ROG Ally now available with Ryzen Z1 non-Extreme processor
ASUS launches Ryzen Z1 based handheld.
Shortly after Steam announced a temporary price reduction for its Steam Deck consoles, ASUS is introducing more affordable versions of their ROG Ally handheld device. Although they unveiled this model with a smaller AMD Phoenix APU back in June, it was slated for release in late Q3. As of now, this launch has occurred, and the console is either shipping or available for pre-order, depending on the region and retailer.
The RC71L-Z1512 is powered by the Ryzen Z1 processor, featuring a 6-core Zen4/Zen4c APU and 4 RDNA3 compute units. This represents a significant reduction in GPU performance compared to the 8-core Zen4 and 12 CU RDNA3 Ryzen Z1 Extreme. However, it comes at a $100 lower price point. It’s worth noting that both consoles come with 512GB of storage, and there’s no word on the availability of 256GB or 1TB models at this time.
ASUS ROG Ally Z1, Source: ASUS
The ROG Ally consoles sport a 7-inch 120Hz display with a 1080p resolution. Since they are built on AMD hardware, they offer support for AMD FreeSync Premium, as well as FSR (FidelityFX) and RSR (Radeon) Super Resolution technologies. The platform is equipped with 16GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory, and it cannot be manually upgraded. ASUS is not currently offering higher memory options.
Similar to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme variant, the Z1 model also supports XG Mobile external GPU support. This proprietary connector can be used with ASUS-supplied external graphics, which are considerably more expensive than the console itself. However, it could be a viable choice for those in need of a robust docking solution to enhance the performance for high-resolution external monitors.
ASUS ROG Ally Z1, Source: ASUS
The console can now be bought from BestBuy and ASUS official store in the US. Gamers from other countries can easily find all participating retailers through this link.
| Handheld Gaming Consoles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz | ASUS ROG Ally RC71L-Z1E512 | ASUS ROG Ally RC71L-Z1512 | Valve Steam Deck |
| Picture |  | |  |
| Architecture | AMD Zen4 & RDNA3 | AMD Zen4 & RDNA3 | AMD Zen2 & RDNA2 |
| APU | Ryzen Z1 Extreme 8C/16T up to 5.1 GHz | Ryzen Z1 6C/12T up to 4.9 GHz | AMD Van Gogh 4C/8T up to 3.5 GHz |
| SoC GPU | AMD iGPU 12CU @ 2.7 GHz | AMD iGPU 4CU @ 2.5 GHz | AMD iGPU 8CU @ 1.6 GHz |
| SoC TDP | 9-30W | 9-30W | 4-15W |
| External GPU | ROG XG Mobile (up to RTX 4090) | ROG XG Mobile (up to RTX 4090) | Not officially |
| Memory Capacity | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 | 16GB LPDDR5-6400 | 16GB LPDDR5-5500 |
| Storage Capacity | 512GB | 512GB | 256GB/512GB SSD 64GB eMMC |
| Storage Type | M.2 NVMe 2230 SSD PCIe 4×4 | M.2 NVMe 2230 SSD PCIe 4×4 | M.2 NVMe 2230 SSD PCIe 3×4 eMMC PCIe Gen2x1 |
| Display | 7″ 1920×1080, 120Hz (VRR), 500 nits, 7ms | 7″ 1920×1080, 120Hz (VRR), 500 nits, 7ms | 7″ 1280×800, 60Hz |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi AX, BT 5.2 | Wi-Fi AX, BT 5.2 | Wi-Fi AC, BT 5 |
| Battery | 40 Whr, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion | 40 Whr, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion | 40 Whr |
| Weight | 608g | 608g | 669g |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 28.0 x 11.3 x 3.9 cm | 28.0 x 11.3 x 3.9 cm | 29.8 x 11.7 x 4.9 cm |
| OS | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Steam OS/Win 11 |
| Retail Price | $699/€799 (Z1E+16G+512GB) | $599/€699 (Z1+16G+512GB) | $649/€679 (16G+512GB) $529/€549 (16G+256GB) $399/€419 (16G+64GB) |
| Release Date | June 13th, 2023 | September 18, 2023 | February 2022 |
Source: ASUS
