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A year and a half after launching the AMD Ryzen Z1 line of processors designed specifically for handheld gaming PCs, AMD is back for round two. And this time the company is introducing three chips rather than two.
As expected, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme is the new flagship. It’s an 8-core, 16-thread processor with support for CPU speeds up to 5 GHz, 24MB of cache, and 16-core graphics. It has a TDP range of 15 to 35 watts. But AMD also has two other chips available for lower-cost handhelds.
The Ryzen Z2 is an 8-core, 16-thread chip with CPU frequencies that go up to 5.1 GHz, 24MB of cache, 12-core graphics, and a 15-35 watt TDP, while the Ryzen Z2 Go is an entry-level option with 4 CPU cores, 8 threads, speeds up to 4.3 GHz, 10MB of cache, 12-core graphics, and a 15-30 watt TDP.
On paper, the mid-tier Ryzen Z2 processor looks a lot like the previous-gen Ryzen Z1 Extreme, while the new Z2 Go is a step up from the original Z1 that should bring better graphics performance since it has three times as many GPU compute units.
But these are all relatively low power chips that are designed for lightweight computers that are designed to be held in your hands while offering at least a few hours of battery life during game play, so don’t expect the same level of performance you’d get from AMD’s new power-hungry Strix Halo processors.
| Name | CPU cores / threads | Base / Max Boost freq | Cache | GPU | TDP |
| Ryzen Z2 family (2025) | |||||
| Ryzen Z2 Extreme | 8 cores (3 x Zen 5, 5 x Zen 5c) / 16 threads | 2 GHz / 5 GHz | 24MB | 16 x RDNA 3.5 CUs | 15 – 35W |
| Ryzen Z2 | 8 Zen 4 cores / 16 threads | 3.3 GHz / 5.1 GHz | 24MB | 12 x RDNA 3 CUs | 15 – 35W |
| Ryzen Z2G | 4 Zen 3+ cores / 8 threads | 3 GHz / 4.3 GHz | 10MB | 12 x RDNA 2 CUs | 15 – 30W |
| Ryzen Z1 family (2023) | |||||
| Ryzen Z1 Extreme | 8 Zen 4 cores / 16 threads | 3.3 GHz / 5.1 GHz | 24MB | 12 x RDNA 3 CUs | 15 – 30W |
| Ryzen Z1 | 6 Zen 4 cores / 12 threads | 3.2 GHz / 4.9 GHz | 22MB | 4 x RDNA 3 CUs | 15 – 30W |
Like their Ryzen Z1 counterparts, the new chips lack the “Ryzen AI” neural processing units found in many of AMD’s new laptop processors, as the company isn’t emphasizing AI as a must-have feature for handhelds.
Handhelds featuring the new Ryzen Z2 series chips should start to arrive in the second quarter of 2025.
