Ryzen Z2 Go Underperforms by 10% Compared to Ryzen Z1 Extreme — Legion Go S Competes with ROG Ally X

AMD has recently pulled back the curtain on its Ryzen Z2 Go APU, sparking quite the buzz around how it stacks up against the older Ryzen Z1 series. Thankfully, our yearning for answers was satisfied thanks to the folks at Fps VN. They have shared some insightful FPS test results comparing the Lenovo Legion Go S and the Asus ROG Ally X through three different games, each tested with varying power settings.

Lenovo has rolled out the Legion Go S, which is fitted with the Ryzen Z2 Go APU. Notably, this chip has half the cores of the Z1 Extreme and utilizes a Zen 3+ architecture rather than Zen 4. While it clocks in with lower base (3.0 GHz) and boost (4.3 GHz) speeds compared to the Z1 Extreme’s 3.3 GHz base and 5.1 GHz boost, Lenovo still chose it for its latest gaming handheld. This naturally leaves us eager to see how it fares against AMD’s previous generation heavyweight, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme.

Before we get too deep into the performance numbers, let’s run through the main specs of both gadgets. The Lenovo Legion Go S, which made its debut at CES 2025, features an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor loaded with 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 memory. It houses a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD and is fronted by an eight-inch, 120 Hz, 1920×1200 IPS display. Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Ally X, arriving in mid-2024, comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, bolstered by 24GB of LPDDR5 memory, a larger 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a seven-inch, 120 Hz, 1920×1080 IPS screen.

From the data provided, it’s clear that the Z1 Extreme found in the Asus ROG Ally X edges out the Z2 Go in the Lenovo Legion Go S consistently across all gaming scenarios. This isn’t surprising, given that the Z1 Extreme packs more cores, higher clock rates, a significantly larger L3 cache, and it’s powered by the newer 780M GPU compared to the 680M on the Z2 Go.

Yet, the margin wasn’t hugely significant; the Z1 Extreme averaged about 4 FPS more than the Z2 Go across the games tested, which translates to the Z2 Go offering roughly 10% less performance than its predecessor, the Z1 Extreme.

Interestingly, despite expecting a broader performance gap, given that the Ally X has an extra 8GB of memory and a smaller display that demands less power, the Z2 Go has been fine-tuned by AMD and Lenovo for solid efficiency, even within the power constraints typical of portable consoles.

Pricing is also a factor to consider. The Asus ROG Ally X is priced at $799, while the Lenovo Legion Go is a bit less at $729. On paper, the Z1 Extreme-powered Ally X does deliver superior performance. However, the Legion Go’s slightly bigger display and cheaper price tag might appeal to gamers, especially considering most users might not notice the 4FPS performance gap in everyday play.