Key Takeaways
1. Chinese brands have launched gaming handhelds with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, featuring the powerful Radeon 890M iGPU, while devices with the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 are on the way.
2. Initial tests with the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and Radeon 8060S iGPU show limited performance, struggling to exceed 600 MHz at 18 W TDP and 1,000 MHz at 25 W TDP.
3. In gaming tests, GTA 5 ran at around 60 FPS at 1080p on High settings at 18 W TDP, improving to about 90 FPS at 25 W TDP.
4. DOOM Eternal performed over 70 FPS at 1080p on Medium settings, while The Witcher 3 achieved around 65 FPS at 18 W TDP and 84 FPS at 25 W TDP.
5. Gaming performance may require sacrificing battery life, and AMD might adjust power settings if a Ryzen Z-series APU is released, potentially alleviating battery concerns.
While gaming handhelds with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme haven’t arrived yet, Chinese brands have already launched devices that come with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. This model brings the powerful Radeon 890M iGPU into the gaming handheld market, and now that more devices featuring the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 are being announced, we could soon see handhelds equipped with the latest Zen 5 APU.
Performance Insights
Before this happens, ETA Prime has shared a sneak peek of what the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with the Radeon 8060S iGPU might perform like in a gaming handheld. In a recent simulation, the YouTuber tested the Zen 5 APU at both 18 W and 25 W TDPs. Although the gaming performance appears adequate, the iGPU seems limited and unable to reach its full potential.
Limitations in Power
Specifically, ETA Prime points out that the Radeon 8060S doesn’t exceed 600 MHz when operating in the 18 W TDP mode. Even when the TDP is raised to 25 W, it struggles to surpass 1,000 MHz during gaming tests. For context, the Radeon 8060S has a boost capability of up to 2900 MHz when the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 isn’t power-limited.
Game Performance Summary
In terms of actual performance during the simulation, ETA Prime first tested GTA 5 Enhanced Edition. At 18 W TDP and with the resolution set to 1080p, the frame rate stayed around 60 FPS for most of the gameplay on the High preset. When the power was increased to 25 W, the game maintained an average of about 90 FPS.
For the next game, ETA Prime ran DOOM Eternal, which performed at over 70 FPS in most scenarios at 1080p on the Medium preset. The Witcher 3 also performed satisfactorily. At 18 W TDP with 1080p resolution on the Steam Deck preset, the power-limited Radeon 8060S achieved an average of roughly 65 FPS. When the TDP was increased to 25 W, the average FPS improved to around 84.
Battery Life Considerations
From this simulation, it appears that gaming handhelds featuring the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 may need to sacrifice battery life to deliver solid performance (the 140 W Anker 737 power bank is priced at $109.99 on Amazon). Of course, AMD could adjust the power profiles and overall settings if it chooses to release a Ryzen Z-series APU based on this. In such a case, the same battery life concerns might not apply. For a look at how well the Radeon 8060S performs in a mobile device when not limited by power, check out our review of the ROG Flow Z13 GZ302EA.
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