An ultra-compact PC designed entirely for artificial intelligence, and a way to make some serious money.
Launched in the first quarter of last year, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a singular chip, a processor with remarkable computing power and even more astonishing versatility. It owes this versatility to the combination of three parts, each at the cutting edge of its respective field. The CPU part of this processor is equipped with 16 cores in Zen 5 architecture, while the graphics part is based on a Radeon 8060S and its 40 computing units in RDNA 3.5, enabling it to stand up to dedicated graphics cards with the power of a GeForce RTX 4060. Nothing less. Last but not least, AMD has added an NPU in XDNA 2 architecture for a maximum of 50 TOPS.
Ryzen AI Halo datasheet © AMD
A few days ago, AMD finally unveiled what the whole industry has been waiting for: a response to NVIDIA's DGX Spark, i.e. a mini-PC dedicated to artificial intelligence, using AMD technologies. This mini-PC is the Ryzen AI Halo and, at its heart, it's obviously a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 that has been chosen by the American group. The processor is also known by its code name Strix Halo, which explains the term Halo used for the mini-PC. A mini-PC that measures just 150 x 150 x 43 millimetres, and yet should offer all the power needed to handle the most imposing AI models. This is made possible by the presence of 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, the maximum that the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 can handle.
A Ryzen AI Halo PC based on the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 is already planned © AMD
During its presentation, AMD specified that pre-orders for the Ryzen AI Halo will open next month, but immediately communicated the price of its machine: $3999. We don't yet have the equivalent in euros, but the investment is substantial. Of course, at this price level, only artificial intelligence professionals will be able to invest. True, the machine is compact, but its price still raises questions. In recent months, we've been able to mention several mini-PCs already powered by the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, and whether it was GMKtec's, FEVM's or Corsair's, there was never any question of it costing more than $2500. Since then, RAM prices have risen again, but competing solutions remain cheaper than Ryzen AI Halo. Time will tell whether AMD has been a little too greedy.
