AMD's Ryzen Mendocino chip wants to 'redefine' budget laptops

(Image credit: AMD)

AMD has a new chip on the block, and it aims to bring RDNA 2 graphics, LPDDR5 memory and efficient 10-hour battery life to Windows 11 laptops and Chromebooks costing from $399.

Announced during its keynote at Computex 2022, the APU, codenamed "Mendocino," will launch towards the end of 2022. From what we can see, those looking for a laptop on a budget that doesn't skimp on power will want to keep an eye out for this chip.

Not only does it aim to bring a 10-hour battery life and the latest RDNA 2 graphics that brings power-efficient, advanced graphics solutions to laptops, but it also boasts up to a quad-core, eight-thread Zen 2 CPU. That LPDDR5 will come in handy, too. AMD didn't elaborate on what else Mendocino will bring to the table, but we're expecting it to be a game-changer for the best laptops under $500.

While AMD states 10 hours, it isn't unheard of for manufacturers to make high claims seeing how we're not sure how the laptop will be used. It does state it's for "mixed-usage battery life," however. Some of the best budget laptops such as the Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 already boast a battery life of over 10 hours, but they also don't come with RDNA 2 graphics.

AMD also states it offers "cutting-edge video codex to enable seamless collaboration across Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet." Great for work and play? Only time will tell. We're excited to see what the chip has in store. It's built on the same 6nm tech as the AMD Ryzen 6000 mobile family, so it may deliver the same kind of performance as the best AMD Ryzen laptops today.

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Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.