Laptops Powered by AMD’s Zen 4 Architecture Get Shiny New Orange Ryzen Stickers

In case you were curious about whether or not it is possible to quickly differentiate between notebooks powered by the Zen 2 or Zen 3 microarchitectures, the answer is yes. An AMD-based laptop running the latest Ryzen 7000-series CPUs featuring the Zen 4 microarchitecture can be distinguished from other types of laptops. According to the new marketing deck that AMD has released, computers that use processors with designs from the prior generation are labeled with an orange sticker, whilst systems that have the most recent Zen 4-based Ryzen 7040/7045-series CPUs are labeled with a gray sticker.

AMD disclosed that the new Ryzen 7000 family will include processors powered by the previous-generation Zen 3 and even Zen 2 microarchitecture when it introduced its latest model numbering system for Ryzen 7000-series processors for notebooks. This information was provided when AMD introduced its latest model numbering system for Ryzen 7000-series processors for desktop computers. To make matters even more perplexing, the portfolio will also offer APUs with integrated GPUs featuring the Vega, RDNA 2, and RDNA 3 architectural designs.

When it comes to purchasing a new personal computer, only a small percentage of customers will be aware of or remember the model numbering scheme. The microarchitecture can be deduced from the third digit of a Ryzen 7000 model number. In light of this, AMD has requested that its partners use new orange Ryzen 7000-series stickers with systems that are based on Zen 4-based Ryzen 7040/7045-series ‘Dragon Range’ and ‘Phoenix’ APUs. Stickers in silver and gray will be used for the existing models of midrange and entry-level laptops. Although an orange Ryzen 7000 sticker is a nice way to differentiate between systems running AMD’s most recent technology and PCs featuring architectures from previous generations, many people do not purchase their laptops at retail locations, and not all online stores post accurate pictures of the products they sell on their websites.

In addition, the first digit of the model number is still, in the minds of many consumers, one of the most important factors in determining whether or not they will make a purchase. Customers are bound to become confused when several product generations from the same product family are marketed to them, but original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have a tendency to embrace new product families, even if such families contain rebadged prior generation processors. As a result, both Intel and AMD routinely include older technology in brand-new lineups under new model numbers.