You may dodge the graphics card crunch with one of these pre-built PCs powered by AMD’s 5000-series APUs.
AMD has made its latest generation of Ryzen 5000G APUs available to DIY builders. These CPUs, which include Vega-powered integrated graphics, let you play games without needing a discrete GPU, which is an excellent option after months of waiting for graphics cards at exorbitant pricing.
Of course, they deliver the best performance a CPU can provide.
However, you might not appreciate the prospect of tracking down another component that is sure to be in great demand.
Or perhaps you do not want to cope with creating your PC right now. You’re in luck: the Ryzen 5 5600G and Ryzen 7 5700G won’t be available until August 5th. Those two CPUs and the even more cheap Ryzen 3 5300G are currently available in pre-built PCs.
Here’s the best of the bunch, as well as information on upcoming upgrades.
TP01-2337c HP Pavilion Desktop (Costco)
TP01-2337C HP PAVILION
SYSTEM SPECS-
PROCESSOR : AMD Ryzen 5 5600G with Radeon Vega Graphics
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RAM: DDR4-3200MHz RAM (8GB) (1 x 8GB)
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Storage: PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive with 1TB capacity
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Wireless: 11 Wireless-AC (22), as well as Bluetooth® 5.0
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OS: Windows 10 Home operating system.
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Price: $650
This HP Pavilion, pre-built with the mid-tier Ryzen 5 5600G CPU from a retailer, is one of the best prices we’ve seen. It costs more to replicate it as a DIY project, which is unusual.
Nonetheless, the setup isn’t flawless. For best performance, we strongly advise installing a second 8GB RAM stick (which, according to HP’s support website, should be a simple addition).
The only snag? To acquire this system, you must be a Costco member. A personal Costco Gold Star membership costs $60 per year.
TP01-2165z HP Pavilion Desktop (HP)
TP01-2337C HP PAVILION
SYSTEM SPECS-
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G with Radeon Vega Graphics
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RAM: DDR4-3200 MHz RAM: 16GB (2 x 8GB)
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Storage: 2TB 7200RPM SATA HDD + 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
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Wireless: 11 Wireless-AC (22), as well as Bluetooth® 5.0
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OS: Windows 10 Home operating system.
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Price: $650
This HP Pavilion with the 5600G, like its Costco counterpart, is less expensive to build than its DIY counterpart. However, owing to the storage configuration of this version, we prefer the Costco model above this one: Because it has a smaller SSD, you’ll be saving the majority of your big game files on the HDD (or doing a lot of musical chairs with file storage). But, on the whole, it’s a solid buy.
TP01-2155m HP Pavilion Desktop (HP)
TP01-2155M HP PAVILION DESKTOP
SYSTEM SPECS-
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5300G with Radeon Vega Graphics
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RAM: 8GB DDR4-3200 MHz DDR4 RAM (2 x 4GB)
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Storage: 1TB 7200RPM SATA HDD + 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
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Wireless: 11 Wireless-AC (22), as well as Bluetooth® 5.0
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OS: Windows 10 Home operating system.
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Price: $600
The entry-level, budget-friendly Ryzen 3 5300G is only available in pre-built pcs, and this HP model is one of the better options. Because you’ll just be playing non-system-heavy games on that chip (e.g., indie games), you’ll have enough space to store your Steam library.
Pay a little extra if you can afford to get one of the $650 5600G pre-builts on our list, which will give you a more powerful CPU overall. This 5300G PC, on the other hand, would be ideal for light gaming and everyday work.
TP01-2066 HP Pavilion Desktop (Office Depot)
TP01-2066 HP PAVILION DESKTOP (OFFICE DEPOT)
SYSTEM SPECS-
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5700G with Radeon Vega Graphics
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RAM: DDR4-3200 MHz RAM: 16GB (2 x 4GB)
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STORAGE: 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage
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Wireless: 11 Wireless-AC (22) and Bluetooth® 5.0 are available wirelessly.
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OS: Windows 10 Home operating system.
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Price: $700
It’s uncommon to get a pre-built PC with a 5700G and no discrete graphics card. If you only want the APU, you’ll have to go for this HP Pavilion, which is quite basic in terms of features. We strongly advise upgrading extra storage, as the PC’s single 256GB SSD will rapidly fill up under daily use.
To get more out of your high-end processor, we expect most users considering this PC to couple the 5700G with a discrete GPU later. If you’re in this category, keep in mind that this computer has a proprietary motherboard and power supply like the other HP Pavilion models on our list. To support a discrete GPU, you’ll need to do some part swaps and spend extra money on the system.
Is it possible to update these pre-builts?
Both yes and no. You may easily upgrade your system’s storage and RAM (up to 32GB for all HP Pavilion models) as well as the storage.
However, most people ask this question if you can upgrade to a discrete graphics card later on and call it a day. Unfortunately, you are unable to do so.
You won’t be able to squeeze additional performance out of the APU’s graphics by upgrading to faster RAM because the motherboard restricts RAM speed at 3200MHz.
In these HP Pavilion pre-builts, you can increase memory capacity and storage, but that’s about it. It will require more work and money to add a discrete GPU.
Instead, most people will need to replace the HP Pavilion’s casing, motherboard, and power supply to install a standalone graphics card.
The provided power supply is just 180W, insufficient for a dedicated GPU, even if it can take power from the PCIe slot alone. Because the motherboard and casing are proprietary, you won’t utilize a standard power supply or motherboard.
Searching HP’s forums and YouTube for a compatible higher-wattage HP power supply that will work with these pre-builts is another option. But there’s a risk in more ways than one: it’s not HP’s official recommendation, and if you wait to buy the component, one that works may become unavailable.
Finally, expect to pay an additional $130 to $150 to support a discrete GPU. You are better off doing it yourself if that’s too much for you to stomach.
Alternative Options
HP dominates the offers of large PC suppliers like HP, Lenovo, and Dell. HP appears to be the only firm that has gone all-in on Cezanne, whether with these entry-level Pavilion models or with higher-end lines where the Ryzen APUs come pre-installed with discrete GPUs from the start.
You have the most options when it comes to buying pre-built PCs. Buying directly from Amazon isn’t always the best option; partner retailers like Best Buy, Office Depot, and Staples may have better configurations and costs. That’s how we arrived at our current blend.
