Microsoft has been working closely with AMD for a good number of years now, partnering up on Xbox One and Project Scarlet console hardware. Now, Microsoft may be turning to AMD in other parts of its business, with the latest rumours suggesting that the next line-up of Surface laptops will switch from Intel to AMD processors.

AMD has been increasing its x86 CPU market share with consistent improvements to the Zen architecture and timely releases of Ryzen processors. Microsoft isn’t the biggest laptop seller in the world, but it would still be a significant shift, especially since Intel has dominated the laptop CPU market for so long.

This news comes from WinFuture, which managed to get a peek at data entries on non-public databases for European retailers. The Surface Laptop 3 15-inch model was news all on its own, as previous Surface laptops (not to be confused with the Surface Book), have not been available in 15-inch form. However, the site goes on to say that at least three AMD-based models of this laptop were also found.

We don’t know which AMD CPUs specifically will be used, but the Ryzen 7 3700U and Ryzen 5 3500U seem like a good place to start. Microsoft will be announcing its new Surface hardware in October, so we should hear more on this in the weeks to come.

KitGuru Says: AMD has been in a strong position over the last few years on the DIY PC side, but AMD’s position is also improving amongst OEM customers. Next-gen Surface laptops haven’t been officially announced yet, but this rumour does seem to carry some weight.

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