This new leaked AMD Strix Halo variant could be the ultimate chip for handheld gaming PCs

AMD's Strix Halo chip, otherwise known as the Ryzen AI Max, has always been technically interesting. But it hasn't really added up for gaming. Until, perhaps, now. It seems the variant we always wanted to see, which majors in graphics rather than CPU grunt, is set to be released.

Chinese PC specialist SixUnited has a couple of new Ryzen AI Max models listed on its website (via Videocardz), and indeed, a SixUnited tablet running one of the "new" APUs has popped up in the PassMark database.

The most exciting model is the Ryzen AI Max+ 388. That combines eight CPU cores with the maximum 40 graphics compute unit count available from Strix Halo.

Currently, the only way to get a version of Strix Halo with all 40 RDNA 3.5c CUs is to go with the very top Ryzen AI Max+ 395 model. That's a very expensive APU and comes with fully 16 Zen 5 CPU cores, which is arguably overkill for mobile gaming, especially within the confines of a handheld.

In practice, Strix Halo has therefore thus far been of more interest as a tool for running local AI models on a limited budget than for gaming. But what if there was a cheaper model that kept the 40 graphics CUs and 256-bit memory bus, but cut the CPU down to eight cores?

Of course, its appeal for gaming will come down to pricing and power efficiency. The top Strix Halo APU makes for a fearsomely pricey and thermally dubious proposition for handheld devices.

An eight-core Strix Halo with the full iGPU still wouldn't be cheap or an ultra-low power device. But it ought to be better by both measures, and it certainly could have the makings of the best handheld gaming CP chip yet. Here's hoping.

Best handheld PC 2025

1. Best overall:
Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS ed.

2. Best budget:
Steam Deck

3. Best Windows:
MSI Claw 8 AI+

4. Best big screen:
Lenovo Legion Go

5. Best compact:
Ayaneo Flip DS

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