AMD has officially announced that it’s developing the new Ryzen Z2 processors, the next generation of its CPU family used in portable consoles like the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go.
This news was shared during a closed-door session at IFA 2024, where AMD revealed that the Ryzen Z2 will be based on the Strix Point processors designed for notebooks. This means the Ryzen Z2 will be built on a 4nm process and offer more cores than the existing Z1 and Z1 Extreme models. In the laptop lineup, the standout model will be the Ryzen 9 AI HX370, featuring 12 cores, 24 threads, a maximum clock speed of 5.1 GHz, and 36 MB of cache.
Although a Ryzen Z2 Extreme version with these specs might not appear in laptops, the new processors will include a significant GPU upgrade. The Ryzen Z2 will integrate the Radeon 880M and Radeon 890M graphics, based on the RDNA 3.5 microarchitecture. This new architecture promises improved energy efficiency and better support for LPDDR5 memory. Additionally, these integrated GPUs will have 16 compute units (CUs), a 33% increase over the 12 CUs in the current Ryzen Z1 models.
Ryzen 2 improvements in practice
With the upcoming Ryzen Z2 processors, AMD aims to deliver a more powerful and efficient platform to rival Intel’s Lunar Lake MX, which is based on the newly announced Core Ultra 200V and features in the MSI Claw 8 AI+.
The update promises not only enhanced CPU and GPU architectures but also the potential for significantly improved battery life in portable consoles. AMD has set an ambitious goal to extend battery life by 300%, increasing the average time from about 45-50 minutes to up to 3 hours.
In addition to performance improvements, the Ryzen Z2 will incorporate advanced AI features and be compatible with Copilot+ on Windows 11. The new processors are also expected to support AMD Fluid Motion Frames, a technology designed to enhance frame rates in games, potentially doubling the FPS and providing a smoother gaming experience with less strain on the GPU.
According to AMD’s official benchmarks, the Strix Point processors, which the Ryzen Z2 is based on, deliver 36% better average in-game performance compared to competitors. This means that with the Ryzen Z2, games such as Cyberpunk 2077 could run at up to 65 FPS, Counter-Strike 2 at 190 FPS, and Hitman 3 at 108 FPS, all at Full HD resolution with minimum settings.
What devices will come with Ryzen Z2?
Even though AMD hasn’t officially revealed which devices will feature the new Ryzen Z2 processors, ASUS has already confirmed that it’s working on the next-generation ROG Ally using this new chip. According to ASUS, the updated ROG Ally will be capable of running Black Myth: Wukong for up to one hour on battery power.
Meanwhile, there’s a buzz that Lenovo might be developing two new versions of the Legion Go. One version, dubbed the Legion Go S, is expected to be a more affordable and streamlined model featuring the Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The other is anticipated to be the Legion Go 2, which will include the new Ryzen Z2 APUs.
Lastly, there’s speculation about a potential new Steam Deck model. Given how outdated the current Steam Deck is compared to its competitors, it’s possible that Valve’s next iteration could come equipped with AMD’s Ryzen Z2 processors.
