AMD Ryzen 9 8940H: A Processor Released Under a Different Name

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940H has appeared in announcements for ASUS laptops and testing results but has yet to receive a full page on AMD's website. Judging by the available data, it is not a separate production model but an earlier designation for the Hawk Point processor, which is now available as the Ryzen 9 8945HS or the regional Ryzen 9 8945H.

The model's history is indicative: laptop manufacturers often receive pre-series processors long before the official launch, and the final name may change just before sales begin. In the case of the Ryzen 9 8940H, the index change did not come with a significant revision of specifications.

Origins of Ryzen 9 8940H

The first credible mention of the processor appeared at the end of 2023. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 was tested with the Ryzen 9 8940H, which features eight cores, 16 threads, and integrated Radeon 780M graphics. The utility reported a base frequency of 4.0 GHz and a maximum frequency of approximately 5.16 GHz, along with 8 MB of L2 cache and 16 MB of L3 cache.

In January 2024, ASUS officially introduced the ROG Zephyrus G14 and mentioned the Ryzen 9 8940H in their press release. However, the production version of the laptop launched with the Ryzen 9 8945HS. Currently, the 8945HS is specified on the official Zephyrus G14 page.

A similar situation arose with the ASUS TUF Gaming A15. Early support pages listed the designation 8940H, while the final product page indicates the Ryzen 9 8945H.

The most logical explanation is that the Ryzen 9 8940H was a working or pre-production name for the flagship eight-core Hawk Point. Before mass production, AMD changed the index to 8945HS, while it used the name 8945H for certain Chinese laptops.

Expected Specifications

While there is no official specification for the Ryzen 9 8940H, the test sample virtually matches that of the Ryzen 9 8945HS:

• 8 Zen 4 cores and 16 threads;
• base frequency of 4.0 GHz;
• boost frequency of approximately 5.2 GHz;
• 8 MB of L2 cache and 16 MB of L3 cache;
• integrated Radeon 780M graphics;
• DDR5 memory controller;
• AMD XDNA neural block.

AMD officially specifies for the Ryzen 9 8945HS eight cores, 16 threads, frequencies between 4.0-5.2 GHz, a total of 24 MB cache, and a TDP of 45 W. This closely corresponds to the parameters of the early 8940H.

Thus, it is reasonable to suggest a TDP of 45 W for the Ryzen 9 8940H with an estimated tuning range of 35-54 W, though with the caveat that AMD has not officially published these values specifically for the 8940H model.

Eight Zen 4 Cores

The processor is based on a monolithic 4nm die from the Hawk Point family, built on the Zen 4 architecture. All eight cores are identical and support SMT, providing the system with 16 computational threads.

This configuration is well-suited for editing, photo processing, programming, multitasking, and modern gaming. The absence of a hybrid arrangement into performance and efficient cores simplifies load distribution and ensures predictable behavior in older programs.

However, eight cores alone do not allow competition with larger mobile HX processors in heavy rendering or prolonged compilation tasks. The Ryzen 9 8940H is not designed as a replacement for desktop CPUs but as a powerful foundation for relatively compact laptops.

Radeon 780M - The Main Practical Advantage

The integrated Radeon 780M uses RDNA 3 architecture and includes 12 compute units. For a processor in this class, it is significantly more useful than the basic graphics typically found in powerful Intel HX or AMD Dragon Range chips.

The Radeon 780M allows for running less demanding games without a discrete graphics card, accelerates video processing, and helps reduce a laptop's power consumption during everyday use. Performance heavily depends on memory: dual-channel DDR5 or fast LPDDR5X is necessary to fully unleash the integrated graphics.

The official Ryzen 9 8945HS supports DDR5-5600 and LPDDR5X-7500, so similar capabilities are most likely for the pre-production 8940H.

Ryzen AI is Present, but Not at the Level of Modern AI PCs

Hawk Point features a separate AMD XDNA neural block with a performance of up to 16 TOPS. It is designed for local processing of camera effects, sound, and other compatible AI functions.

At the time of the processor's release, this was a significant advantage, but today, 16 TOPS seems modest. Newer Ryzen AI chips possess significantly more powerful NPUs, and to meet the demands of Copilot+ PC, a minimum of 40 TOPS is required solely from the neural block.

Thus, the Ryzen AI label in this case does not imply that the laptop supports all modern Windows AI functions.

Do Not Confuse with Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen 9 8940H and Ryzen 9 8940HX differ not just by one letter, but by the entire construction.

The 8940H is an eight-core mobile chip with Radeon 780M and an approximate power of around 45 W. The Ryzen 9 8940HX is an official 16-core processor with 32 threads, 64 MB of L3 cache, a base TDP of 55 W, and a configurable range up to 75 W.

The HX model is designed for large gaming laptops and heavy multi-threaded work, where integrated graphics and energy efficiency play a secondary role.

Conclusion

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940H appears not to have been canceled but was an early name for the flagship eight-core Hawk Point. Test laptops already utilized a nearly finished chip with eight Zen 4 cores, a frequency of up to 5.2 GHz, and Radeon 780M, but it was released as the Ryzen 9 8945HS or Ryzen 9 8945H.

Thus, the Ryzen 9 8940H can be described as a pre-production equivalent of these models, but not as a fully independent processor with confirmed AMD specifications. Its strengths lie in high single-thread performance, efficient Zen 4 cores, and powerful integrated graphics. The main limitation remains the uncertain status of the name itself.