AMD releases Ryzen Z1 series processors for handhelds
Previously, ROG’s Ally handheld console was rumored to employ the Ryzen Z1 Extreme and Ryzen Z1 processors, both absent from AMD’s product catalog at the time. AMD has now officially unveiled the Ryzen Z1 series, high-performance processors designed for handheld PC gaming devices, offering industry-leading gaming experiences and exceptional battery life.
The Ryzen Z1 series comprises two models, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme and Ryzen Z1, both featuring Zen 4 architecture CPUs paired with RDNA 3 architecture GPUs. The Ryzen Z1 Extreme is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with 12 compute units (CUs), boasting a peak floating-point performance of 8.6 TFLOPS. The Ryzen Z1, on the other hand, is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with 4 CUs, offering a maximum floating-point performance of 2.8 TFLOPS. Both models have adjustable TDPs ranging from 15W to 30W, though AMD has not disclosed their specific frequencies.
As for gaming performance, using 1080p low-quality settings, the frame rates for various games are displayed in the accompanying graph. Esports games like CS:GO and Dota 2 can run at exceedingly high frame rates, while the Ryzen Z1 can achieve fluid frame rates exceeding 60 fps for some older games. The more powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme can deliver frame rates above 60 fps in most games.
The Ryzen Z1 series supports the latest LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X memory, providing higher bandwidth and low latency for enhanced gaming performance. Additionally, the processors are compatible with USB4, allowing for connections to high-speed external storage devices and video output. Users can optimize their gaming experiences using AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, which includes features such as AMD Radeon Super Resolution2, Radeon Chill, Radeon Image Sharpening3, and AMD Link4.
The AMD Ryzen Z1 processors will first be implemented in the ASUS ROG Ally handheld console, with more details about the ROG Ally set to be announced on May 11th.
