AMD Ryzen 5 40: A New Name for a 2022 Processor

AMD added the Ryzen 5 40 to its mobile processor lineup in October 2025. On paper, it is a new model in the Ryzen 10 Series. In practice, it uses the same Mendocino silicon as the Ryzen 5 7520U released back in 2022. The Zen 2 architecture, four cores, eight threads, clock speeds, cache capacity, and integrated Radeon 610M graphics are all the same. The key difference is the new model number.

Rebranding existing mobile processors is common in the industry. Older chips can receive new names and continue shipping in current laptop lineups. With the Ryzen 5 40, the gap between the new model number and the age of the underlying platform is especially noticeable.

Where the Ryzen 5 40 Name Came From

In the fall of 2025, AMD updated the names of several mobile processors based on existing silicon. The Ryzen 10 Series includes Mendocino models built on Zen 2: the Ryzen 5 7520U became the Ryzen 5 40, the Ryzen 3 7320U became the Ryzen 3 30, while lower-end variants appeared as the Athlon Gold 20 and Athlon Silver 10.

At the same time, AMD introduced the Ryzen 100 Series based on the more capable Rembrandt-R silicon and Zen 3+ architecture. For example, the Ryzen 7 7735HS became the Ryzen 7 170, while the Ryzen 5 7535HS became the Ryzen 5 150.

That can be confusing because similar model numbers now cover processors from very different performance classes. The Ryzen 5 40 has four Zen 2 cores and Radeon 610M graphics, while the Ryzen 5 150 comes with six Zen 3+ cores and the much faster Radeon 660M.

The Ryzen 5 40 has four cores and eight threads with SMT, a 2.8 GHz base clock, and boost frequencies of up to 4.3 GHz. It includes 4 MB of L3 cache, uses TSMC's 6 nm process, and has a default TDP of 15 W. The processor supports dual-channel LPDDR5-5500 memory and uses the FT6 package.

The tested HP OmniBook 3 comes with 16 GB of soldered LPDDR5 memory that cannot be upgraded, so memory capacity is worth checking carefully when choosing a specific laptop configuration.

Mendocino debuted in 2022, so the Ryzen 5 40 is still using the same platform several years later.

Performance

Notebookcheck tested the HP OmniBook 3 17-dp0451ng with the Ryzen 5 40 and compared it with an Acer Aspire 3 powered by the Ryzen 5 7520U. This is a useful comparison because both processors use the same Mendocino silicon under different names.

Their Cinebench R23 results are very close:

• Single-core: 1150 points for the HP versus 1171 for the Acer.
• Multi-core: 4841 versus 5149.

The difference is less than 2% in the single-core test and about 6% in multi-core performance. For two different laptops with different power and cooling configurations, that is a relatively small gap and does not indicate any meaningful performance improvement from the newly named Ryzen 5 40.

Geekbench 5.5 tells the same story: 1065 versus 1066 points in single-core performance and 3970 versus 3821 in multi-core performance.

Newer Geekbench 6.7 and Cinebench 2024 results are available only for the HP with the Ryzen 5 40: 1405/4503 points in Geekbench 6.7 and 60/281 points in Cinebench 2024. The Acer Aspire 3 was tested earlier, so there is no direct Ryzen 5 7520U comparison using those benchmark versions.

The comparison with newer quad-core processors is more revealing. The Ryzen AI 5 330 and Ryzen AI 5 430 also have 4 cores and 8 threads, but use much newer CPU architectures. In Cinebench R23 Multi, they significantly outperform the Ryzen 5 40.

This illustrates the main limitation of the Ryzen 5 40: four newer CPU cores can deliver substantially more performance than four Zen 2 cores in Mendocino.

A separate RTINGS review of the HP OmniBook 3 14" with the same processor also identified performance as one of the laptop's main limitations.

The Ryzen 5 40 is fast enough for web browsing, office applications, video calls, and media playback. Under heavier multitasking and sustained workloads, however, it falls well behind more modern mobile processors.

Real-World Device Benchmark Results

Cinebench R23 is useful here because results are available for all three devices, allowing a direct comparison without mixing different versions of the same benchmark.

The Ryzen AI 5 330 scores about 62% higher in the multi-core test despite also using a 4-core, 8-thread configuration.

Integrated Graphics: The Biggest Weakness

The Radeon 610M is based on the RDNA 2 architecture, but it uses the smallest configuration available: just 2 compute units and 128 shaders running at up to 1.9 GHz.

3DMark Time Spy Graphics clearly shows the gap between the Radeon 610M and newer integrated GPUs:

Even the Radeon 820M is about 59% faster. The Radeon 840M scores more than three times as high, while Intel Graphics 4-Core scores almost four times higher than the Radeon 610M.

In gaming tests on the HP OmniBook 3 17 at 1080p, the Radeon 610M is mainly suitable for older and less demanding titles. Dota 2 reaches 77.5 FPS at low settings and 57.4 FPS at medium settings, while GTA V delivers 61.3 and 51.9 FPS respectively. X-Plane 11 runs at 25.3 FPS at low settings and 16.5 FPS at higher settings.

Modern demanding games perform much worse. Cyberpunk 2077 reaches about 7.5 FPS at low settings and 3.1 FPS at Ultra, while Baldur's Gate 3 manages 7.3 and 3.5 FPS.

Games released in 2025 and 2026 are even more demanding. Borderlands 4, Death Stranding 2, Resident Evil Requiem, and Crimson Desert either fail to run properly or deliver single-digit frame rates.

The Radeon 610M is sufficient for everyday applications and video playback. It can still handle some older, lightweight games, but modern gaming workloads are well beyond its capabilities.

Real Devices, Pricing, and Availability

One of the few Ryzen 5 40 laptops that has been tested in detail is the 17.3-inch HP OmniBook 3. In the U.S., a configuration with 8 GB of memory and a 512 GB SSD can be found for around $500, although its MSRP is considerably higher.

Notebookcheck tested a European version with 16 GB of memory and a 512 GB SSD priced at €549.

The Ryzen 5 40 also appears in several other budget laptops.

HP OmniBook 3 16", 2K touchscreen, 16 GB/256 GB - around $649.99-879.99 depending on configuration and discounts.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15.6", Full HD, 8 GB/256 GB - around $449.99, with sale prices sometimes dropping to approximately $380-400.

For comparison, laptops using the same Mendocino silicon under the Ryzen 5 7520U name were often available in previous years for around $329 in 8 GB/256 GB configurations.

A new model number therefore does not automatically make a Ryzen 5 40 laptop a better value. The final laptop price should be compared carefully with systems based on newer processors.

Competitors and Alternatives

Intel N150 appears in some of the cheapest laptops on the market and usually costs less than systems with the Ryzen 5 40. CPU performance is lower, especially in multi-core workloads, and the integrated graphics are also entry-level. Its main advantage is the low price of the complete system.

AMD Ryzen 5 7430U offers six cores and twelve threads based on Zen 3. Laptops using it are still available in the budget segment and sometimes cost about the same as Ryzen 5 40 systems. At a similar price, its stronger multi-core performance gives the Ryzen 5 7430U a clear advantage.

AMD Ryzen 5 150 also uses AMD's newer naming scheme, but it is based on Rembrandt-R with six Zen 3+ cores and Radeon 660M graphics. Despite the similar branding, it belongs to a different performance class in both CPU and integrated GPU performance.

AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 and Ryzen AI 5 430 are based on much newer platforms. Laptops using them are usually more expensive, but they provide a useful reference point: even with the same 4-core, 8-thread configuration, modern architectures significantly outperform Mendocino.

Conclusion

The Ryzen 5 40 is sufficient for web browsing, office applications, video calls, and media playback, but the underlying hardware is far from new. It is based on Mendocino silicon that debuted in 2022, and its performance is virtually identical to the Ryzen 5 7520U.

The key question when buying a Ryzen 5 40 laptop is price. It only becomes attractive in a genuinely inexpensive system where laptops with the Ryzen 5 7430U, Ryzen 5 150, or other newer six-core processors are not available for a small additional cost.

Memory capacity also deserves special attention. If the RAM is soldered and cannot be upgraded, a 16 GB configuration is a much better choice than 8 GB in 2026.

The Radeon 610M is an even greater limitation. It is adequate for everyday applications, video playback, and older lightweight games, but modern gaming workloads are too demanding for it.

In AMD's current mobile lineup, the Ryzen 5 label alone is no longer enough to determine the performance level of a processor. With the Ryzen 5 40, the architecture, memory configuration, and price matter far more than the model number alone.