AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU is expected as the successor Z1 Extreme custom APU made by AMD for portable gaming devices like ASUS ROG Ally. The Z1 Extreme is based on the Zen 4 architecture, but as AMD has already revealed its Zen 5-based desktop and laptop lines, ie. Ryzen 9000 and Ryzen AI 300 APUs, AMD is inevitably on its way to release a custom Zen 5-based Z2 Extreme APU.
This is confirmed in the recently leaked NBD shipping manifest, which reveals the chip as “Z2X28W” with ID “100-000001684”. Z2X is the codename for the Z2 Extreme, while 28W is the alleged TDP for the APU. This confirms the rumor that the Z2 Extreme will operate within a TDP range of 9-30W, except that it looks like the maximum TDP will be 28W. However, what is important is that AMD is actively preparing the Z2 Extreme as promised.
A few weeks ago, AMD confirmed that it is working on releasing the Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU in the first half of 2025. This is because the current Strix Point line is too expensive for portable gaming devices, while the upcoming Krackan Point will be focused on mainstream laptops. We’ve only heard of a few mini-PCs using AMD Strix Point Ryzen AI 300 processors, but no hardware manufacturer has unveiled a Strix Point-based portable gaming device.
MSI opted for Lunar Lake for the Claw 8, while ZOTAC chose a Zen 4-based chip for its Gaming ZONE. Upcoming portable gaming devices may be shaped by the new Z2 Extreme APU, which will be a solid replacement for the likes of the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go.
AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU will have a 3+5 core configuration with 3x Zen 5 and 5x Zen 5c cores. It will include hyper-threading and a maximum cache of 16 MB. The iGPU will be based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture and will come with 12 Compute Units, similar to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU. The Z2 Extreme is expected to not only improve the gaming performance of portable devices, but also significantly improve battery life, which was previously pointed out by AMD’s senior vice president, Jack Hyunh.
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Source: www.itnetwork.rs
