Key Takeaways
1. AMD has launched two new chips for handheld gaming: Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and Ryzen Z2A.
2. The Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme features eight Zen 5 cores, a 16-core RDNA 3.5 GPU, and a 50 TOPS NPU for enhanced gaming performance.
3. The Ryzen Z2A is a budget option with four Zen 2 cores, an 8-core RDNA 2 GPU, and lower power consumption for better battery life.
4. The Ryzen Z2A is currently used in the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and may be adopted by other budget handheld consoles.
5. AMD now offers five chips for handheld devices, increasing competition against Intel’s Lunar Lake.
AMD has revealed two fresh chips designed for handheld gaming consoles. As hinted by a previous leak, these are the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and Ryzen Z2A. The first one is basically a Ryzen Z2 Extreme but with a NPU added on top, whereas the second one is an entry-level option that features somewhat older specifications.
Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme Details
The Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme boasts eight AMD Zen 5 cores, paired with a 16-core RDNA 3.5 GPU, and has a TDP range of 15-35 Watts. It supports LPDDR5X-8000 RAM and includes a 50 TOPS NPU. This NPU is likely designed to enhance the Gaming Copilot feature that can be found in Xbox-branded handhelds, such as the ROG Xbox Ally X.
Ryzen Z2A Specifications
On the other hand, the Ryzen Z2A is equipped with four AMD Zen 2 cores, an 8-core RDNA 2 GPU, LPDDR5-6400 RAM, and has a TDP range of 6-20 Watts. There was a previous leak that suggested this chip belongs to AMD’s Van Gogh family of APUs, one of which (Aerith) is used in the Steam Deck. In terms of performance, it might not even match the base Ryzen Z1, but its lower TDP could lead to improved battery longevity.
Availability and Market Impact
Currently, the only handheld device utilizing the Ryzen Z2A is Asus’ newly introduced ROG Xbox Ally, but soon it will likely be available in other budget-friendly consoles. To sum it up, OEMs now have a choice of five AMD chips for their handheld devices, which makes Intel’s Lunar Lake seem even less appealing by comparison.
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