The short version
- Gorgon Halo is AMD's codename for its 2026 family of Ryzen AI Max chips, introduced in May 2026. The top one is the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495.
- Each chip puts a 16-core CPU, a 40-unit Radeon GPU and an AI engine (NPU) in one package, all sharing the same pool of up to 192GB of memory.
- It's a modest refresh of last year's Strix Halo: about 100MHz faster, with support for 192GB instead of 128GB.
- Mini PCs using it are expensive. Bosgame's M5 MAX opened pre-orders on November 3 at $6,199 (about ₹5.9 lakh), and that's the cheapest of the bunch.
Why it's in the news
On November 3, Bosgame opened pre-orders for the M5 MAX, a mini PC with the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495, 192GB of memory and a 2TB SSD, at $6,199. Notebookcheck noted that's $500 to $1,250 less than rival machines with the same chip. That still sounds like a lot for a box that fits on a desk, so here's what you're paying for.
A "Halo" chip, in one picture
Most gaming PCs keep the processor and graphics separate. The CPU has its own RAM on the motherboard, and the graphics card has its own video memory (VRAM). Data has to be copied between the two.
AMD's Halo chips work like a giant console chip. Everything sits in one package and shares one pool of memory:
- CPU: 16 Zen 5 cores and 32 threads, running at 3.1 to 5.2GHz, with 64MB of L3 cache.
- GPU: the Radeon 8065S, with 40 compute units on AMD's RDNA 3.5 design, at up to about 3GHz. That's far bigger than the graphics in a normal laptop chip.
- NPU: an XDNA 2 AI engine rated at about 50 to 55 TOPS (trillions of operations per second; the sources differ).
- Memory: up to 192GB of LPDDR5X, soldered right next to the chip. With the full 192GB, up to 160GB can be handed to the GPU as video memory.
Our unified memory explainer goes deeper into why sharing one pool matters.
Image: Zerocade
Gorgon Halo vs Strix Halo
Gorgon Halo isn't a new design. It's the same layout as Strix Halo (the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 from 2025), slightly faster and with more memory:
| Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo) | Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 (Gorgon Halo) | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 16 Zen 5 cores, 3.0 to 5.1GHz | 16 Zen 5 cores, 3.1 to 5.2GHz |
| GPU | Radeon 8060S, 40 CUs | Radeon 8065S, 40 CUs, about 100MHz faster |
| Max memory | 128GB | 192GB |
| Process | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 4nm |
| Extras | PRO business management and security features |
The power range is wide. Notebookcheck lists 55W as typical, with a 45W minimum and up to about 120W depending on the machine. Bosgame's mini PC has a switch for 55W, 85W and 125W modes.
Why the mini PCs cost so much
On paper, three things push the price up:
- 192GB of fast memory. That's six times the 32GB in a well-equipped gaming PC, and it's all soldered. It arrives while DRAM prices are climbing because AI servers are soaking up supply, as we covered in our HBM explainer.
- Workstation extras. The Bosgame has two 10Gb Ethernet ports, USB4, OCuLink for an external graphics card, Wi-Fi 7 and a second SSD slot.
- Who it's for. These machines are sold for running large AI language models locally. A model that needs 100GB+ of memory won't fit on any consumer graphics card, but it fits here.
Image: Zerocade
Here's how the 192GB, 2TB versions compare in the US, according to Notebookcheck:
| Mini PC | US price | In rupees (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Bosgame M5 MAX | $6,199 (pre-order) | ₹5,89,000 |
| ACEMAGIC F9A | $6,699 | ₹6,36,000 |
| GMKtec EVO-X5 Pro | $6,799 | ₹6,46,000 |
| Minisforum MS-S1 MAX-P495 | $7,399 | ₹7,03,000 |
| Framework Desktop (pre-built) | $7,449 | ₹7,08,000 |
Rupee figures are plain conversions before import duty and taxes. None of these 192GB models has an announced Indian price. Bosgame ships locally to the US, EU and UK, and from China everywhere else.
Does any of this matter for gaming?
Some of it. The GPU is the same size as last year's, so a Gorgon Halo machine should game about as well as a Strix Halo one, not dramatically better. And no game needs 160GB of video memory: even demanding PC games today ask for 8 to 16GB.
Where it matters is the idea. Halo chips show that one package with a big GPU and shared memory can replace a separate CPU and graphics card, which is the same thinking behind consoles. AMD's own Ryzen AI Max laptops already sell in India with less memory and at much lower prices than these 192GB mini PCs.
If you're a gamer, the 192GB machines aren't aimed at you. Watch instead for cheaper 32GB or 64GB Gorgon Halo laptops and mini PCs. That's where this chip family could make sense for playing games.
