AMD's new Ryzen 7000 series of mobile CPUs for laptops was introduced at CES 2023, and it has received a lot of buzz in the tech world. The Ryzen 7000 series features a range of SKUs, from low-end options to the impressive Zen 4 Ryzen 9 7945HX. While the latter is particularly exciting as it rivals Intel's fastest 13th gen Raptor Lake-H CPU, many of the lower-end options in the Ryzen 7000 series have not been as impressive as one might expect.
The reason for this is that most of the mobile Ryzen 7000 CPUs are not based on the new Zen 4 architecture. Instead, they are built on older designs dating back to Zen 2, which means that their performance may be very similar to that of older processors despite having different names. This issue is particularly evident in the case of the Ryzen 7 6800H and Ryzen 7 7735HS.
Both the Ryzen 7 6800H and Ryzen 7 7735HS are based on the Zen 3+ architecture and have exactly the same cache sizes, number of cores, and integrated Radeon 680M graphics. This means that the performance of both processors is almost identical in all benchmarks. The Beelink SER6 Pro, which comes in both 6800H and 7735HS SKUs, performs almost exactly the same in all benchmarks, as shown by our comparison charts.
One might expect the Ryzen 7 7735HS to offer higher performance-per-watt, but that does not appear to be the case. Power consumption is nearly identical between the two mini PC SKUs when similar loads are introduced.
The issue here is that the Ryzen 7 7735HS is essentially a rebranded Ryzen 7 6800H with no significant performance improvements. The only difference is that the Ryzen 7 7735HS has a higher model number, which may lead some consumers to believe that it is a newer and better processor. However, this is not the case, and consumers may end up paying more for a processor that performs no better than its older counterpart.
So, if you're shopping for a laptop with a Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, it may be better to consider an older version with the Ryzen 7 6800H instead. This older version will likely be just as fast and may even be less expensive, making it a more cost-effective choice.
It's worth noting that this issue is not unique to AMD; Intel has also been known to rebrand older processors and sell them as new products. Consumers should always do their research before purchasing any technology product and look beyond the model numbers to understand the underlying hardware and performance capabilities.
In conclusion, while AMD's Ryzen 7000 series has some impressive offerings, consumers should be aware that not all processors in the series are created equal. The Ryzen 7 6800H and Ryzen 7 7735HS are essentially the same processor, and consumers should consider the older version as a more cost-effective option. As always, consumers should do their research before making any purchasing decisions to ensure they get the best value for their money.
