The next-generation AMD Handheld Ryzen "Z2" APU lineup has been revealed, featuring three different SKUs, the Z2 Extreme, Z2 and Z2G.
AMD Preps A Trio of Next-Gen Ryzen "Z2" APUs For Handhelds: Z2 Extreme With 12 RDNA 3.5 & Z2 With 12 RDNA 3, Z2G With 12 RDNA 2 GPU Cores
AMD seems to be preparing a range of next-generation Ryzen APUs for future gaming handhelds. The new lineup will be called the Z2 series and feature at least three SKUs which include the high-end Z2 Extreme or Z2E, the standard Z2, and the Z2G. These SKUs were revealed by Golden Pig Upgrade over at Bilibili (via HXL).
Starting with the details, the insider states that the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme was originally meant to feature a Z2 Extreme X or Z2E "X" SKU which would have featured up to 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units but this plan has been dropped in favor of the standard Z2E variant which will feature up to 12 GPU cores based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture along with a mix of Zen 5 and Zen 5C cores while being a Strix Point offering.
Image Source: Golden Pig Upgrade
Next up is the standard AMD Ryzen Z2 APU which will feature the Hawk Point layout with up to 12 GPU cores but based on the RDNA 3 architecture. This APU should be very similar to the existing Ryzen Z1 Extreme which also packs 12 Compute Units based on the RDNA 3 graphics architecture and should feature up to 8 CPU cores based on the Zen 4 core architecture.
Lastly, there's the AMD Ryzen Z2G which seems to be an entry-level option. This chip is said to be based on the Rembrandt "Zen 3+" core architecture but will offer the same 12 Compute Units although based on the older RDNA 2 graphics architecture. AMD is likely to position the Ryzen Z2G APUs at budget and low-power handhelds.
From the looks of things, it looks like AMD has devised a full lineup of Ryzen Z2 series SKUs for future gaming handhelds which have taken the market by storm. Currently, AMD leads with the most amount of OEM handheld solutions available on the market and that's likely to remain the case however Intel is slowly picking up the pace and the Lunar Lake "Core Ultra 200V" SoCs are expected to heat up the growing space by early 2025.
AMD Ryzen "Z" Series Gaming Handheld SoCs:
| CPU Name | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | AMD Ryzen Z2 | AMD Ryzen Z2 Go | AMD Ryzen Z2A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | Strix Point | Hawk Point | Rembrandt | Van Gogh |
| Process Node | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 6nm | TSMC 7nm |
| Max Cores/Threads | 8/16 | 8/16 | 8/16 | 8/16 | 4/8 |
| Max Clocks | 5.0 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 3.8 GHz |
| Max Cache | 24 MB | 24 MB | 24 MB | 10 MB | 6 MB |
| Memory | LPDDR5x-8000 | LPDDR5x-8000 | LPDDR5x-7500 | LPDDR5-6400 | LPDDR5-6400 |
| TDP Range | 15-35W | 15-35W | 15-30W | 15-30W | 6-20W |
| GPU Architecture | Radeon 890M (RDNA 3.5) | Radeon 890M (RDNA 3.5) | Radeon 780M (RDNA 3) | Radeon 680M (RDNA 2) | RDNA 2 |
| Max GPU Cores | 16 CUs | 16 CUs | 12 CUs | 12 CUs | 8 CUs |
| Launch | June, 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | June, 2025 |
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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