New Budget CPU in Gaming Laptops: AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS

A new budget CPU has recently emerged in some affordable gaming laptops, but there’s a significant drawback—it lacks integrated graphics, which could result in reduced battery life. This new processor is AMD’s Ryzen 7 7435HS, and I tested it in a Lenovo LOQ with RTX 4060 graphics to determine its value.

Understanding the AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS

The Ryzen 7 7435HS is quite similar to the popular 7735HS, which itself is a rebranded 6800H from early 2022. These processors share the same number of cores, threads, and cache. However, the 7435HS has slightly lower base and boost clock speeds and is entirely devoid of integrated graphics. All these CPUs are based on AMD’s Zen 3+ architecture, making the 7435HS two generations old, especially with the imminent launch of Zen 5. Despite this, the 7435HS is just now appearing in cheaper gaming laptops.

Why No Integrated Graphics?

The likely scenario is that the 7435HS chips were initially intended to be a higher SKU like the 7735HS. Manufacturing CPUs is challenging, and there are failure rates involved. AMD probably had a batch of chips with defective GPUs. Instead of discarding them, they repurposed these chips into cheaper gaming laptops.

Without integrated graphics, all tasks rely on the more powerful discrete Nvidia graphics—in this case, the RTX 4060. This reliance increases battery consumption, even during idle periods.

Battery Life Performance

As expected, battery life isn’t impressive, lasting only 3 hours and 24 minutes in our YouTube playback test. Other LOQ laptops with integrated graphics fared slightly better, lasting just 48 minutes more on average. Comparatively, LOQ laptops with Intel processors showed better battery performance, indicating that an AMD processor with integrated graphics would likely outperform the Intel results.

The absence of integrated graphics undermines the portability of the 7435HS, but manufacturers compensate by pricing these laptops lower, hoping consumers will opt for the cheaper models.

Performance Analysis

Despite the lack of integrated graphics, the multi-core performance of the 7435HS is comparable to the 7735HS in ASUS’s TUF A15 and the 6800H in Lenovo’s Legion 5. These chips essentially offer performance from early 2022. Newer Zen 4 chips, which debuted in 2023, outperform the 7435HS by 18 to 25% in multi-core tasks but come with a higher price tag.

Performance remains relatively stable when unplugged, though battery life suffers due to the lack of integrated graphics. Gaming performance is another critical aspect to consider.

Gaming Performance

We tested the Lenovo LOQ with the 7435HS in three games at 1080p and 1440p resolutions. Here are the results:

• Cyberpunk 2077: The LOQ’s performance was similar to 2023 LOQs with RTX 4060 graphics and newer Intel processors. The CPU’s impact is less significant at higher resolutions like 1440p, where the GPU takes precedence.
  

• Red Dead Redemption 2: At 1080p, the cheaper LOQ with 7435HS performed close to the 2023 models with newer Intel CPUs. At 1440p, the performance differences were within the margin of error, making them negligible.
  

• Control: The LOQ performed well at 1080p, with one of the highest FPS among RTX 4060 results. The Zen 4 processors had better 1% lows, indicating more stable gameplay.
  

The absence of a MUX switch in this laptop is due to the lack of integrated graphics. The display always connects directly to the Nvidia graphics, ensuring optimal game performance without the integrated graphics acting as a bottleneck.

System Latency and Display Quality

System latency, measured during Counter-Strike 2 tests, wasn’t particularly impressive but was better than some other budget laptops. The 1080p screen in the tested LOQ had G-Sync but was relatively dim, maxing out at 282 nits. This brightness is below the 300-nit baseline desired, though the color gamut was adequate for gaming. Screen response time was also on the slower side, with noticeable blurriness in fast-paced games.

Thermals and Power Consumption

The LOQ with the 7435HS runs cool, with low temperatures and quiet fans at idle. The laptop has four performance modes: quiet, balanced, performance, and custom. In custom mode, users can adjust fan speeds, temperature, and power limits. Despite higher temperatures in custom mode, overall thermal performance remains excellent.

The CPU operates at 45 watts, while the GPU runs at around 95 watts, though the Nvidia control panel lists a 115-watt limit with dynamic boost. There was minor battery drain during testing, especially in custom mode, but this was minimal and varied with usage.

Conclusion: Is It Worth Buying?

As of late July, the Lenovo LOQ with Ryzen 7 7435HS is priced at $800 at Best Buy. This isn’t a bad deal for an RTX 4060 gaming laptop, but better options are available, such as Dell’s G15 with a newer Zen 4 processor and a higher refresh rate screen for $35 less. Ideally, the LOQ with 7435HS should be priced lower, around $750, to justify the battery life compromise.

Ultimately, the decision to buy depends on your priorities. If you’re always using the laptop while plugged in and can find it at a discounted price, the 7435HS might be a good option. However, if battery life is crucial, opting for a laptop with integrated graphics would be a better choice.