Nope, the S is 16GB on the base models. It uses either the same Z1 Extreme chip as the non-S or the Z2 Go which is only 4c/8t, and is only 16GB with the latter. I think the former, which just released, has 512/16GB and 1TB/32GB variants.
As for memory sizes, it really depends on the chip. I think the Z1E would likely breathe a bit easier with 24GB but I think 32GB is kind of overkill for it. 16GB is likely plenty for the Z2 Go, and 24GB on the Z2 A in the ROG Xbox Ally is definitely overkill as that’s just AMD finally releasing a SKU for the Steam Deck APU, which is two to three generations older than every other Z2 chip.
The Z2, Z2 Go and Z1E all have only 12 graphics cores and that’s why I feel like 32GB is overkill for them, whereas the Z2 Extreme has 16 so it actually makes sense to dedicate more than 8GB of memory to it.
I think you’ve got to remember that “more memory better” doesn’t always hold true on a device like a handheld as it does include a cost on battery life even at idle.
As of right now, both models of the Go S listed on Lenovo’s website have 32 GB of RAM (screenshotted below, if the weird screenshot functionality here works). So no, you’re wrong here. The version with 16 GB is the Go 1. If there is a 16 gig SKU of the Go S, which there may be, they currently don’t have it listed.
Memory size requirements depend on what you’re trying to run. Easier to run stuff will run on everything, but from hands-on experience I assure you a bunch of newer games struggle with the default allocation of 4 gigs of VRAM and can use the extra RAM. You can still give 8 gigs to the GPU with 16 but then you’re a lot more likely to start struggling with system RAM. If these AMD APUs worked like an Apple chip and could dynamically allocate RAM that wouldn’t be such a pain, but at the moment you need a reboot to change this even on current-gen hardware, so it’s easier to have a larger pool and give the GPU a little too much.
The amount of CUs and the VRAM aren’t necessarily related. Even with larger RAM allocations and weaker GPUs you can find yourself in the wrong setup, which is annoying. And it’s not just amount of RAM, these shared architectures can struggle with bandwidth as well, so speed can matter (although it’s more giving you more or smoother FPS and the less the fall-off-a-cliff unplayable mess you get if the game is entirely out of RAM budget). That’s also why I suspect being lighter on memory and perhaps having a better default setup may be a part of why SteamOS performance is disproportionally better on heavier scenarios compared to what you see on desktop PCs. I can’t be sure, though.
This comes from me messing around with a literal handful of PC handhelds on Windows, SteamOS and Bazzite. I’m not guessing, I’m telling you what happened during hands-on testing.
Either different SKUs per territory or one of the sites is straight up wrong. FWIW, cross checking with Amazon shows the Z2 versions of the Go S having 16 GB and the Z1 Extreme versions with 32 GB for my territory.
All else aside, man, is the world of PC handhelds the wild west right now. Everything is on effectively the same two or three pieces of hardware, but somehow nothing is consistent.
Nope, the S is 16GB on the base models. It uses either the same Z1 Extreme chip as the non-S or the Z2 Go which is only 4c/8t, and is only 16GB with the latter. I think the former, which just released, has 512/16GB and 1TB/32GB variants.
As for memory sizes, it really depends on the chip. I think the Z1E would likely breathe a bit easier with 24GB but I think 32GB is kind of overkill for it. 16GB is likely plenty for the Z2 Go, and 24GB on the Z2 A in the ROG Xbox Ally is definitely overkill as that’s just AMD finally releasing a SKU for the Steam Deck APU, which is two to three generations older than every other Z2 chip.
The Z2, Z2 Go and Z1E all have only 12 graphics cores and that’s why I feel like 32GB is overkill for them, whereas the Z2 Extreme has 16 so it actually makes sense to dedicate more than 8GB of memory to it.
I think you’ve got to remember that “more memory better” doesn’t always hold true on a device like a handheld as it does include a cost on battery life even at idle.
As of right now, both models of the Go S listed on Lenovo’s website have 32 GB of RAM (screenshotted below, if the weird screenshot functionality here works). So no, you’re wrong here. The version with 16 GB is the Go 1. If there is a 16 gig SKU of the Go S, which there may be, they currently don’t have it listed.
Memory size requirements depend on what you’re trying to run. Easier to run stuff will run on everything, but from hands-on experience I assure you a bunch of newer games struggle with the default allocation of 4 gigs of VRAM and can use the extra RAM. You can still give 8 gigs to the GPU with 16 but then you’re a lot more likely to start struggling with system RAM. If these AMD APUs worked like an Apple chip and could dynamically allocate RAM that wouldn’t be such a pain, but at the moment you need a reboot to change this even on current-gen hardware, so it’s easier to have a larger pool and give the GPU a little too much.
The amount of CUs and the VRAM aren’t necessarily related. Even with larger RAM allocations and weaker GPUs you can find yourself in the wrong setup, which is annoying. And it’s not just amount of RAM, these shared architectures can struggle with bandwidth as well, so speed can matter (although it’s more giving you more or smoother FPS and the less the fall-off-a-cliff unplayable mess you get if the game is entirely out of RAM budget). That’s also why I suspect being lighter on memory and perhaps having a better default setup may be a part of why SteamOS performance is disproportionally better on heavier scenarios compared to what you see on desktop PCs. I can’t be sure, though.
This comes from me messing around with a literal handful of PC handhelds on Windows, SteamOS and Bazzite. I’m not guessing, I’m telling you what happened during hands-on testing.
It seems like maybe it’s a regional thing, as this is from Lenovo AU:
Either different SKUs per territory or one of the sites is straight up wrong. FWIW, cross checking with Amazon shows the Z2 versions of the Go S having 16 GB and the Z1 Extreme versions with 32 GB for my territory.
All else aside, man, is the world of PC handhelds the wild west right now. Everything is on effectively the same two or three pieces of hardware, but somehow nothing is consistent.