AMD made history at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona this March 2 by announcing the Ryzen AI 400 Series and Ryzen AI PRO 400 Series desktop processors, officially the world’s first desktop chips designed to support Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC experiences. Until now, that distinction had been exclusive to laptops. With this announcement, the desktop PC joins the AI era in a meaningful way.
The new lineup combines three core technologies in a single chip: Zen 5 CPU cores, AMD RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics, and a second-generation XDNA 2 NPU, a dedicated neural processing unit built specifically to handle AI workloads locally, without depending on the cloud or a discrete GPU. AMD confirmed that systems powered by these processors will be available starting Q2 2026 from OEM partners including HP and Lenovo.
Three chips, Six SKUs, One NPU that changes everything
The Ryzen AI 400 desktop lineup launches with three chip models, each offered in a standard 65W “G” version and a lower-power 35W “GE” version, for a total of six SKUs. At the top sits the Ryzen AI 7 450G, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads, boost clocks of up to 5.1 GHz, 24 MB of combined cache, and a Radeon 860M integrated GPU with 8 RDNA 3.5 compute units.
Below that are two Ryzen AI 5 options: the 440G and 440GE with 6 cores, 12 threads, up to 4.8 GHz, and 22 MB of cache; and the 435G and 435GE, also 6 cores and 12 threads, topping out at 4.5 GHz with 14 MB of cache. Both AI 5 models include Radeon 840M integrated graphics with 4 compute units.
| Model | Cores / Threads | Frequency (Base / Boost) | Cache (L2 + L3) | NPU TOPS | Graphics (CUs) | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen AI 7 450G / 450GE | 8 /16 | 2 GHz / 5.1 GHz | 24MB | 50 | Radeon 860M (8 CUs) | 65W / 35W |
| Ryzen AI 5 440G / 440GE | 6 / 12 | 2 GHz / 4.8 GHz | 22MB | 50 | Radeon 840M (4 CUs) | 65W / 35W |
| Ryzen AI 5 435G / 435GE | 6 / 12 | 2 GHz / 4.5 GHz | 14MB | 50 | Radeon 840M (4 CUs) | 65W / 35W |
What every single one of these chips shares is the XDNA 2 NPU rated at up to 50 TOPS, trillions of operations per second, of dedicated AI compute. That figure comfortably clears Microsoft’s 40 TOPS minimum requirement for Copilot+ PC certification, and it represents a dramatic leap over the previous-generation Ryzen 7 8700G desktop APU, which delivered around 16 TOPS.
The silicon inside these desktop chips is identical to the mobile Ryzen AI 400 lineup, same NPU, same GPU architecture, same CPU cores, adapted for the AM5 socket and desktop power envelopes.
What Copilot+ actually means for your desktop
Copilot+ is Microsoft’s certification for PCs capable of running advanced AI features entirely on-device: things like real-time translation, AI-assisted productivity tools, intelligent search, and local large language model inference.
The key advantage is privacy, sensitive data stays on the machine and never touches external servers. AMD’s Jack Huynh, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Computing and Graphics Group, summarized the vision at the announcement: “The desktop PC is evolving from a tool you use to an intelligent assistant that works alongside you.
With the Ryzen AI 400 Series processors, the world’s first designed to power new Copilot+ experiences on the desktop, we’re bringing powerful AI acceleration that enables our partners to build systems that empower both enterprises and consumers to do more and create more.”
The chips are positioned as successors to AMD’s 8000G-style APUs, designed for compact desktops, office machines, mini PCs, and builds that don’t rely on a dedicated GPU. They are not intended to compete with the Ryzen 9000 series, these are mainstream, efficiency-focused parts that now happen to carry one of the most capable NPUs available in any desktop processor.
No retail box yet, here’s why
There is one catch worth knowing upfront: the Ryzen AI 400 desktop chips will not be sold as standalone retail units at launch. AMD is going OEM-only initially, and the reason is technical. Copilot+ certification requires a minimum of 16 GB of system memory, a variable AMD cannot guarantee when selling individual boxed processors.
By going through OEM partners, AMD ensures every system ships meeting the full certification requirements out of the box. Desktop systems are expected to begin arriving from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, GIGABYTE, and Lenovo starting in Q2 2026.
It is also worth noting that the desktop lineup currently represents only the lower end of what AMD’s Gorgon Point architecture can do. On the mobile side, the flagship Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 reaches 60 TOPS, 12 cores boosting up to 5.2 GHz, and Radeon 890M graphics with 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units, none of which has made the jump to desktop yet. There is clearly room for AMD to expand this lineup in the months ahead.
What AMD has delivered today is still significant: a desktop APU with a proper, dedicated AI processing unit, AM5 compatibility, and the hardware foundation to run Copilot+ workloads locally. Whether AI-assisted PC features become part of your daily workflow or not, the infrastructure is now there, and it did not require a discrete GPU to make it happen.
What do you think, are you excited about AMD finally bringing Copilot+ AI to the desktop, or is this still too early to get hyped about? Let us know in the comments!