AMD has announced its new Ryzen Z2 family of processors, made especially for gaming handhelds, during the 2025 International CES event. These chips are designed to work with a special version of Windows 11 and aim to give gamers a smoother and better experience. AMD’s announcement comes at a time when competitors like Intel are introducing new chips for similar devices.
The Ryzen Z2 series is based on AMD’s latest 4 nm “Strix Point” technology. These processors combine powerful “Zen 5” and “Zen 5c” CPU cores with improved graphics called RDNA 3.5. AMD has focused on boosting graphics performance while making smaller improvements in overall CPU speed compared to the older Ryzen Z1 processors.
The Ryzen Z2 Extreme is the top model in this new series. It has eight cores and can handle 16 tasks at once. It combines four “Zen 5” and four “Zen 5c” cores, which share memory for faster performance. The graphics part of the chip has 16 Compute Units (CU), a big upgrade from the 12 CU in the previous Ryzen Z1 series. This makes it great for high-quality gaming visuals. The chip can run on power settings between 15 W and 35 W, with the “Zen 5” cores reaching speeds of up to 5.00 GHz.
The standard Ryzen Z2 model uses the older “Phoenix Point” technology. It also has eight cores and 16 threads but is built with “Zen 4” cores instead of the newer “Zen 5” ones. It shares 16 MB of memory among its cores and has a graphics setup with 12 Compute Units using RDNA 3 technology. While not as powerful as the Z2 Extreme, it still offers good performance for most gaming needs.
The Ryzen Z2 Go is a new entry-level processor for handheld consoles aimed at casual gamers. It uses older “Phoenix 2” technology with a mix of two “Zen 4” cores and two “Zen 4c” cores. This chip is perfect for devices that don’t need high-end power but still want to run games smoothly.
AMD Ryzen Z2 Importance
The gaming handheld market is becoming more competitive, with new products from companies like Intel pushing the boundaries. AMD’s Ryzen Z2 series aims to give gamers more options, whether they want top performance or something affordable for lighter gaming. By focusing on better graphics and power efficiency, AMD hopes to make these new chips a great choice for gaming handhelds. Whether you’re a serious gamer or just looking for casual gaming fun, there’s a Ryzen Z2 chip to match your needs.
