At CES 2025, AMD unveiled three new APUs designed for gaming handhelds: the entry-level Rembrandt-based Ryzen Z2 Go, alongside the Hawk Point-based Ryzen Z2 and the Strix Point-based Z2 Extreme. The Ryzen Z2 Go features 4 cores and 16 threads, and it will be the powerhouse for the budget-friendly Legion Go S, which is now up for pre-order in the US, UK, and Europe.
Performance Comparison
A recent video from Fps Vn on YouTube has showcased how the Lenovo Legion Go S performs in comparison to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme-powered ROG Ally X across three different games. In contrast to the Ryzen Z2 Go, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme is built on a more powerful octa-core architecture. However, when it comes to graphics performance, both APUs are similarly equipped, having 12 compute units each. According to the video, the Ryzen Z2 Go falls short by approximately 7-10% in gaming performance when compared to the Z1 Extreme.
Game Performance Results
In the game Black Myth: Wukong, running on medium settings at 720p and both APUs limited to 15 watts, the ROG Ally X with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme achieved an average of around 40 FPS, while the Legion Go S with the Ryzen Z2 Go reached 36 FPS. When testing Cyberpunk 2077 under the same conditions, the Legion Go S produced 50 FPS, while the Ally X slightly surpassed it with 54 FPS. The results were similar in Ghost of Tsushima, where the ROG Ally X and the Legion Go S recorded 62 and 66 FPS, respectively. Even when the resolution was boosted to 1080p at medium settings with FSR, the performance remained consistent, with the Z2 Go and Z1 Extreme both delivering 62 and 66 FPS, respectively.
Price and Specifications
It’s clear that the Ryzen Z1 Extreme will outperform the Ryzen Z2 Go in terms of CPU capabilities, as the latter has only half the physical cores. The Legion Go S powered by the Z2 Go, which runs on SteamOS, is expected to retail for around $500, making it a much cheaper option compared to the ROG Ally X, while still providing a comparable gaming experience in most titles. On the other hand, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme will feature an integrated GPU with 16 CUs and is likely to be included in higher-end handheld devices, offering a significant improvement in graphics performance.
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