multiple processor generations exist in the same lineup – Ryzen 5700U is a Zen 2 processor, while 5800U is a Zen 3 one. In a bid to make this easier, AMD has announced a new naming scheme for its Ryzen mobile processors, but as we will explore in the article, it’s so complicated that you will need a “decoder ring” to solve it. That said, let’s jump in and understand how AMD’s new Ryzen CPU naming scheme works.

In this article, we will try to figure out why AMD has embarked on this journey to change their processor naming scheme, as their older scheme, while complicated in a certain sense, was relatively easy to understand and comparable to their bête noire – Intel. Moreover, we would also take this opportunity to explore how the new Ryzen mobile processor naming scheme works and analyze how it fails to understand the fundamental issue users have with processor classifications.

  • What Is AMD’s Current CPU Naming Scheme Like?New Ryzen CPU Naming Scheme: What’s the Plan?

  • When Does AMD Start Using the New Name Scheme?How the New AMD Ryzen Mobile CPU Naming Scheme Works?What About the Naming of AMD’s Desktop Processors?

  • When Does AMD Start Using the New Name Scheme?

What Is AMD’s Current CPU Naming Scheme Like?

Before we look at the new naming system, let’s have a glance at the current system of classification of AMD’s mobile processors. The first thing we realize when we look at AMD’s current mobile CPU lineup is that the new naming scheme succeeds an already confusing convention.

Anyway, process node complications aside, let’s deconstruct the current way of naming Ryzen mobile processors. For this, we will use the current-gen Ryzen 6000 flagship processor – Ryzen 9 6980HX – as an example. The “Ryzen 9” part denotes the level of the processor in AMD’s hierarchy, which is kind of similar to Intel’s (i3, i5, and i7). The “9” puts the chip at the top of the lineup, which is divided into four different levels – Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9.

As for the next element, the “6” indicates the generation, which in this case is the sixth generation. The following “9” situates the chip in a relative sense versus other sixth-generation Ryzen 9 CPUs. So, a 6980HX will be more performant than a 6780HX. The last two digits are simply differentiators, which almost always are “00” or a step-up multiple of 5 or 10 if the preceding number isn’t enough characterization. AMD uses this method to differentiate its PRO lineup from its mainstream chips. An example being the Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U, where the “5” usually indicates an ultra-low-power mobile-class processor.

It is in this context of confusing designation and classification that AMD realized that their current naming scheme was insufficient. This sentiment was expressed by Robert Hallock, AMD’s director of technical marketing, in a recent blog post. Taking cognizance of the issue, Hallock said, “Our current naming system for Ryzen Mobile Processors was at an end. It simply could not accommodate the influx of new SOCs in new categories we’re developing.“

He further explained that the company’s new naming scheme comes at the point in time where the current scheme has multiple processor families existing in one generation with differential capabilities. And well, AMD intends to fix this with their new naming system. Hallock argued that the new system is going to be technical yet straightforward in a way, where enthusiasts should be able to decode the numbers to see what’s inside, while at the same time being easy enough for the average user to figure out that “a higher number simply connotes higher CPU performance”.

AMD has said that the new naming scheme will be used starting from 2023 and would apply to all of their 7000 series mobile CPUs, which will span across five different market segments using five different SOCs. The first chip will be the Phoenix and Dragon Range Ryzen 7000 CPUs.

How the New AMD Ryzen Mobile CPU Naming Scheme Works?

Now that we have looked at the current-gen naming scheme and the need for a change, let’s look at what’s new with the new Ryzen mobile processor naming scheme. AMD explained that each digit within the model numbers signifies particular aspects of the chip, and when you read them together, it could tell you all the relevant information you need to know about the processor. Is that really true and how specific is this information? Let’s make sense of the new Ryzen mobile processor naming scheme below.

  • The first digit here describes the generation’s model year. So “7” is for 2023, “8” is for 2024, and so on. AMD believes this will help people identify when the chip was originally launched and sold.

  • The second digit explains the family of processors. We will use “1” for Athlon Silver, “2” for Athlon Gold, and so on. In general, each family should have two potential digits: Ryzen 5 chips will be “5” and “6,” and Ryzen 7 will be “7” and “8”. Ryzen 9 chips, though, will share “8” with Ryzen 7 and have their own number, “9.”

  • The third digit will explain the processor architecture. Here, “2” stands for Zen 2, “3” for Zen 3 and Zen 3+, and “4” for Zen 4. This is a wholly new approach, which might be the biggest change in the naming scheme, as it will allow many different architectures to exist in the same processor generation. For example, the new Ryzen 7640U processor will be based on Zen 4 architecture. But this approach does give AMD the flexibility to include both Zen 3 and Zen 2-based CPUs in the Ryzen 7000 series.

  • The fourth digit, the last one, is purely a feature differentiator. It will be used to isolate the upper and lower models of a given processor. Now, we don’t have an answer to what this will entail, but it could theoretically work as an aspect of distinction if, let’s say, there is an intermediatory step-up in the architecture from Zen 3 to Zen 3+.

  • Finally, AMD will be using the same U (15 to 28 watts), HS (35 watts), and HX (55-watt or above) suffixes with its Ryzen 7000 mobile processors to distinguish the overarching power class.

Moreover, AMD also revealed two new additions to the power class, i.e C and E. The “C” suffix, according to the blog post, will be used for power-efficient CPUs, designed especially for Chromebooks as opposed to Windows. And the “E” suffix will be used for the forthcoming 9-watt low-power CPUs, which will most likely be used in ultra-portable laptops.

Decoder Wheel shared by AMD (Image courtesy: PC Mag)

Now, many of you must be wondering – does the new naming scheme apply only to AMD Ryzen mobile processors? If so, why? So far, AMD is rolling out this new naming scheme only for its mobile chips, starting from 2023, and has no plans to update its desktop lineup nomenclature.

This, however, doesn’t mean that the following system cannot be implemented in the future. But we believe that the chances of this being adopted in the desktop space are unlikely. Why? Well, that’s because desktop chips are much simpler than mobile processors as they don’t have power limits or size constraints.

The name of mobile processors have never been easy to understand. Historically, both Intel and AMD have struggled to keep their mobile chip lineups straight, as many a time, they have turned out to be confusing, and in some aspects, overwhelming. One only has to go back a few years, when Intel launched the M-series CPUs. What category did the Intel M lineup of processors lie in? How did they differ from the U lineup? Intel never gave us the answers, and now are most probably lost in the sands of time.