AMD Ryzen Z1 APU series can operate with 9W TDP

AMD Ryzen Z1 APUs TDPs goes as low as 9W

It is no secret that Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen 7040U series are similar. Both processor lines are using the same silicon codenamed Phoenix based on Zen4 and RDNA3 architecture, but there are small differences that make the Z1 a perfect solution for handheld gaming, which is its main purpose.

Tom’s Hardware reached out to AMD for a comment on the matter, and they learned that there are differences in terms of power ranges voltage curves. The official statement from Matthew Hurwitz (AMD PR) did not mention any physical changes to the die itself:

“The Ryzen Z1 series are purpose-built with handheld gaming in mind. To accomplish this, AMD engineers had to validate entirely new power ranges and optimize the voltage curves specifically for this use case – this optimization and validation work should not be trivialized. So while the technology building blocks (like ‘Zen4’ and RDNA 3) are similar between the 7040 and Z1 series, the resulting models have very distinct characteristics customized for their use cases. In addition, the AMD Ryzen AI engine is not available on AMD Ryzen Z1 series processors.”

— Matthew Hurwitz, Client PR at AMD

AMD spokesman later confirmed that the Configurable Thermal Design Power (cTDP) goes as low as 9W, that’s actually lower than Ryzen 7040U series which officially go as low as 15W. The company had already updated the website to reflect this change, however do note that there are still no official clock speeds confirmed for the Z1 series.

Ryzen Z1 Extreme Specifications, Source: AMD

Naturally, this does not mean Ryzen 7040U cannot operate at lower power as well, because TDP is not the same thing as power consumption. The TDP simply sets a target for the CPU voltage/frequency curve, which in the case of 7040U series is optimized for 15W. The Z1 series with TDP of 9W required additional validation, and it was enough to differentiate the series under a new name.

The first product based on Ryzen Z1 is set to be announced on May 11th. ASUS ROG Ally is thus far the only known handheld console to feature this CPU, while other console makers rely on the 7040U series instead.

Source: Tom’s Hardware