Something to look forward to: Last year, AMD announced a collaboration with OEMs to produce a new line of gaming laptops dubbed “AMD Advantage.” The Advantage badge had strict limitations on parts, requiring the best Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics cards. It was initially available only for laptops, but recently AMD expanded it to include desktop computers.
During AMD’s recent “together we advance_gaming” presentation, the tech giant announced the expansion of the already existing AMD Advantage program. The company created the initiative to let less tech-savvy users know they were getting top-of-the-line performance from their new pre-built desktop.
The service set strict requirements on what parts a laptop required to earn the AMD Advantage badge, such as a Ryzen 9 processor, the best mobile GPU currently available, and a 144 Hz or better display. Following the success of AMD Advantage laptops, it decided to expand the program into pre-built desktops.
Current CPU requirements for Advantage desktops include either a Ryzen 9 7900X or a Ryzen 9 7950X. For graphics cards, the PC must have a Radeon RX 7900 XT or Radeon RX 7900 XTX. The program also demands an X670E motherboard.
Unlike AMD Advantage laptops, the company has added more requirements for the desktop badge, going so far as to regulate even the case itself. Advantage desktops must have a “premium chassis” with tool-free entry, though AMD doesn’t specify what counts as a premium chassis. Additional required features include at least 2 TB of NVMe storage, a minimum of 32 GB of EXPO-supported DDR5 memory, an 80+ Gold power supply, and the processor must be liquid cooled.
Advantage desktops also come pre-installed with AMD Adrenalin, allowing users to take full advantage of the software’s features immediately. These options include Smart Access Memory (SAM), FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), and the most recently announced HYPR-RX.
Red Team’s HYPR-RX combines multiple performance improvement features, bringing faster frame rates and lower latency with a single click. The new tech uses FSR to increase frame rates and enables both “Radeon Boost” and “Radeon Anti-Lag,” which can significantly reduce overall system latency.
A Dying Light 2 demo with HYPR-RX enabled showed average frame rates climbing from 90 FPS to 166 FPS. Meanwhile, system latency decreased from 30 ms to just 11 ms. The feature should hit AMD GPUs starting early next year.
Overall, the new AMD Advantage desktops appear to be a great entry point for some users. Especially those who don’t want to pick out parts, put aside time to build a desktop, and then set the computer up. Sadly, there is no information on when AMD Advantage desktops will reach consumers.
