The is official. AMD has unveiled its highly anticipated mobile gaming processor, poised to power future iterations of the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go, promising substantial advancements in gaming performance and battery life.
The successor to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, which already fuels the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion GO, has been unveiled by AMD, with the new processor set to power future iterations of those devices, including prospective Steam Deck 2 models. The upgrade could significantly enhance the performance of the brand-new Steam Deck, as the current device leverages a less powerful, older processor.
The most notable enhancement with this new processor is that its GPU has upgraded from 12 compute units, like those found on the Z1 Extreme, to a architecture featuring 16 compute units. The anticipated 33% boost in processing power should yield a straightforward, linear improvement in gaming performance, affording players either a faster frame rate or the option for a slower frame rate at a higher resolution.
While the exterior may not immediately reveal a significant uptick in efficiency compared to the Z1 Extreme, a closer examination reveals that the Z2 Extreme’s CPU specs are remarkably similar to those of its predecessor, with the new chip boasting an eight-core processor capable of handling 16 threads simultaneously.
The Ryzen Z2 will be available in two distinct configurations: the standard Z2 and the portable Z2 Go. The latter’s lower power profile is reflected in its reduced specifications, including a 12 CU GPU and a four-core processor. While the Ryzen Z2 Go may seem like an extremely alluring option, its quad-core CPU is actually well-suited for many older titles and can still handle demanding games, especially considering it’s paired with a GPU featuring 12 CUs. If AMD and its partners can successfully bring this product to market at a compelling price point, it could prove a highly attractive budget-friendly option.
While details beyond its fundamental specifications remain scarce, AMD is touting its latest CPU as a significant upgrade, promising “more performance and functionality” along with extended battery life that reportedly exceeds hours.
AMD anticipates availability of the initial Ryzen Z2 Extreme processors in Q1 2025, implying a potential release window spanning from January to March of that year. Here’s hoping it’s sooner rather than later.
At its CES 2025 press event, AMD unveiled a slew of groundbreaking products, including the Z2 Extreme, a powerful addition to their lineup, alongside other highly anticipated releases such as the 9950X3D desktop gaming CPU, the eagerly awaited Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card, and AMD Ryzen AI Max gaming laptop CPUs boasting extraordinary 40 CU GPUs.
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