The announcement of the initial gaming handhelds showcasing AMD’s newest CPU series has been made. While Mini-PCs and gaming laptops with Ryzen 8000 series processors have been hinted at previously, there has been limited information regarding handheld devices—until now.
AYANEO has officially confirmed the “World’s First Dual-screen 8840U Handheld.” The device, known as the AYANEO Flip, was previously covered by us as a spiritual successor to the Nintendo DS. It adopts a clamshell design, concealing either a full-sized keyboard (KB variant) or a smaller secondary screen (DS variant) behind its name.
The company has just revealed that the Flip series will now incorporate the Ryzen 7 7840U and Ryzen 7 8840U APUs. This development is expected, considering that both APUs share the same socket, nearly identical silicon, and closely matched specifications. The primary difference emerges in the 8040U series, which includes an improved XDNA1 AI processor, although its impact on gaming is currently negligible.
ITHome has shared that GPD, a fellow handheld device manufacturer, is affirming its plans to integrate the Ryzen 7 8840U into their Win Mini system, which interestingly follows a clamshell design. Despite both systems being touted as the premier 8040U gaming consoles, neither is presently accessible for purchase. The expected release for the GPD device is scheduled for early January, whereas the GPD Win Mini with the 7840U is already available in the market. Notably, AYANEO Flip devices have not been launched with any APU as of now.
The Ryzen 8040U series from AMD signifies a modest refresh in the company’s low-power systems lineup, maintaining the same Zen4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU architecture as the 7040U series. Notably, AMD is preparing to introduce its Zen5/RDNA3.5 APU series in 2024, aiming to provide a more compelling option for handheld systems. This becomes particularly significant as Intel’s Core Ultra series now approaches Arc GPU performance comparable to the integrated RDNA3 solution, with the first handheld systems having been announced weeks ago.