Leak outlines high-clock MAX+ 495 for Ryzen AI MAX 400
AMD’s next-generation Ryzen AI MAX 400 family, codenamed ‘Gorgon Halo’, has surfaced in a leak that highlights a particularly aggressive MAX+ 495 SKU. According to a report by VideoCardz, the MAX+ 495 variant pushes CPU boost clocks up to 5.2 GHz while the integrated GPU is listed with clocks as high as 3.0 GHz. The leak, which has circulated among hardware forums and industry news sites, points to AMD pursuing higher single-threaded performance and increased on-die graphics throughput for laptop AI and mixed workloads.
What the leaked specifications reveal
The key takeaway from the leak is the clock targets for the MAX+ 495. A 5.2 GHz CPU boost suggests AMD is tuning core behavior for bursty, latency-sensitive workloads, and the 3.0 GHz GPU clock indicates a significant uplift for compute on the graphics side. VideoCardz frames the MAX+ designation as an OEM- or factory-tuned variant that pushes both CPU and GPU frequencies beyond standard MAX models, likely at the cost of higher power draw and thermal requirements.
Beyond the headline clock figures, the leak does not publish exhaustive details such as core counts, cache sizes, NPU specifications or TDP targets. Still, the presence of a MAX+ tier fits a broader trend from vendors toward multi-tier product stacks: base SKUs optimized for efficiency and battery life, MAX SKUs for balanced performance, and MAX+ SKUs for peak mobile desktop-class speed in well-cooled chassis.
Technical context and likely tradeoffs
Clocks in the 5 GHz range for mobile processors have become feasible with refined process nodes and aggressive binning. However, sustained operation at these levels is contingent on cooling headroom and power delivery. The MAX+ 495 will probably appear in larger, premium laptops with robust vapor chamber cooling, thicker chassis and higher sustained TDP profiles. Expect OEM partners to selectively offer MAX+ configurations where size, weight and battery compromises are acceptable to deliver top-tier performance.
For AI workloads and on-device inference, higher GPU clocks can bring improved throughput for fixed-function accelerators and shader-based compute tasks. But thermal throttling under prolonged loads could level the playing field with mainstream MAX SKUs unless systems are designed to maintain elevated power limits.
Competitive implications
AMD’s push with a high-clock MAX+ part will be watched closely by rivals that are also integrating AI capabilities into client processors and discrete mobile GPUs. If the leaked figures hold up, AMD could strengthen its position among performance-oriented laptops, particularly for users who run mixed CPU/GPU workloads and want local AI processing without relying on the cloud. OEMs will need to balance marketing claims about top clocks with practical considerations like battery life and sustained performance in real-world scenarios.
Expert perspectives and industry analysis
Industry observers note that leaked peak clocks are a useful signal but not a complete performance picture. Higher boost frequencies deliver measurable gains for single-threaded and burst AI tasks, yet overall system performance depends on factors like memory bandwidth, NPU efficiency, and thermal headroom. Analysts also emphasize the importance of software optimization: AI frameworks and drivers must be tuned to exploit the chiplet configuration and heterogeneous compute elements that AMD typically deploys.
OEM strategy will shape how impactful the MAX+ tier becomes. Vendors that design thick, high-performance laptops can showcase the 5.2 GHz/3.0 GHz figures in benchmarks and reviews, while thin-and-light models will likely favor lower-clock MAX SKUs to preserve battery endurance and acoustics.
Conclusion: what to expect next
The VideoCardz leak of the Ryzen AI MAX 400 ‘Gorgon Halo’ MAX+ 495 raises expectations for AMD’s upcoming mobile stack but leaves important details open. Consumers and OEMs eager for desktop-class bursts and improved on-device AI will watch for official AMD disclosures, driver and software support, and the first OEM implementations. Until AMD confirms specifications and power envelopes, the 5.2 GHz CPU and 3.0 GHz GPU figures should be read as indicators of direction rather than final, consumer-available performance guarantees.
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