Lack of Enthusiasm from Laptop Manufacturers for Radeon GPUs, Urging AMD to Take Action, Even Though Unlikely

Having diligently observed the proceedings of CES since the mid-1990s, distinctive occurrences have perennially etched themselves into the annals of my memory. Consider the 2005 exhibition, marked by Microsoft's ambitious yet lamentable attempt to showcase the full capabilities of the Xbox 360, or the 2011 iteration, where 3DTVs were erroneously heralded as the imminent future of entertainment. This year's installment, however, presented a conspicuous absence that transcended the omnipresence of AI integration—it was the striking dearth of new gaming laptops featuring a discrete AMD Radeon chip. None, zero, zilch.

The perplexing enigma surrounding AMD's graphics division prompts contemplation. While the revenue stream from this sector has demonstrated unwavering stability amidst the fluctuating fortunes of other divisions (client, data center, gaming, and embedded) following the company's 2021 restructuring, the motives behind this steadfastness remain elusive. It is crucial to recognize that the reliability of this revenue is underpinned by AMD's provision of the APU powering every PlayStation and Xbox. Despite Microsoft and Sony selling their consoles at minimal profit margins, AMD's chips are far from a benevolent contribution.

To ascertain the graphics division's vitality, one must bypass financial results and scrutinize the popularity of its products—specifically, Radeon graphics cards and discrete laptop chips. These products, renowned for their swiftness and economical pricing relative to competitors, lack the embellishments of cutting-edge AI features and top-tier ray tracing capabilities. Their competence, however, extends comprehensively to other domains.

Quantifying the popularity of Radeons necessitates reliance on market analysts' reports, such as Jon Peddie Research, and insights from Steam's hardware surveys. The culmination of the latter's findings over the past five months reveals that AMD's graphics chips command a modest 10.1% of recorded GPUs, with minimal variance indicated by a standard deviation of merely 1.5%. Jon Peddie's research paints a more optimistic panorama, attributing 17% of the GPU add-in board market to AMD during Q2 and Q3 of 2023—a notable improvement over the 10% garnered from Steam's surveys.

While these statistics pertain to graphics cards, exploring the landscape of discrete laptop GPUs unfolds a rather somber tableau. A survey of all the new gaming laptops unveiled at CES 2024 reveals a conspicuous absence of those wielding an AMD Radeon instead of an Nvidia GeForce for graphics duties. This anomaly raises a perplexing question: How could a transfer of Radeon card popularity to the mobile sector not yield a sporadic presence in this domain?

An investigation into the requisites of a discrete GPU deemed desirable by laptop designers unravels a set of criteria: compact dimensions, minimal power consumption, sustained performance under low clock speeds, and compatibility with the latest graphics technologies. The spatial constraints within laptops, coupled with the imperative to minimize power consumption translating into heat, accentuate the necessity for diminutive, power-efficient chips.

AMD's current lineup encompasses five laptop models, anchored in its RDNA 3 architecture, with the premier Radeon RX 7900M boasting 72 Compute Units, 64MB of L3 cache, and 16GB of GDDR6, accompanied by a power limit of up to 180W. Notwithstanding the commonality with the Navi 31 GPU found in the Radeon RX 7900 series, a discernible distinction arises from the disabled shaders. Alas, the undeniable reality remains—an expansive chiplet configuration measuring 529 square millimeters, surpassing Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile by 40% in total area.

The dimensions of AMD's best mobile gaming GPU, coupled with its potential power hunger and presumed performance inferiority, elucidate its conspicuous absence from the latest gaming laptops. This assessment extends to other models—the Radeon RX 7600M, 7700S, and 7600S—where the dearth of interest from laptop manufacturers aligns with the overarching narrative of insufficient compactness, power efficiency, and performance.

The dominance of Nvidia in the discrete graphics card market further complicates AMD's foray into discrete laptop chips. Laptop vendors, cognizant of the customer's familiarity with the GeForce brand, exhibit a natural inclination to align gaming-focused models with this brand. Beyond the enthusiast sector, conversations invariably gravitate toward GeForce, relegating AMD and Radeon to the periphery of mainstream awareness.

Despite AMD's undisputed supremacy in the ultra-portable gaming sector, exemplified by the prevalence of red team APUs in handheld PCs, the narrative takes a divergent turn in the realm of gaming laptops. The notable exception, the Nintendo Switch, bears testimony to Nvidia's presence. The rationale behind AMD's prominence in the handheld sector hinges on the size, speed, power efficiency, and optimal performance delivered by its chips.

A paradox emerges wherein AMD possesses the requisite expertise and resources to craft an exemplary mobile GPU, yet it remains conspicuously absent from standalone laptops, divorced from an embedded APU configuration. Gaming laptops, far from constituting a niche product, beckon AMD to confront Intel and Nvidia head-on, given its financial prowess.

Amidst the fervent anticipation of AMD's next GPU architecture heralding transformative change or the promise of a Radeon that outshines Nvidia, pragmatism suggests such endeavors might be inconsequential. The technological prowess necessary for this endeavor already exists, as exemplified by the capabilities of the latest consoles and handheld PCs. The crux of the matter lies in financial considerations—AMD's gaming division, ensconced in the consistent revenue stream from consoles, appears disinclined to channel substantial efforts into developing GPU architectures tailored for gaming laptops.

In a business landscape governed by fiscal prudence, AMD's priorities align with sustaining the financial status quo. A deviation from this trajectory, although fervently desired for the sake of competition, remains a distant prospect. While AMD's course of action proves lucrative for its business interests, the sentiments of PC gamers, particularly those enamored with gaming laptops, are decidedly less sanguine.

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