I acknowledge that the Ryzen 7000 series is amazing with all the new architectural improvements, but I feel like AMD is trying to take some advantage with its naming scheme to sell what looks like a Zen 4 but in reality, is not.
Here I am specifically talking about the mobile CPUs because both Intel and AMD generally make more laptop CPUs than their desktop counterparts. The problem is not that big when it comes to understanding every mobile CPU whether it ends with the letter U, H, or HX but the problem is far more concerning when the company changes the name of a CPU or series to the point when you can’t distinguish between two different generations of processors.
The nomenclature AMD is using for its Ryzen 7000 mobile series processors is so bad that no matter how many times you try to remember it, you will end up getting confused every time. I was surprised to see that there are as many as 5 different Ryzen 7000 series for laptops, each having the same 7000 naming scheme but all having different architectures.
Contrary to what you would assume, Ryzen 7000 on a laptop does not mean that you are getting a Zen 4 CPU but you may get a Zen 3+, Zen 3, or even a Zen 2-based CPU. Unlike desktop CPUs, you have to keep in mind the final two digits of your CPU instead of the first two and apparently, each series is made on a different process node and is so much different in specs from the other.
Not only you have to take care of how many cores/threads and cache memory, the processors of each series bring but you have to also compare their integrated GPUs. It’s not like the Zen 2-based 7000 series brings older iGPUs but it’s actually the opposite. Here the 7030 series is not only made on a bigger process node of 7nm but also brings Vega 8 as an iGPU which is older than the RDNA 2 which is packed with the Zen 2-based 7020 series. Again, you also have to see how many GPU cores each of these series bring because 8x Vega cores will be faster in gaming than just 2 RDNA cores.
As you go towards the faster series, you will see even more confusion. Despite AMD calling the Dragon Range 7045 CPUs to be made for Extreme Gaming and Creator-specific purposes, it brings just 2 cores of RDNA 2 iGPU because the 7045 is a Ryzen APU series dedicated to gaming. However, the 7040 and 7035 series which are supposedly made for ultra and premium thin laptops, bring much better iGPU based on RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 architectures.
Now I do not want to go back and discuss AMD’s roadmaps for laptops because this 7000 series chart alone is terrifying to understand and will easily mislead many into buying the wrong laptops because most users just look at the CPU model and not search for their architectures.
