Ryzen Z2 Go Trails Ryzen Z1 Extreme by 10% — Legion Go S vs. ROG Ally X Showdown

AMD has just unveiled the Ryzen Z2 Go APU, leaving us all eager to see how it stacks up against the older Ryzen Z1 series. Fortunately, Fps VN came to the rescue by releasing FPS test results comparing the Lenovo Legion Go S with the Asus ROG Ally X across three diverse games using varied power settings.

The newly launched Lenovo Legion Go S boasts the Ryzen Z2 Go APU, a chip with half the cores of the Z1 Extreme and built on the Zen 3+ architecture instead of Zen 4. Its base and boost clock speeds are also reduced to 3.0 GHz and 4.3 GHz, compared to 3.3 GHz and 5.1 GHz on the Z1 Extreme. Despite those differences, Lenovo selected it for their latest gaming handheld, prompting curiosity about how it measures up to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, the previous top-tier chip.

Let’s first glance at the specs. The Lenovo Legion Go S, introduced at CES 2025, features an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor with 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 memory, a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and an eight-inch, 120 Hz, 1920×1200 IPS display. Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Ally X, released in mid-2024, runs on an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip with 24GB of LPDDR5 memory and houses a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. It sports a seven-inch, 120 Hz, 1920×1080 IPS screen.

Here’s a breakdown of the FPS results for the games tested at different settings:

• Black Myth Wukong: At 720p Medium with 15W power, the Legion Go S managed 36 FPS, while the ROG Ally X delivered 40 FPS. At 1080p Low with FSR and 20W, scores were 30 FPS for the Legion Go S and 32 FPS for the ROG Ally X. With 1080p Low FSR and 30W, it was 60 FPS against 64 FPS.

• Cyberpunk 2077: For 720p Medium using 15W, it was 50 FPS on the Legion Go S and 54 FPS on the ROG Ally X. At 1080p Low FSR and 20W, we saw 45 FPS for the Legion Go S versus 47 FPS for the ROG Ally X. Lastly, at 1080p Medium FSR with 30W, the results were 61 FPS and 66 FPS, respectively.

• Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut: At 720p Medium power set at 15W, the Legion Go S reached 62 FPS, whereas the ROG Ally X hit 66 FPS. At 1080p Medium FSR with 20W, the Legion Go S got 48 FPS, slightly behind the ROG Ally X at 52 FPS. Lastly, at 1080p Medium FSR and 30W, the results were once again 62 FPS against 66 FPS.

Across the board, the Z1 Extreme in the Asus ROG Ally X consistently outperforms the Z2 Go in the Lenovo Legion Go S. Given the Z1’s extra cores, higher clock speeds, and double the L3 cache, plus a newer integrated GPU, this isn’t surprising. However, the performance gap remains small, reflecting an average difference of around 4 FPS in favor of the ROG Ally X. Essentially, you’re looking at about 10% less performance from the Ryzen Z2 Go compared to the Z1 Extreme.

You might have anticipated a bigger gap, considering the Ally X’s additional 8GB of memory and its slightly smaller, lower-resolution screen. But it seems AMD and Lenovo have squeezed impressive results from the Z2 Go, even with the power limitations inherent in handheld consoles.

The Asus ROG Ally X is priced at $799, with the Lenovo Legion Go coming in slightly cheaper at $729. If you’re playing the numbers game, sure, the Z1 Extreme in the Ally X edges out the newer contender. Yet, the appeal of the larger screen and the slightly more affordable price tag on the Legion Go could be tempting for many. Plus, the average gamer might not even notice that small FPS difference in practice.

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