Introduction to the Ryzen Z2 Family
The long-awaited second generation of AMD Ryzen Z-series processors is finally here, featuring the Ryzen Z2 Extreme at the forefront. This new line promises to revolutionize handheld gaming consoles with improved performance and efficiency.
What Makes the Ryzen Z2 Extreme Stand Out?
Intriguingly, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme is built upon the cutting-edge 4nm “Strix Point” monolithic silicon. AMD’s clever engineering ensures that this processor achieves the most significant performance uplift from its integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU), as opposed to the CPU. By harnessing the prowess of RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture, the new iGPU not only boasts 16 compute units (CUs) but is also better optimized for LPDDR5 memory, making it a solid contender in the handheld gaming arena.
Unpacking the Unique CPU Configuration
Diving into the Ryzen Z2 Extreme’s CPU, we see a fascinating dual-CCX setup where one core features four “Zen 5” cores with a shared 16MB L3 cache, while the other flaunts eight “Zen 5c” cores with an 8MB L3 cache. This results in an unusual configuration of 3 “Zen 5” and 5 “Zen 5c” cores, maintaining an impressive 8-core/16-thread structure. Although the L3 cache has been reduced on the “Zen 5” cores, the overall specifications ensure that the Ryzen Z2 Extreme will dominate its predecessors and redefine handheld gaming performance.