9 Business Laptops With The New AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs

Upcoming business laptops being launched by Lenovo and HP will feature the new AMD Ryzen 5000 mobile processors, including the Lenovo ThinkBook 14p and the HP ProBook 635 Aero G8.

AMD Ryzen 5000 Laptops

When the tech industry looks back at CES 2021, it may be very apparent that the show was a breakout moment for chipmaker AMD in its rivalry against Intel. While AMD had already been seeing growing adoption of its mobile processors in laptops in recent years, AMD’s continued advancement in its technology and the boom in demand for laptops led PC makers to launch a wider array of AMD-powered laptops at CES than in years past. A number of the launches from Lenovo and HP Inc. included new AMD business laptops, with a focus on the new AMD Ryzen 5000 mobile processors. AMD CEO Lisa Su unveiled the new AMD 5000 series during CES 2021 in a bid to retake the laptop processor crown from Intel’s latest Tiger Lake chips—calling the Ryzen 5000 chips the “most powerful PC processors ever built for ultrathin and gaming notebooks.” The 7-nanometer chips, which follow the launch of the Ryzen 5000 desktop CPUs last fall, offer “both tremendous performance and long battery life,” Su said.

The new AMD Ryzen 5000 chips, Su said, “are the best processors in the world for thin and light notebooks—whether you’re running general office productivity applications or more CPU-intensive tasks like video rendering, photo editing or 3-D design.”

At CES 2021, PC makers that debuted business laptops with the new AMD Ryzen 5000 mobile processors included Lenovo and HP. Among the AMD-powered models are the Lenovo ThinkBook 14p, the HP EliteBook 835 G8 and the HP ProBook 635 Aero G8.

In the following slides, we’ve rounded up the key capabilities and specs for nine new business laptops featuring AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14p

Lenovo used CES 2021 to debut two business laptops in its SMB-focused ThinkBook lineup that feature AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 series of mobile processors. The new AMD-powered ThinkBooks include the ThinkBook 14p, a 14-inch clamshell laptop. For the Ryzen 5000 CPUs, the ThinkBook 14p will go up to the new AMD Ryzen 9 5000 H Series chips. The notebook also comes with integrated AMD Radeon graphics, and it’s configurable with up to 32 GB of RAM for even further enhanced performance.

Meanwhile, the ThinkBook 14p display features a 16:10 aspect ratio--providing about 6 percent greater usable screen space than a 16:9 display while sporting optional OLED display technology with 2.8K resolution. Other key features include a “smart power button” (with an integrated fingerprint reader); an optional FHD webcam with a ThinkShutter cover; a larger touchpad with a backlit keyboard that includes dedicated conference call keys; AI-powered noise cancellation; and a portable form factor at 3.08 pounds. The Lenovo ThinkBook 14p will be available during the first quarter.

Lenovo ThinkBook 16p

The second new ThinkBook to include AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 series CPUs is the ThinkBook 16p, which features a larger display at 16 inches. Like the 14p model, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p will be powered by the new AMD Ryzen 9 5000 H Series processors. Along with the larger display size, other key differences for the ThinkBook 16p include the availability of discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics as well as preconfigured color calibration technology (for enhanced color accuracy). The display also offers a 16:10 aspect ratio, resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 and up to 400 nits of brightness, along with reduced bezels for a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio (although the notebook is not available with an OLED display). In addition, the ThinkBook 16p will include the optional FHD webcam, smart power button, larger touchpad and AI-based noise cancelling technology that comes with the 14p model. The Lenovo ThinkBook 16p will be available during the first quarter.

HP EliteBook 835 G8

Like Lenovo, HP used CES 2021 to expand its portfolio of AMD-powered business laptops—with a focus on updating the EliteBook 805 series that targets mainstream corporate workers. The newly unveiled models include the EliteBook 835 G8, which is powered by the new generation of AMD Ryzen Pro 5000 processors as well as integrated AMD Radeon graphics. The EliteBook 835 G8 features a 13.3-inch FHD display with slim bezels for an 85 percent screen-to-body ratio, as well as an optional HP Sure View Reflect integrated privacy screen to prevent visual snooping. The laptop also rates well on portability with a starting weight of 2.75 pounds and a thickness of 0.7 of an inch.

Other features include HP Tamper Lock intrusion detection technology—which automatically locks the PC if it has been physically opened—and optional LTE connectivity. To assist with collaboration, the EliteBook 835 G8 comes with HP Dynamic Audio technology, which optimizes audio for speech, music or movies while reducing background noise. The HP EliteBook 835 G8 is expected to be available in March.

HP EliteBook 845 G8

The HP EliteBook 845 G8 is also powered by the latest AMD Ryzen Pro 5000 processors and integrated AMD Radeon graphics, but features a larger FHD display at 14 inches. Like the 835 G8, the 845 G8 includes slim bezels and a screen-to-body ratio of 85 percent—and it’s also lightweight for a 14-inch business notebook with a starting weight of 3.1 pounds. Key capabilities that are shared with the other new AMD-powered EliteBook models include the optional HP Sure View Reflect integrated privacy screen, HP Tamper Lock intrusion detection technology, optional LTE connectivity and HP’s Dynamic Audio technology. The HP EliteBook 845 G8 is expected to be available in March.

HP EliteBook 855 G8

For an AMD-powered notebook with an even larger display, HP is offering its new EliteBook 855 G8. The notebook features a 15.6-inch FHD display with an 85 percent screen-to-body ratio and the optional HP Sure View Reflect integrated privacy screen. Like the other models in the new EliteBook 805 series, the 855 G8 model will be offered with AMD’s new Ryzen Pro 5000 CPUs and with integrated AMD Radeon graphics. The EliteBook 855 G8 also comes with a fairly lightweight design—at least for a 15.6-inch business notebook—with a starting weight of 3.85 pounds, and includes other capabilities found in the new 805 G8 series such as optional LTE connectivity and HP’s Dynamic Audio technology. The HP EliteBook 855 G8 is expected to be available in March.

HP ProBook 635 Aero G8

For HP’s SMB-focused ProBook lineup, the company debuted a new model at CES that features AMD processors and a highly portable design—the ProBook 635 Aero G8. The 13.3-inch notebook has a starting weight of just 2.2 pounds, with a thickness of 0.7 of an inch. The ProBook 635 Aero G8 is powered by the new AMD Ryzen 5000 processors along with AMD Radeon graphics—and HP is touting the device as the “world’s lightest AMD-based business notebook.” Other key capabilities include optional LTE connectivity; the optional HP Sure View Reflect integrated privacy screen; a spill-resistant and quiet keyboard (with optional backlighting); and HP QuickDrop software, which enables wireless transferring of files and photos from a smartphone. The HP ProBook 635 Aero G8 is planned for availability in April.

HP ProBook 445 G8

HP unveiled two additional AMD-powered ProBook models at CES—including the 14-inch ProBook 445 G8. The new ProBook 405 G8 series is HP’s smallest and lightest 400 series ever, according to the company. The ProBook 445 G8 features a compact form factor—enabled in part by slim bezels around its display, for an 87 percent screen-to-body ratio—with a starting weight of just 3.03 pounds. The clamshell laptop comes with options for the new AMD Ryzen 5000 processors and integrated AMD Radeon graphics, and offers upgradeable dual channel memory (with an option for up to 32 GB of RAM). In addition, the ProBook 445 G8 includes an aluminum exterior and choices between HD resolution and FHD resolution for the display, as well as an optional Sure View Gen3 integrated privacy screen. The HP ProBook 445 G8 is planned for availability in February.

HP ProBook 455 G8

For the second new AMD-powered ProBook launched by HP at CES, the ProBook 455 G8, the company is including a larger display at 15.6 inches. The 455 G8 model has a starting weight of 3.83 pounds, which represents a portable design for a 15.6-inch business notebook. Otherwise, the ProBook 455 G8 includes many of the same attributes and capabilities of the smaller model—including an 87 percent screen-to-body ratio, the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 processors, integrated AMD Radeon graphics and up to 32 GB of RAM. Likewise, the 455 G8 includes HD or FHD resolution for its display, an optional Sure View Gen3 integrated privacy screen and an aluminum body. The HP ProBook 455 G8 is planned for availability in February.

HP ProBook x360 435 G8

Lastly, HP also debuted a 2-in-1 ProBook model at CES that comes with the new AMD mobile processors, with the ProBook x360 435 G8. The notebook features a convertible 13.3-inch touch screen with the optional Sure View Gen3 integrated privacy filter, as well as Gorilla Glass 5 for durability. In terms of portability, the ProBook x360 435 G8 has a starting weight of 3.19 pounds and measures 0.7 of an inch thick. And on performance, the convertible notebook is outfitted with the new generation of AMD Ryzen 5000 processors, AMD Radeon graphics and up to 32 GB of RAM. The HP ProBook x360 435 G8 is planned for availability in February.