AMD’s AI Max 395+ (Strix Halo) and Asus Flow Z13 2025: Integrated graphics just leveled up!

AMD’s latest Ryzen AI Max 395+ APU, codenamed "Strix Halo," isn’t just another chip—it’s a statement that integrated graphics may finally rival discrete foes. Paired with Asus’s redesigned ROG Flow Z13 hybrid gaming tablet, this silicon challenges the notion that integrated graphics can’t compete with discrete GPUs. But does this combo deliver on its promise of desktop-tier performance in a 12mm-thick chassis?

Zen 5 meets RDNA 3.5: A hardware marriage built for brute force

At its core, the Strix Halo APU combines a 16-core/32-thread Zen 5 CPU with a 40-compute-unit RDNA 3.5 GPU—AMD’s most ambitious integrated graphics design to date. The GPU, the Radeon 8060S, leverages a 256-bit memory bus and shared LPDDR5X-8000 memory, allowing systems with 32GB of RAM to allocate up to 24GB as VRAM. Opt for the 128GB configuration, and that figure balloons to 96GB—a feature Hardware Canucks thinks is great for AI developers.

Early testing by Dave2D shows the GPU rivaling Nvidia’s RTX 4060 in Cyberpunk 2077, hitting 100+ FPS at 1080p with FSR enabled. The secret sauce? A unified memory architecture that eliminates traditional CPU-GPU bottlenecks. But there’s a catch: Asus defaults to reserving just 4GB of VRAM out of the box, requiring manual tweaking in the Armoury Crate app for optimal performance in apps like Blender—a decision The Phawx describes as baffling for a $2,200 device.

Gaming performance: When an APU outmuscles midrange GPUs

Stay tuned for our round up of this APU's benchmarks in another article soon!

The Strix Halo’s gaming credentials are its crown jewel. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores ~26,389 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and ~9,883 in 3DMark Time Spy, according to Booredatwork.com. Real-world results are even more impressive:

• Forza Horizon 5: 60 FPS at 1080p ultra settings (Jon Valiagas)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales: 85 FPS average with FSR Quality mode (DAN HUNTER)
• Elden Ring: 72 FPS at 1440p medium settings (The Phawx)

Power efficiency shines at 35W, where the APU maintains playable frame rates, but manual tuning up to 80W unlocks near-desktop performance. During stress tests by Dave2D, the Flow Z13’s vapor chamber cooling kept the APU at 89°C under full load—impressive for a tablet, though fan noise becomes noticeable in quiet rooms.

AI’s loud revolution—and why you may care

While AMD’s marketing leans heavily into AI, the Strix Halo’s real magic lies in its memory flexibility. By dynamically allocating up to 96GB of unified RAM as VRAM, users can run local AI models like heavily quantized or distilled of Deepseek R1—a rarity in consumer hardware. Hardware Canucks demonstrated real-time video upscaling in Premiere Pro using Topaz Labs’ AI tools, though they noted a 23% performance drop compared to an RTX 4080 desktop GPU. For gamers, this architecture pays dividends in texture-heavy titles; Horizon Forbidden West’s 4K texture pack loaded without stuttering during The Phawx’s testing.

The Flow Z13 2025: A gaming tablet that (almost) replaces your laptop

Asus’s 13.4-inch Flow Z13 2025 isn’t subtle. Its 2560x1600 180Hz display and 70Wh battery promise 8-9 hours of light use, but gaming sessions drain it in under two hours—a trade-off Jon Valiagas alludes is the price of portability. The chassis houses dual USB4 ports, HDMI 2.1, and a proprietary 200W power connector, though the lack of Thunderbolt 5 support raises eyebrows given the price.

Thermals are a mixed bag. While the redesigned vapor chamber prevents throttling, surface temperatures hit 48°C near the screen hinge during extended gaming—enough to make palm rests uncomfortable, as Dave2D noted. The kickstand’s 170-degree tilt helps with airflow, but this isn’t a device you’ll want on your lap during marathon sessions.

Who’s this $2,200 tablet for? (Spoiler: Maybe not everyone)

Starting at $2,200 for the 32GB model, the Flow Z13 2025 occupies a niche between gaming laptops and content creation workhorses. It outperforms RTX 4070 laptops in synthetic benchmarks but struggles to justify its premium over devices like the Razer Blade 14. Where it shines is versatility: Video editors can export 4K HDR footage in DaVinci Resolve while simultaneously training small AI models—a trick DAN HUNTER pulled off using Stable Diffusion XL.

The 128GB variant caters to developers needing local LLM training, but as Hardware Canucks points out, you’re paying for future-proofing that might never materialize. For most gamers, a traditional laptop with discrete graphics offers better value. But for digital nomads who want one device to handle gaming, AI experimentation, and 4K content work? This might be 2025’s most intriguing—if imperfect—hybrid.

The verdict: A glimpse of the APU future, priced for today’s early adopters

AMD’s Strix Halo isn’t just a leap for integrated graphics—it’s a blueprint for how APUs could eventually replace midrange GPUs. Paired with the Flow Z13, it delivers unprecedented flexibility in a tablet form factor. But between the steep price, thermal compromises, and Asus’s software quirks, this duo feels like a proof-of-concept rather than a mainstream revolution.

For those willing to pay a premium to carry desktop-class tablet in a backpack, though, nothing else comes close to its efficiency.

See all of our video references here!