The Consumer Electronics Show has long served as technology's grandest stage, but this year's event in Las Vegas carries particular weight for AMD. On Monday, January 5, at 6:30 PM Pacific Time, CEO Dr. Lisa Su will take the stage at the Venetian's Palazzo Ballroom to unveil what AMD is billing as a transformative vision for artificial intelligence—from the data center to the desktop.
The 90-minute keynote arrives at a pivotal moment for the semiconductor industry. While Nvidia has dominated the AI chip narrative for the past three years, AMD has been quietly building an arsenal of products designed to capture market share in what Bank of America projects will be the industry's first trillion-dollar sales year.
The MI400 Factor: AMD's 10x Performance Claim
The most anticipated announcement centers on AMD's Instinct MI400 series of AI accelerators. According to company statements, the MI400X delivers performance ten times greater than the MI300X—AMD's current flagship data center GPU that has already secured major customers including Microsoft and Meta.
The claim is audacious. If validated, it would represent one of the largest generational performance leaps in GPU history. More importantly, it could provide hyperscale customers with a credible alternative to Nvidia's Blackwell architecture, which has faced supply constraints since its announcement.
"AMD's upcoming MI-400 chip arriving in 2026, with OpenAI set to use them as part of a multi-billion dollar, multi-year deal," noted industry analysts, highlighting the strategic importance of the product launch.
The AI PC Arms Race
Beyond the data center, Su is expected to detail AMD's strategy for the emerging AI PC market. The company's Ryzen AI 400 "Gorgon Point" processors will compete directly with Intel's Panther Lake chips, which are also debuting at CES. Expect announcements around the Ryzen AI 9 465, AI 7 450, and AI 5 430 models—each designed to bring neural processing capabilities to mainstream laptops.
The timing is strategic. Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative has created unprecedented demand for on-device AI processing, and AMD is positioning its NPU-equipped chips as the silicon backbone for the next generation of intelligent computers.
Gaming and Graphics: FSR Redstone Takes Aim at DLSS 4
AMD hasn't forgotten its gaming roots. The keynote will showcase FSR Redstone, the company's latest frame-generation and upscaling technology. First previewed in December, FSR Redstone represents AMD's most aggressive push to close the gap with Nvidia's DLSS 4, which has set the standard for AI-enhanced gaming visuals.
New Ryzen desktop processors are also expected, including the Ryzen 7 9850X3D with its 3D V-Cache technology for improved single-threaded performance, and the Ryzen 9000G series built on AMD's Zen 5 architecture. These chips target the enthusiast market that has traditionally been AMD's stronghold.
The Three-Way Showdown
What makes CES 2026 unprecedented is the timing. For the first time, all three major chip companies—AMD, Intel, and Nvidia—will present their 2026 roadmaps on the same day. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang takes the stage just hours before Su, while Intel's presentations run throughout the conference.
This convergence gives investors and industry observers a complete competitive landscape in a single 24-hour period. The implications for technology stocks could be significant, as analysts parse announcements for signs of market share shifts and technological advantages.
The Stakes for AMD
AMD's stock has delivered solid returns over the past year, but the company remains significantly smaller than Nvidia by market capitalization. The CES keynote represents an opportunity to demonstrate that AMD's AI ambitions are more than aspirational—that they're backed by silicon that can compete at the highest level.
For investors, the key questions center on customer wins, production timelines, and pricing. A compelling roadmap means little without the manufacturing capacity to deliver and the pricing strategy to win contracts.
How to Watch
AMD's CES 2026 keynote will stream live on the company's website and the official CES YouTube channel starting at 9:30 PM Eastern Time on Monday, January 5. Given the significance of the announcements and their potential market impact, investors may want to tune in—or at least catch the highlights before Tuesday's trading session.
In an industry where momentum can shift quickly, AMD's moment on stage could mark the beginning of a more competitive AI landscape—one where Nvidia's dominance is no longer a foregone conclusion.