An AMD engineering sample being linked to Steam Deck 2 reportedly has six CPU cores, 12 threads and 24GB of memory. Those specifications would give Valve's next handheld more cores and RAM than Steam Deck OLED, but the leak does not establish how much faster games would run, or confirm that Valve will use the chip.
Club386's October 20 report describes an OpenBenchmarking result for processor 100-000001930-12_Y, paired with a GBR-FF6-SKT motherboard and LPDDR5-9600 memory. The board name has fuelled speculation that the sample belongs to AMD's Gainsborough family.
Against Valve's published Steam Deck OLED specifications, that would mean a rise from four cores and eight threads to six and 12, and from 16GB to 24GB of RAM. Each is a 50% increase in count or capacity, not a demonstrated 50% improvement in frame rates. The reported 9600 MT/s memory rate also compares with the OLED model's 6400 MT/s.
The graphics results need more caution. Club386 reports that the sample was tested at 1024×768, while the Steam Deck comparison used 1280×800. With different resolutions and an early engineering sample, those scores cannot provide a like-for-like measure of the upgrade players might get. The report also leaves the CPU architecture and detailed GPU configuration unresolved.
The Gainsborough name is part of the reason the chip has attracted attention. The original Steam Deck's chip was codenamed Aerith, followed by Sephiroth for the OLED revision. Gainsborough is Aerith's surname in Final Fantasy VII. AnandTech forum discussion also identified the name in AMD's Adrenalin 26.9.2 driver, but that naming connection is not confirmation of a Valve product.
Valve's stated target is a clear performance improvement. In a September interview with IGN, developer Pierre-Loup Griffais said the company was still pursuing that goal for a future Steam Deck despite hardware shortages. Extra cores and memory alone do not show whether this sample meets it, and the leak supplies no confirmed Steam Deck 2 release date or price.