AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU surfaces online as the next-generation chip is going to power future gaming handhelds.
AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU will feature a 3+5 Core Configuration and a TDP of 28W, powers next-generation gaming handhelds
AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU is expected to succeed the Z1 Extreme custom APU by AMD, made for gaming handhelds such as ASUS ROG Ally. The Z1 Extreme is based on the Zen 4 architecture but as AMD already revealed its Zen 5-based desktop and laptop lineups, i.e., the Ryzen 9000 & Ryzen AI 300 APUs, AMD is inevitably set to release a custom Z2 Extreme APU based on Zen 5.
This has been confirmed in the recently leaked NBD shipping manifest(via @Olrak29_), which reveals the chip as "Z2X28W" with a "100-000001684" ID. The Z2X is the codename for the Z2 Extreme in short while the 28W is the supposed TDP for the APU. This confirms the rumor that the Z2 Extreme will work within 9-30W of TDP except that it looks like the max TDP will be 28W. Nonetheless, what's important is that AMD is actively preparing for the Z2 Extreme as promised.
A few weeks ago, AMD confirmed that it is working to release the Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU in the early part of 2025. This is because the current Strix Point lineup is too expensive for gaming handhelds while the upcoming Krackan Point will focus on mainstream laptops. We have only heard about a few mini-PCs using the AMD Strix Point Ryzen AI 300 processors, but no hardware manufacturer has come up with a Strix Point-based gaming handheld.
MSI is going with the Lunar Lake for Claw 8, while ZOTAC has gone with the Zen 4-based chip for its Gaming ZONE. The upcoming gaming handhelds can be reshaped with the availability of Z2 Extreme as it will be a solid replacement for handhelds like ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go.
AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU will feature a 3+5 core configuration with 3x Zen 5 and 5x Zen 5c cores. It will feature hyperthreading and a max Cache of 16MB. The iGPU will be based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture and will come with 12 Compute Units, similar to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU. It's expected that Z2 Extreme will not only improve the gaming performance of handhelds but will also improve the battery life noticeably, which AMD's Senior VP, Jack Hyunh has previously focused on.
Next-Gen SoCs For Gaming Handhelds:
| CPU Name | Intel Lunar Lake | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | AMD Ryzen Z2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC N3B | TSMC N4? | TSMC N4 |
| Max Cores/Threads | 8/8 | 8/16 | 8/16 |
| Max Clocks | 5.1 GHz | TBD | 5.1 GHz? |
| Max Cache | 12 MB | 16 MB | 16 MB |
| TDP Range | 8-30W | 9-30W? | 9-30W? |
| GPU Architecture | Xe2 | RDNA 3.5 | RDNA 3 |
| Max GPU Cores | 8 Xe-Cores | 12 CUs | 12 CUs |
| Peak TFLOPs | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Launch | Q1 2025 (handhelds) | Q1 2025 | Q1 2025 |
News Source: @Olrak29_
