It seems that mobile power users may soon have a reason to review - and potentially upgrade - their systems. According to a Weibo post (shared on Twitter by HXL, @9550PRO), ASUS is readying a ROG Strix SCAR laptop that features a desktop Ryzen 9 7945HX3D chip. Given the 'X3D' moniker for the chip, this new chip will come with AMD's gaming-performance-boosting 3D V-Cache technology. This same tech powers AMD's CPUs that rank on our list of best CPUs for gaming due to their market-leading gaming performance.
While there's currently no information on the laptop's actual market availability, the shared Weibo screenshot does show the laptop's specs, and there's also a retail listing for a laptop powered by the chip, solidifying it as a true, enthusiast-performance desktop replacement laptop. Like the rest of the Dragon Range lineup, the 7945HX3D chip will consist of a standard CPU for a desktop PC that's been crammed into a laptop chassis.
X3D Laptop🥰https://t.co/6zWQWS52Im pic.twitter.com/aBrqn7UfpHJuly 24, 2023
According to the information, ROG's Strix SCAR 17 will ship with a 17.3" diagonal, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, an undisclosed 2 TB SSD, and a 90 Wh battery - all wrapped up in a definitely-not-svelte chassis weighing in at 3 Kg. So there's mobility, yes - but a relatively limited one. Then again, the typical market for these devices sits as a full-fledged desktop replacement on a smaller form factor, rather than as a luggable, sit-in-the-park-while-training-AI solution.
But while there are expectations regarding the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D's performance - it is a Zen 4, 16-core CPU with a combined 80 MB L2 + L3 cache after all - it may be best for users to pay attention to the specification's "small text", as they do feature a configurable TDP ranging from 55 W through 75W. That configuration range is where different systems with the exact same hardware could perform differently (with increased performance coming at the expense of energy efficiency and, in this case, battery life.)
Once again, it pays to reinforce that this is unconfirmed information we're dealing with, so be sure to take it with a grain of salt. But the fact that some laptops packing AMD's Dragon Range lineup are already being listed bodes well for anyone looking to upgrade to such a powerful system in the not-so-distant future.
