AMD Zen 5 Fire Range CPU surfaces inside next-gen gaming laptop — Ryzen 9000HX chip seemingly wields 16 Zen 5 cores

An unreleased 16-core offering from AMD based on Zen 5 has surfaced on Geekbench. The CPU was equipped on the Asus ROG Strix G16, presumably the upcoming 2025 edition. Hardware leaker Olrak suggests that this leaked processor is part of AMD's flagship Fire Range lineup for high-end gaming laptops.

Since we don't have much to back this information up apart from an OPN code, it's best to approach this leak skeptically. The leaked processor, reportedly boasting 16 cores, was tested as an Engineering Sample under the OPN Code "100-000001028-42_Y". This code should help us identify this processor should it surface in upcoming leaks. Nonetheless, there isn't much we can conclude about the performance, as the CPU was tested in Geekbench AI.

Typically, mobile processors from AMD and Intel, such as Strix Point and Lunar Lake, are variants of the same architecture used on their desktop chips, optimized for the smaller form factor and tighter power budget. At the very high end, a few "HX" models from either brand employ desktop silicon. Dragon Range (Ryzen 7045HX) last generation was the epitome of a desktop replacement, departing from AMD's typical monolithic approach with mobile chips. Still, it lagged in battery life, and that's expected due to the CPU's MCM design.

The Geekbench test lists the alleged Fire Range CPU with 16 cores and 32 threads based on Zen 5, clocked at a base frequency of 2.5 GHz. Provided AMD doesn't alter its naming scheme, this SKU should be the Ryzen 9 9955HX, but we could be wrong. The Asus ROG Strix G16, codenamed "G614FH," is outfitted with this unreleased Fire Range CPU featuring 32GB of DDR5 memory, which should be plentiful for games and productivity workloads. It'll be interesting to see how this processor holds up against Intel's Arrow Lake-HX chips.

Last month, we covered a leak that examined AMD's mobile portfolio for 2025. Assuming the leak is correct, Fire Range CPUs should feature pin-to-pin compatibility with the FL1 socket, simplifying integration with existing designs. The leak also claims that AMD will introduce X3D variants of its Fire Range processors, similar to the last generation.

Fire Range should support faster DDR5-5600 memory (SODIMM), per the tipster, netting a slight bump in performance in tandem with the newer architecture. Expect more details from AMD at its CES keynote next month.