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AMD Unveils Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and Zen2-Based Ryzen Z2 A for Handheld Gaming Devices

A dedicated NPU delivers up to 50 TOPS of AI compute power for low-power, on-device gaming enhancements.

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AMD Strix Point APU chip, held in a hand, with the reflected light showing the various processing blocks in the chip die
The new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset
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Overview

  • The flagship Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme pairs an 8-core/16-thread CPU with 16 RDNA 3.5 graphics cores, 24 MB cache, LPDDR5X-8000 support and a configurable 15-35 W TDP.
  • The Ryzen Z2 A reuses Zen2 architecture with a 4-core/8-thread CPU, eight RDNA 2 graphics cores, 6 MB cache, LPDDR5-6400 support and a configurable 6-20 W TDP, likely serving as a rebranded Steam Deck APU.
  • The expanded Z2 lineup now spans four generations of AMD APU architecture, creating a tiered offering from entry-level to AI-enhanced handheld chips.
  • AMD is collaborating with partners to leverage the on-device NPU for machine-learning upscaling, adaptive gameplay and smarter NPCs without overloading CPU or GPU resources.
  • Lenovo’s Legion Go S and its Legion Go 2 Prototype are confirmed to use Z2 series processors, and Asus is expected to unveil a new ROG Ally successor later this year.