AMD expands Ryzen Z2 lineup with Z2 Extreme and Z2A APUs

AMD officially announced two new additions to its Ryzen Z2 line of APUs: the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and the Ryzen Z2A. These are the same two APUs used in the recently announced Asus ROG Xbox Ally systems.

The Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme is an upgraded version of the Z2 Extreme, aimed at high-end handhelds. The “AI” designation signifies that its NPU (Neural Processing Unit) will be enabled, a part previously deactivated in the original Ryzen Z1 series. This NPU is based on the XDNA2 processor, and its activation is expected to be beneficial as AI integration in gaming becomes more prevalent. Other specifications for the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme remain consistent with its predecessor, featuring an 8C/16T Zen5 CPU (out of 12 available cores), 16 RDNA 3.5CUs for its iGPU (Radeon 890M), 15-35W cTDP and LPDDR5x-8000 memory support.

Concurrently, AMD confirmed the Ryzen Z2A. This APU features four Zen2 CPU cores with eight threads and an 8-CU RDNA2 iGPU. Unlike other Ryzen Z2 processors, the Z2A will have a reduced TDP of 6-20W. Also worth noting is that memory support is limited to LPDDR5-6400. AMD states that the Ryzen Z2A is designed to target long-lasting mobile PC gaming.

The first systems to feature these new APUs are the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, which will use the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, and the ROG Xbox Ally, which will be powered by the Ryzen Z2A.

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KitGuru says: These APUs are currently only announced to be used in the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, but they aren't exclusive, so we should see more handhelds powered by these chips over the next year. 

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