AMD Zen 6 APU Leak Reveals 24GB LPDDR5 for Steam Deck 2

The handheld gaming PC market could be approaching another major hardware transition, as a newly surfaced AMD engineering sample offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of portable gaming. Benchmark entries reportedly discovered through OpenBenchmarking point to an unreleased Zen 6 APU tied to the rumored Gainsborough family.

Its combination of a six-core processor, a high-clocked integrated GPU, and unusually fast memory could provide important clues about AMD's next-generation handheld ambitions.

The most interesting detail is the reported 24 GB LPDDR5 memory running at 9,600 MT/s. For integrated graphics, memory bandwidth can matter as much as raw processing power, making this configuration particularly interesting for enthusiasts following Valve's Steam Deck ecosystem.

Zen 6 APU Leak Reveals a Six-Core Configuration

The leaked Gainsborough sample reportedly features a 6-core Zen 6 CPU with 12 threads, running at a 2.4GHz base clock. Its reported microcode identification, AMD Family 1Ah, model DCh, points to the next-generation processor family, though final commercial specifications remain unconfirmed.

Compared with the original Steam Deck's 4-core, 8-thread Zen 2 processor, six cores would represent a 50% increase in core count. A modern architecture would also boost per-core performance, helping demanding games with simulation, background processing, and asset decompression.

However, core count alone does not determine gaming performance. The sample's reported 2.4GHz base frequency does not reveal its maximum boost clock, sustained operating speed, or power consumption. Those factors will ultimately determine whether the chip can deliver meaningful improvements inside a compact, battery-powered system.

Integrated GPU Remains an Important Unknown

The integrated GPU is said to run at 2,400 MHz, but the number of compute units and the underlying graphics architecture remain unconfirmed. RDNA 4 or another future RDNA iteration might be the basis, but it would be guesswork to attribute either architecture to this sample.

Gaming on a portable requires more than high clock speeds; it needs efficiency. How well the GPU handles intensive games depends on the number of processing units, available power, cache design, and sustained thermals.

Why 9,600 MT/s Memory Could Transform Handheld Performance

The standout specification is the reported 24 GB LPDDR5 memory at 9,600 MT/s, reportedly arranged across four 6GB memory packages. This would increase capacity by 50% compared with the Steam Deck's 16GB configuration while delivering a substantially higher memory transfer rate.

Memory bandwidth matters for integrated GPUs because the CPU and GPU share system memory instead of using separate graphics memory. Textures, rendering data, game assets, and other tasks are fighting for the same resource.

So a transfer rate of 6,400 MT/s to 9,600 MT/s is a 50% increase. The actual bandwidth also depends on the breadth of the memory interface, which the leak has not fully determined. But faster memory could reduce the time the GPU spends waiting for data under heavy rendering workloads.

The additional 8GB could potentially provide more storage for larger assets and more intricate landscapes for future games. However, that memory must serve the entire system, so the GPU cannot use the full allocation exclusively. Faster memory also cannot compensate for insufficient graphics processing power.

Is This the Steam Deck 2 APU?

The Gainsborough leak naturally invites comparisons with Valve's next handheld. A hypothetical Steam Deck 2 with 6 Zen 6 cores, faster memory, and a better integrated GPU may be a good generational leap over the original device.

The combination would deliver faster CPU performance, smoother frame times, and more breathing room in demanding PC games. Paired with an efficient graphics architecture, it might also reduce the need for aggressive resolution compromises.

However, no confirmed link exists between this engineering sample and Valve's next console. An early benchmark entry cannot establish a product's final specifications, release schedule, or real-world gaming performance.