Benchmark leaked on Reddit and Geekbench suggest Microsoft’s soon to be released Surface Laptop 3 may do away with its long-running exclusive use on Intel CPUs and implement AMD equivalents in some models.
Surface Laptop 3 AMD
The benchmarks show the Surface Laptop 3 using various AMD hardware, including the AMD Ryzen 5 3550U mobile CPU and AMD Ryzen 5 Microsoft Surface Edition processor, as well as integrated Radeon Vega graphics. It appears that Microsoft is planning multiple versions of the Surface Laptop 3 each with a different processor.
The Reddit leak also claims the following configurations are in the works:
- Ryzen 5 3550u, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- Ryzen 5 3550u, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
- Ryzen 7 3750U, 32GB RAM, 256GB SSD
- Ryzen 7 3750U, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Whether Microsoft is abandoning Intel CPUs altogether remains to be seen. The historic partnership may be coming to an end, or Microsoft may be divvying up processing power between Intel and AMD.
What Does This Mean?
In either case, the news bodes well for AMD and signals that one of the leading laptop manufacturers sees the merit in AMD’s laptop processor range.
As for Intel, Microsoft monopoly is clearly a blow and matches other trends whereby AMD is encroaching on territory that was incontestably Intel’s until recently.
Although benchmarks are an excellent way to glean details about upcoming products, next month’s Microsoft event should provide some firm information on what the tech giant has up its sleeve for the Surface Laptop 3.