AMD made quite an entrance with its mobile 4000 series processors for laptops, and that’s why most of the latest and greatest laptops nowadays use them. They’re great in both gaming and more intense workloads, and the price-to-performance ratio has Intel beat by a long margin. Therefore, we’ll be taking a look at the best AMD Ryzen laptops on the market today.
We’ll be touching upon gaming laptops, as well as some more oriented towards working and day-to-day usage, so there will be something for everyone. Oh, and we’ll also take a look at various price ranges, too, so without wasting any more time, let’s go.
1. Lenovo Flex 5 14” 2-in-1
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 2.3GHz | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics (integrated) | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Dimensions: 12.66 x 8.56 x 0.82 inches | Weight: 3.63lbs
When it comes to do-it-all laptops Lenovo’s Flex lineup tends to be a pretty great contender. They’re 2-in-1 devices that can be used as conventional laptops, they can be used in their tent mode for media consumption, and you can use them as a tablet, and the Flex 5 is the latest one in the lineup.
The Flex 5 is a pretty great combination of internals and design. It comes with AMD’s Ryzen 5 4500U processor, which is a 6-core CPU made to consume as little power as possible. It sits at 2.3GHz, but under load, it can boost up to 4.0GHz. While there is no discrete GPU, the Ryzen 5 processor does come with the new AMD Radeon Graphics integrated chip, which is a pretty neat model as far as iGPUs go. To round out the internals, you get a 256GB SSD and 16GB of DDR4 RAM.
On the outside, you get a pretty modern design with a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint sensor. The 1080p IPS touchscreen display is great, and Lenovo also includes a digital pen that allows you to use the laptop as a drawing tablet when you need one.
With up to 10 hours of battery life and quick charge that gives you 80% in one hour, the Flex 5 14” is a great choice when you’re looking for a Ryzen laptop.
2. Acer Swift 3
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U 2.0GHz | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics (Integrated) | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Dimensions: 12.74 x 8.62 x 0.63 inches | Weight: 2.65lbs
If you don’t need a laptop for gaming but instead, you want something with a powerful CPU, a decent amount of storage, and very lightweight construction, Acer has you covered with the Swift 3. It’s a very well made laptop that’s not designed for graphically intensive scenarios, but for everything else, it does a great job.
At the core, you will find the AMD Ryzen 7 4700 CPU. This is an octa-core chip that sits at 2.0GHz but boosts up to 4.1GHz, which is pretty impressive. The lack of a GPU is somewhat made up by the inclusion of the AMD Radeon Graphics integrated chip, a seven-core GPU with a frequency of 1600MHz. It does a decent job but is nothing to write home about. Alongside it is 8GB of LPDDR4 memory, as well as a pretty fast PCIe NVMe SSD with a capacity of 512GB.
The display is a 14” full HD panel with a 1080p resolution, and it looks rather nice. Acer has also included a fingerprint reader for security, as well as an Intel Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax module, which should have you taken care of from a networking aspect. There’s also a USB-C port, and the Swift 3 supports charging over USB C, which is something we would love to see with more modern laptops.
With a weight of 2.65lbs and a thickness of just 0.63 inches, paired with up to 11.5 hours of battery life, the Acer Swift 3 is definitely one of the best AMD Ryzen laptops.
3. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS 3.0GHz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Dimensions: 12.8 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches | Weight: 3.64lbs
ASUS tends to stay at the front of the pack when it comes to gaming laptops, and they have also had some lightweight, compact designs as part of the Zephyrus lineup in the Republic of Gamers series. The latest one to join that crowd is the Zephyrus G14, a 14” laptop that packs a powerful punch in terms of performance, and comes with excellent build quality, too.
To begin with, inside is AMD’s Ryzen 9 4900HS. This is an eight-core, sixteen-thread chip that sits at 3.0GHz, but under load can go all the way up to 4.3GHz. It does come with a 35W TDP, but ASUS does a great job of keeping it cool. The graphics card is Nvidia’s RTX 2060, a 6GB model that’s pretty capable of handling most if not all of today’s workloads, with relative ease. You also get a massive 1TB SSD, as well as 16GB of RAM.
One thing gamers will love is the display – you’re looking at a 1080p panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which gives you a very smooth experience when gaming, but also during day-to-day use. And while this is a very powerful laptop, you won’t get the “thick and heavy” that tends to come with the kind – you’re looking at a 3.64lbs weight and a maximum thickness of 0.7 inches. It’s truly impressive how much power ASUS have managed to pack inside a machine that’s this compact, and one of the best new AMD Ryzen 4000 laptops.
4. HP Envy x360 15”
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 2.3GHz | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics (integrated) | RAM: 8GB | Storage 512GB SSD | Dimensions: 14.13 x 9.69 x 0.68 inches | Weight: 4.53lbs
HP’s Envy lineup is usually a work-focused series of laptops that come with powerful hardware, and surprisingly, moderate prices for the build quality you’re looking at. The 15 inch x360 is no exception, and it makes use of AMD’s latest processors to give you respectable performance in any day-to-day tasks, as well as any slightly heavier workloads, too.
The core of the laptop is the Ryzen 5 4500U. It’s a six-core, six-thread chip that has a respectable base clock of 2.3GHz, but when pushed under load, it will boost up to 4.0GHz. You do get pretty good performance out of it, and the 15W TDP helps with cooling and battery consumption, too. While there’s no discrete GPU, you have AMD Radeon Graphics that, in the 4500U, is a six-core chip with a frequency of 1500MHz. Alongside the CPU and GPU, you also get 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
As you’d expect from a 2-in-1 device, the 1080p display is a touchscreen, and it’s an IPS panel as well, so you are looking at excellent color reproduction and viewing angles. What’s neat is that HP has a webcam kill switch incorporated in the Envy. This means that anyone who wants to be sure nobody is looking at their webcam can easily just disable it. To add even more security, you have an integrated fingerprint reader, and it also allows you to log on to Windows with it instead of typing your password. It’s overall a great laptop.
5. Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15”
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 2.3GHz | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics (integrated) | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Dimensions: 14.04 x 9.17 x 0.78 inches | Weight: 3.74lbs
Even though they do have a lot of models, the Lenovo IdeaPad series has usually been the sweet spot when it comes to a price to performance ratio. You might not get too much in terms of build quality or extra features, but you get a lot of value, which for many people is enough. The IdeaPad 5 is a very nice, balanced option in this regard.
Inside, you’re looking at AMD’s Ryzen 5 4500U processor. It looks like the Ryzen 5 is again the sweet spot for people looking for bang-for-the-buck processors. It comes with a six-core, six-thread configuration, and an integrated AMD Radeon Graphics GPU that also has six cores and a 1500MHz frequency. And while the CPU sits at 2.3GHz base, when pushed hard, it will boost up to 4.0GHz, which is impressive. To add to this, you also have 8GB of Ram, as well as a 512GB SSD.
The design is pretty much what you’d expect from a laptop at this price point. You do get a full HD display and a full-size keyboard with a Numpad on the right side, and that’s about it. It’s a pretty understated design, and we like it. The bezels on the display are also rather slim, which is a nice addition, and there’s quick charging as well as a USB-C port if you need one. Overall, while it won’t be winning any awards, the IdeaPad 5 is a nice balanced option for any user.
6. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS 2.9GHz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Dimensions: 14.2 x 9.9 x 0.8 inches | Weight: 4.6lbs
The Zephyrus lineup by ASUS has some great models. What they all have in common is the fact that despite the different display sizes and hardware configurations, they’re all made to be as lightweight as possible, without sacrificing any performance or thermals. And with the new Zephyrus G15, ASUS has certainly done a great job at that, as it’s a true powerhouse that comes at a reasonable weight for what you’re getting.
Inside is the AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS chip, which ASUS has exclusive rights to for the first six months from release. They’ve basically made it a lower TDP variant of the 4800H, but it still comes with eight cores, sixteen threads, only it now has a 35W TDP instead of 45W. The base frequency is 2.9GHz, but it can boost up to 4.2GHz when needed. The GPU it’s paired with is Nvidia’s excellent RTX 2060, which has ray tracing and 6GB of VRAM. Oh, and alongside that, you get 16GB of RAM, as well as a rather fast and massive 1TB SSD.
The 15.6” display is a nice touch, too, with an IPS panel with a Full HD resolution. But not only is it PANTONE validated, but it has a 240Hz refresh rate which you don’t see on many other modern laptops. Paired with a weight of only 4.6lbs, and the ability to charge via USB-C, this is a very portable gaming powerhouse that you can use for pretty much anything you want.
7. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3580U 2.1GHz | GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 9 (integrated) | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Dimensions: 13.4 x 9.6 x 0.57 inches | Weight: 3.4lbs
While Microsoft has traditionally stuck with Intel for their Surface Laptop models, the Surface Laptop 3 did come with a Ryzen 5 Surface Edition, which swapped out the chip for an AMD model. It sells pretty well, too, which means that AMD did get something right even with their previous generation, 3000 series chips.
The chip in question is the Ryzen 5 3580U. It’s an exclusive processor that you will only find in that laptop, and it’s a four-core, eight-thread configuration with a base clock of 2.1GHz. The maximum boost clock, however, is up to 3.7GHz, which is nice. While the Surface Laptop 3 doesn’t have a dedicated GPU since it isn’t made for gaming, you do get an integrated Radeon Vega 9, which has 9 cores and a frequency of 1300MHz. You also get 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which should have you covered for your basic needs, but to be honest is not all that impressive.
The main thing the Surface Laptop has going for it is the design – it’s minimal, it’s built well and it uses quality materials and premium finishes. There are both USB-A and USB-C ports, and up to 11.5 hours of battery life, which makes this a great portable choice. The 13.5 touchscreen panel does support pen input, too, and the 3:2 aspect ratio also dictates a resolution of 2256 x 1504, which is rather high. Overall, if portability and design matter to you, this might be a great choice.
8. ASUS TUF Gaming A15
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800H 2.9GHz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Dimensions: 14.5 x 10.1 x 0.98 inches | Weight: 5.07lbs
There’s no denying that if you want the best ASUS has to offer in a gaming laptop, the ROG series is the one you should be looking at. However, not everyone will be prepared to pay the price to get one, and that is why ASUS also offers a slightly more wallet-friendly TUF series of laptops. The TUF A15 is a great choice for gamers who want a powerful system that they can take on the move, and it cuts very little corners.
To begin with, it’s powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 4800H processor. This eight-core, sixteen-thread chip can go up to 4.2GHz when boosting, but it sits at a pretty reasonable 2.9GHz when you aren’t doing anything intensive. There’s also Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, a 6GB graphics card that’s more than capable of handling today’s modern games without much issue. Sure, you might not be getting high refresh rates on AAA titles unless you tone it down with the details, but otherwise, it does a great job. There is also 16GB of RAM, as well as a 512GB SSD for all your needs.
On the outside, you have a fairly flashy design which makes sure everyone around you will know this is a gaming laptop. Just how much of a fan of this you are is a personal decision. Things like an RGB keyboard and the MIL-STD-810H compliance for durability are nice additions, too, for what is overall a pretty powerful machine at a reasonable price.
9. Dell Inspiron 14 7000 2-in-1
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U 2.0GHz | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics (integrated) | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Dimensions: 12.7 x 8.74 x 0.71 inches | Weight: 3.39lbs
If you want a Dell laptop and are looking to get the most value out of it, the Inspiron series should be the one you’re looking for. And people who don’t need a powerful GPU or an enormous amount of RAM, but do want a nice 2-in-1 with a good processor will love the Inspiron 14 7000. It’s a rather new model from Dell, and it does a great job of being a daily machine.
Inside it is AMD’s Ryzen 7 4700U processor, a part of the U series of lower powered chips. However, make no mistake, this is still a very powerful chip. It comes with eight cores and eight threads and sits at 2.0GHz when you aren’t doing anything intensive. But push it, and it easily goes up to 4.1GHz without any issue. While there is no discrete GPU, you do get an integrated AMD Radeon Graphics chip with a frequency of 1600MHz, which can handle a bit of lighter gaming in a pinch, too. To add to this, you have 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD, which is pretty fast.
The 1080p IPS display is touch-enabled, and works with a pen, too, which makes this a pretty versatile 2-in-1 laptop for just about any use. Whether it’s media consumption, getting some work done, or a bit of creative drawing, the Inspiron 7000 has you covered in pretty much any scenario. And the best thing about it is the price, which is pretty reasonable for what you’re getting.
10. Lenovo Legion 5
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H 3.0GHz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Dimensions: 14.3 x 10.2 x 1 inches | Weight: 5.5lbs
Lenovo’s Legion series of laptops is their gaming lineup, and there are some rather nice options for you to take a look at. If you don’t need extremely high-end performance, you’ll be getting a lot of bang for the buck, too, as the laptops are very well balanced and perform admirably in a variety of scenarios. The Legion 5 is in the lower price bracket when it comes to Legion models, which means that you’ll get pretty neat performance for a price that’s quite a bit lower than the competition.
First things first, it’s powered by a Ryzen 5 4600H processor. This is a six-core, twelve-thread chip that’s perfectly capable of handling any day-to-day tasks. It’s also paired with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB graphics card, which is a great performer in a variety of scenarios, especially competitive games. The 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD round out the build and ensure you won’t have issues with multitasking and storage.
The display is a 1080p IPS panel, and we love the 120Hz refresh rate. Paired with a reasonable battery and a 720p HD camera, this quickly becomes an excellent choice for just about any gamer on a budget.
11. Lenovo V14-ARE
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U 2.3GHz | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics (integrated) | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.5 x 0.78 inches | Weight: 3.53lbs
A lot of people are looking for a compact, 14” laptop that won’t break the bank, and yet won’t compromise on any critical features. If that sounds like you, the Lenovo V14-ARE should make it on your shortlist, as it comes at a fairly reasonable price, yet gives you decent performance in a few crucial aspects.
For starters, it’s powered by AMD’s Ryzen 5 4500U chip. It’s a six-core processor that runs at a base clock of 2.3GHz but can boost up to 4.0GHz when you do something more intensive. And while there is no dedicated GPU on the V14-ARE, you do get the AMD Radeon Graphics chip that comes integrated with the Ryzen 5 4500U, and it’s one that does a decent job in day-to-day tasks. There’s 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, which is one area where we would’ve liked to see an improvement.
The other area that people might not love is the TN panel. IPS is more or less standard nowadays, and in comparison, you might be getting bad viewing angles and slightly washed-out colors. Unless you use it for graphic work, this won’t do much of a difference, but it could’ve looked nicer. It does have a 1080p resolution which makes it a nice choice, though.
The design is pretty understated, if not slightly boring, which is in tune with Lenovo’s other budget laptops, but it does look nice. If the display and small SSD don’t bother you too much, this could be a great choice.
12. ASUS TUF FX505DT
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3550H 2.1GHz | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.3 x 1 inches | Weight: 4.85lbs
One of the best ways to save a bit of money when you need good performance is to get a laptop from the previous generation. Such is the case with the ASUS TUF FX505DT, a laptop that uses a previous generation CPU, but it does come at a price that’s very reasonable for the level of performance you’re looking at.
That previous generation CPU is an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H chip, a four-core, eight-thread model that has pretty respectable performance even by today’s standards. It comes with a base clock of 2.1GHz but can boost up to 3.7GHz when pushed hard. And it also comes with a 35W maximum TDP, which makes it relatively easy to cool, even in a laptop. It’s paired with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB of memory, which is a respectable choice, especially for competitive titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and will easily reach over 100 frames per second. Add to this 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, and you’ve got yourself a pretty nice laptop overall.
While we’re at the high framerates, the TUF FX505DT does come with an IPS-type panel with a Full HD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, you won’t be getting that much in many modern demanding titles, but as we mentioned, for competitive titles it won’t be too much of a problem. There’s also 802.11ac Wi-Fi and a backlit keyboard in what is a great value laptop for gamers on a budget.
Are AMD Ryzen processors good for laptops?
With so many laptop manufacturers switching from Intel to AMD for their gaming laptops CPU of choice, there’s no denying that a lot of people are left wondering whether or not AMD Ryzen processors are good for laptops. The answer to this is a resounding yes. Which begs the question…
Yes, why?
When you look at a processor, there are a couple of crucial aspects to it. You’re looking at frequencies, core counts, clock speeds, cache, power draw, etc. In the past years, AMD had a habit of making one of these things good, like the core counts, for example, but not paying attention to the other things. This lead to them producing imbalanced CPUs that didn’t perform as people expected them to. The main problem was the thermal performance because AMD was notorious for running hot.
However, with the introduction of Ryzen, and especially with the introduction of Ryzen 4000 series CPUs, this has all changed. Not only did AMD learn to balance their CPUs better, but they’ve also made sure to have various CPUs at various price points, and none of them have any noticeable drawbacks. The CPU tiers are very well thought out, and similarly to Intel’s solution, AMD have lower-powered, U-series chips that max out at a 15W TDP for the battery-conscious, and then they have the H-series chips that go all out in terms of performance, and do require better cooling.
Performance
The first thing that you can expect from the mobile 4000 series Ryzen processors is overall performance. They’re all based on an architecture that’s been in the works for a good while, and just about any chip you choose, from the 15W Ryzen 3 4300U to the 54W Ryzen 9 4900H, is a great performer. Given good cooling, they won’t throttle even under heavy load, and they all come with decent core counts and clock speeds, so they won’t bottleneck higher-end GPUs like the ones you might find in an expensive gaming laptop.
Cores/threads
The core and thread count is the first thing that makes these CPUs so good. For years, Intel got away with offering dual-core CPUs in laptops that weren’t all that budget-friendly, because there was no competition. But both games and more intense workloads in the past couple of years have an increased hardware demand, and dual-core just doesn’t cut it anymore. That’s why even the most wallet-friendly Ryzen 3 4300U comes with four cores. Yes, you only get four threads, too, but it’s still much, much more powerful than any dual-core CPU you might come across, especially when it comes to newer games that can take advantage of that.
Then there’s the fact that most of the Ryzen 4000 CPUs come with twice as many threads as they have cores. This is true for all of the H series chips, and some of the U series chips, such as the Ryzen 5 4600U and the Ryzen 7 4700U. This will not only get you better performance in games, but it’s going to make a massive difference when you’re looking at intense workloads that make use of multiple CPU cores. Step up to something like a Ryzen 7 4800H, or the Ryzen 9 4900HS, and you’ll be getting eight cores and sixteen threads, which is extremely powerful, especially for a laptop where you’re limited in terms of cooling.
Clock speeds
The other thing that puts Ryzen 4000 chips ahead of their competition is the clock speeds. And while you might look at something like the Ryzen 7 4800U’s base clock of 1.8GHz and think that it’s far from impressive, it’s the maximum boost clocks that make these CPUs excellent. All of the Ryzen 4000 CPUs come with massive boost clocks, that give them the capability to run much higher clock speeds than the competition.
Integrated GPUs
Integrated GPUs were never all that powerful, and if you wanted to game on a laptop, you needed a dedicated graphics card. While for AAA titles and high framerates that is still very much true, the integrated GPUs that come on some of these Ryzen 4000 series processors are pretty great when it comes to performance. They go under the name AMD Radeon Graphics and have varying specs depending on what CPU you’re looking at. And while with the Ryzen 3 4300U you’re “only” getting a GPU with 5 cores and a frequency of 1400MHz, something like the Ryzen 9 4900HS ups that to an octa-core GPU with 1750MHz, which is quite capable of running competitive titles without much issue. Note that this will use some of your RAM, but if you don’t need a dedicated GPU, the integrated ones are very capable.
Battery life
Last but not least, we come to the battery life, which is the last big thing that you’ll be getting with Ryzen 4000 gaming laptops. Now, make no mistake, the laptop manufacturer still has to cool the CPUs and offer a large battery if you’re going to aim for 10 hours of battery life, or close. However, AMD has made this incredibly easy, especially with the U-series of processors. None of them has a maximum TDP higher than 15W, which makes them easy to cool, and ensures they don’t consume a lot of battery when that isn’t necessary. They’re great processors in any regard.
Final Thoughts
There are many factors to consider than just the CPU of a laptop as you can see from above. You need to take in to account the overall performance of a laptop. Which includes the amount of RAM, battery life, display quality, keyboard, trackpad, and so on. Therefore, you can learn more about choosing the right laptop here. We hope that you find this article helpful in your search for a great Ryzen laptop.
