Ryzen Z2 Go Appears to Lag 10% Behind Ryzen Z1 Extreme — Legion Go S vs. ROG Ally X Showdown

With AMD’s recent unveiling of the Ryzen Z2 Go APU, gamers and tech enthusiasts are buzzing with questions about how it measures up against the Ryzen Z1 series in terms of performance. Luckily, Fps VN has come to the rescue by sharing some enlightening FPS test results. They pitted the Lenovo Legion Go S against the Asus ROG Ally X, comparing their performance across three games with varying power settings.

The Legion Go S, which Lenovo recently released, boasts the new Ryzen Z2 Go APU. While it has half the cores of its big brother, the Z1 Extreme, it’s built on Zen 3+ architecture rather than Zen 4. Plus, it operates at slightly lower base (3.0 GHz) and boost (4.3 GHz) clock speeds compared to 3.3 GHz and 5.1 GHz respectively for the Z1 Extreme. Despite these differences, Lenovo opted for this chip in their latest gaming handhelds, sparking curiosity about how it fares against the formidable AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme from the previous generation.

Before diving into the nitty-gritty numbers, let’s take a quick look at the specifications of both devices. The Lenovo Legion Go S, showcased at CES 2025, runs on an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor with 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 memory. It offers a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD for storage, complemented by an eight-inch, 120 Hz, 1920×1200 IPS display. Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Ally X, which hit the market in mid-2024, is powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip and comes with 24GB of LPDDR5 memory. It ups the storage game with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD and features a seven-inch, 120 Hz, 1920×1080 IPS screen.

Now, onto the performance showdown! In Black Myth Wukong played at 720p Medium settings with 15W power, the Legion Go S clocked an average FPS of 36, while the Ally X pushed ahead to 40. At 1080p Low FSR settings with 20W, the Legion managed 30 FPS compared to the Ally’s 32. Pushing it to 30W at the same resolution, the Legion reached 60 FPS, but the Ally still led slightly with 64 FPS.

Switching to Cyberpunk 2077 at 720p Medium settings with 15W, the Legion offered 50 FPS, which the Ally beat at 54 FPS. Bumping up to 1080p Low FSR at 20W showed the Legion at 45 FPS, just shy of the Ally’s 47. At 30W with Medium FSR, the Legion showed 61 FPS, but the Ally inched forward at 66 FPS.

In Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut at 720p Medium settings with 15W, the Legion managed 62 FPS, whereas the Ally hit 66. At 1080p Medium FSR with 20W, the figures were 48 FPS and 52 FPS, respectively. Finally, at 30W, both showed similar numbers to the lower settings with the Legion at 62 and Ally again leading at 66 FPS.

It’s quite clear from the data that the Z1 Extreme inside the ROG Ally X generally outshines the Z2 Go on the Legion Go S. The Z1’s extra cores and faster clocks, along with twice the L3 cache and a newer 780M integrated GPU compared to the Legion’s 680M, give it an edge. Despite this, the gap in performance isn’t as vast as one might expect, with the Ally X posting just about a 4 FPS average lead over the Legion Go S.

We might have anticipated a more significant performance difference, especially considering the Ally X’s 8GB more memory and smaller screen with fewer pixels. But it seems like AMD and Lenovo have done a commendable job optimizing the Z2 Go to punch above its weight, even within the constraints of a handheld’s compact build and power limits.

Price-wise, the Asus ROG Ally X comes in at $799, while the Lenovo Legion Go is slightly cheaper at $729. Performance-wise, the Z1 Extreme-powered Ally X does offer better raw numbers, but with only a slight FPS improvement, many gamers might lean towards the Legion Go, appreciating its larger display and more affordable price tag. Plus, for most users, the slight FPS difference won’t be a dealbreaker.