AOKZOE A1 Pro handheld gaming PC with Ryzen 7 7840U and up to 64GB RAM hits Indiegogo for $799 and up

The AOKZOE A1 Pro is a handheld gaming PC with an 8 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel display, and AMD processor and support for up to 64GB of RAM. So far, so much the same as AOKZOE A1 that launched last summer.

What makes the new model different is that it’s powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor with Radeon 780M mobile graphics, which should bring a serious boost in performance for gaming and other tasks. The new A1 Pro will be available for pre-order through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign which kicks off at 11:00AM Eastern Time on April 30th. Super Early Bird rewards start at $799.

That price will get you an AOKZOE A1 Pro with a Ryzen 7 7840U processor, 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but that’s just for the entry-level model. AOKZOE will offer five different configurations during crowdfunding:

• Ryzen 7 7840U/32GB RAM/512GB storage
• Ryzen 7 7840U/32GB RAM/1TB storage
• Ryzen 7 7840U/32GB RAM/2TB storage
• Ryzen 7 7840U/64GB RAM/1TB storage
• Ryzen 7 7840U/64GB RAM/2TB storage

Super Early Bird pricing will range from $799 to $1,159, but only a limited number will be available at those prices, so most backers will probably end up spending more.

At the heart of the each system is AMD’s Ryzen 7 7840U processor features 8 AMD Zen 4 CPU cores, 16 threads, and an integrated GPU with 12 RDNA 3 compute units. But it’s still a laptop-class processor designed with a TDP that ranges from around 15 to 30 watts, which allows it to be used in compact computers like this handheld.

According to AOKZOE the chip has  CPU base frequency of 3.3 GHz and support boost speeds up to 5.1 GHz and delivers up to 8.6 TOPS of graphics performance, which puts it well ahead of the “Aerith” chip used in Valve’s Steam Deck… although the Aerith processor is more energy efficient, using up to 15 watts of power (while the Ryzen 7 7840U is a 15 to 30 watt chip).

AMD also offers a custom version of the chip designed specifically for handhelds. It’s called the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, and it’s the chip that will power high-end versions of the upcoming Asus ROG Ally. But the Z1 Extreme is similar enough to the Ryzen 7 7840U that there’s unlikely to be much difference in real-world performance.

AOKZOE would rather compare the A1 Pro with Valve’s Steam Deck though, which has dominated conversations about handheld gaming PCs for the last year or two. According to AOKZOE, the A1 Pro can hit 60 frames per second in games like Elden Ring which top out at 30 fps on the Steam Deck… although that may come at the cost of battery life. AOKZOE says the A1 Pro runs at 28 watts to hit 60 fps, while the Steam Deck hits 30 fps at 15 watts.

I guess the advantage here is that users have the option to push performance if they’re willing to sacrifice battery life, while that 15-watt/30fps Elden Ring example represents the peak of Steam Deck performance.

The AOKZOE A1 Pro comes with a 65 Wh battery and a 100 watt GaN fast charger that can fully recharge the battery in about 90 minutes.

The company says the AOKZOE A1 Pro’s display reaches up to 350 nits of max brightness, and while the handheld computer’s LPDDR5-6400 memory is not user upgradeable, the system has an M.2 2280 slot for storage, with support for PCIe 3.0 or PCIe 4.0 SSDs. Also, with all models shipping with at least 32GB of memory and some models featuring 64GB, the A1 Pro already comes with more RAM than most other handhelds.

Ports include USB4 ports, one USB 3.0 Type-A port, and a microSD card reader, and AOKOE will also offer optional accessories including a carrying case, glass screen protector, joystick caps, a 3-in-1 USB-C dock (with an HDMI port, USB-C port, and USB-A port), and an AOKZOE-branded 64GB USB flash drive.

Other features include RGB light strips on the front of the system, game controllers with linear triggers and hall effect joysticks, a cooling system that includes a fan with aluminum fins and a heat sink with two copper pipes.

AOKZOE also plans to launch a smaller model called the AOKZOE A2 soon. It’s expected to have similar features, but a more compact design.