Meet the AMD Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme, the secret to the ASUS ROG Ally’s power
AMD’s new Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme are purpose-built for handheld gaming devices.
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What you need to know
AMDjust announcedthe Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme processors. Both of them are high-performance chips designs for handheld gaming consoles. AMD also revealed that theASUS ROG Allywill run on up to a Ryzen Z1 Extreme. Until now, ASUS had only referred to the chip inside of its handheld gaming console as a purpose-built AMD Ryzen APU with RDNA 3 graphics.
The Ryzen Z1 Extreme has eight cores, 16 threads, and 12 AMD RDNA 3 compute units. It also delivers 8.6 teraflops of graphics performance. For reference, the Steam Deck only delivers 1.6 teraflops.
The Ryzen Z1 has six cores, 12 threads, and 4 AMD RDNA 3 compute units. Both chips are built on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture.
Both of the Ryzen Z1 Series chips support USB4 for connectivity and LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X for memory. It promises 2.8 teraflops of graphical processing.
The processors are designed to work with Windows 11 as well as other operating systems. AMD highlighted that devices with Ryzen Z1 Series processors will have access to the “full breadth of Windows 11 applications and games.” That library of content includes titles available throughXbox Game Pass UltimateandPC Game Pass.
“With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate we’re bringing hundreds of games to new devices, including on-the-go gaming handhelds, and are excited to see AMD investing in new processors to grow this device category," said Roanne Sones, head of Xbox hardware.
Gameplay can be optimized with AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, which includes AMD Radeon Super Resolution, Radeon Chill, Radeon Image Sharpening, AMD Link, and more.
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The ASUS ROG Ally will be the first device to run on Ryzen Z1 processors. ASUS will announce more information about the ROG Ally’s pricing and availability on May 11, 2023.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
