Legion Go S Faces Off Against ROG Ally X: Ryzen Z2 Go Appears 10% Slower Than Ryzen Z1 Extreme

AMD has just unveiled the Ryzen Z2 Go APU, sparking plenty of interest about how it stacks up against the earlier Ryzen Z1 series in terms of performance. Luckily, FPS VN has given us a closer look by sharing some FPS test results, comparing the Lenovo Legion Go S with the Asus ROG Ally X across three different games with varying power settings.

Lenovo has rolled out the Legion Go S with the Ryzen Z2 Go APU, which features half the cores of the Z1 Extreme and utilizes a Zen 3+ architecture instead of Zen 4. Its base clocks are lower at 3.0 GHz compared to 3.3 GHz, and the boost clocks are 4.3 GHz versus 5.1 GHz. Despite these seemingly underwhelming specs, Lenovo’s choice to equip it in their newest gaming handheld has us eager to see how this chip measures up against the previous generation’s powerhouse, the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme.

Before diving into the performance metrics, let’s check out the core specs of both devices. Debuted at CES 2025, the Lenovo Legion Go S is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor, packing 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 memory, a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and an eight-inch 1920×1200 IPS display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. By contrast, the Asus ROG Ally X, which hit the market in mid-2024, houses an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, 24GB of LPDDR5 memory, a beefier 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a slightly smaller seven-inch 1920×1080 IPS screen, likewise at 120 Hz.

In the performance showdown, the Asus ROG Ally X consistently outshined the Lenovo Legion Go S in FPS across Black Myth Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, and Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, regardless of the power setting. The lead held by the Z1 Extreme over the Z2 Go wasn’t huge but noticeable, thanks to double the core count, higher clock speeds, double the L3 cache, and a newer 780M integrated GPU versus the 680M on the Z2 Go.

Yet, the gap in performance across the board was subtler than expected, averaging only about 4 FPS more for the ROG Ally X over the Legion Go S. Benchmark results show the Ryzen Z2 Go trailing by roughly 10% behind the Z1 Extreme, which is something of a surprise considering the Ally X’s advantage in RAM (8GB more) and its slightly reduced screen resolution, which requires fewer pixels to push.

Given the pricing—$799 for the Asus ROG Ally X and $729 for the Lenovo Legion Go—the performance edge certainly leans towards the Ally X. Nevertheless, the Legion Go’s larger display and slightly lower price could tip the scales for some gamers who won’t necessarily notice the slight FPS drop.

In conclusion, while the Asus ROG Ally X holds up as the stronger contender in terms of raw performance due to its advanced specs, the Lenovo Legion Go S shows how effectively AMD and Lenovo have optimized the Z2 Go to deliver commendable performance within the constraints of a handheld format. With these subtle differences, it’s clear that choosing between them might boil down to how much you value a larger screen and a slightly lower price.