Sunday, September 8th 2024
AMD Readies Ryzen Z2 Chip for Handhelds Based on "Strix Point" Silicon
AMD is readying a major update to its category-defining Ryzen Z-series SoCs, with the new Ryzen Z2. Designed for handheld game consoles, the Ryzen Z-series chips are typically power-optimized variants of its mobile processors designed for ultra-low board footprint, allowing PC OEMs to build handheld game consoles with them. Facing competition from Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake-MX" SoCs in this segment, AMD is readying the Ryzen Z2 chip. The Z2 is based on the 4 nm "Strix Point" silicon, which gives it a significantly updated iGPU, as well as a higher core-count CPU.
Perhaps the biggest sub-system performance uplift console designers can expect from the Ryzen Z2 is graphics—AMD has given the "Strix Point" a larger iGPU with 16 compute units in place of 12 on "Phoenix," which is a 33% increase in just numerical terms. Then there's also the update to the newer RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture, which incorporates several architecture-level performance and battery-efficiency improvements. It's also better optimized for LPDDR5 memory. With CPU, AMD has given "Strix Point" a heterogeneous multicore setup with four "Zen 5" and eight "Zen 5c" cores. At this point, we don't know if all 12 cores are enabled on the Z2. ASUS is designing its next generation of ROG Ally consoles powered by the Ryzen Z2, and its designers hint that the console should be able to offer over 1 hour of "Black Myth: Wukong" gameplay on a full charge of battery—something current-gen ROG Ally X powered by the Z1 doesn't.
Source:
Windows Central
Perhaps the biggest sub-system performance uplift console designers can expect from the Ryzen Z2 is graphics—AMD has given the "Strix Point" a larger iGPU with 16 compute units in place of 12 on "Phoenix," which is a 33% increase in just numerical terms. Then there's also the update to the newer RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture, which incorporates several architecture-level performance and battery-efficiency improvements. It's also better optimized for LPDDR5 memory. With CPU, AMD has given "Strix Point" a heterogeneous multicore setup with four "Zen 5" and eight "Zen 5c" cores. At this point, we don't know if all 12 cores are enabled on the Z2. ASUS is designing its next generation of ROG Ally consoles powered by the Ryzen Z2, and its designers hint that the console should be able to offer over 1 hour of "Black Myth: Wukong" gameplay on a full charge of battery—something current-gen ROG Ally X powered by the Z1 doesn't.
17 Comments on AMD Readies Ryzen Z2 Chip for Handhelds Based on "Strix Point" Silicon
Oh well, maybe one day APU's will combine current gen architectures.
Like, sure, products that use it will be better than Steam Deck is today, and Stead Deck 2 would be better with it, but it won't be a Van Gaugh processor, that is something that could be significantly better than just a SKU'd laptop processor.
I'd rather have a Van Gaugh / Aerith 2. At 15W, this Zen2/RDNA2 processor really punches above its weight. IMO because it was specifically designed for this and not some cut down processor.
8-core CPU with at least a 16CU GPU would be perfect.
I would expect retailers to try to upsell those with a good powerbank. Three hours should be reasonable with an air-portable kit.