The AMD Zen 3 APU isn’t inexpensive, but it delivers excellent CPU and GPU performance.
AMD’s Ryzen 5000G appears to be the ideal remedy to the PC world’s ongoing GPU shortages (and inflated prices for the few available). It combines high-performance Zen 3 CPUs with Radeon graphics into an accelerated processing unit (APU) (APU).
Whether it genuinely is the answer to all of your demands is mainly dependent on what you want to do with your PC throughout its life. We’ll go over this new product’s significant points and poor aspects with you.
What is the Ryzen 5000G Processor?
The AMD Ryzen 5000G is essentially AMD’s extremely successful 7nm Cezanne laptop processor, which was previously utilized in the equally wildly popular Ryzen 5000 desktop CPUs before being repurposed for an AM4 socket.
For more information on the chip, see our Cezanne review.
Although mostly reserved for OEMs, AMD previously provided Ryzen 4000 APUs. The fastest APU accessible to consumers was the 8-core Ryzen 5 3400G, designed using older 12nm technology and AMD’s older Zen+ cores.
- Ryzen 7 5700G: 8-core, 16-thread, 7nm (Cezanne), with 8 Radeon graphics CUs running at 2GHz. A 65-watt TDP offers a boost clock of 4.6GHz and a base clock of 3.8GHz. The chip has 24 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, 20MB of cache, and a stated price of $359.
- Ryzen 5 5600G: 6-core, 12-thread, 7nm (Cezanne), with 7 Radeon graphics CUs running at 1.9GHz. A 65-watt TDP offers a boost clock of 4.4GHz and a base clock of 3.9GHz. The chip has 24 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, 19MB of cache, and a stated price of $259.
Ryzen 5000G is also available in pre-built PCs, the best of which we featured in another post.
One feature that distinguishes these APUs from their dedicated-CPU counterparts is the integrated graphics. The great majority of Intel’s Core processors include graphics cores. However, AMD does not. Its non-G Ryzen 5000 CPUs require a dedicated graphics card to run a PC.
The Ryzen 5000G (like the laptop version) is also a single-chip architecture, but “real” Ryzen 5000 desktop processors are constructed around many chips connected by Infinity Fabric.
Compared to the Ryzen 5000, the Ryzen 5000G has half the cache (32MB vs 16MB) and just 24 PCIe 3.0 lanes. 16 of the 24 lanes are dedicated to the GPU, while the remaining four-link to NVMe via the CPU.
The chipset, which may have more PCIe lanes than the motherboard, is linked by the last four links. You could be pining for PCIe Gen 4, but consider this: The previous consumer Ryzen 5 3400G has just eight PCIe Gen 3 lanes.
The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G isn’t cheap, but it has AMD’s Zen 3 cores and Radeon graphics.
How We Tested The GPU?
On an MSI MEG X570 Godlike, we put the Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 3000 CPUs to the test. PBO is disabled while the XMP profile remains enabled. An Asus ROG Maximus XII Extreme with XMP enabled gets utilised in the Intel 10th-gen systems. An Asus ROG Maximus XIII, Hero with XMP enabled, was used to test the Intel 11th-gen CPU. On both Intel platforms, MultiCore Enhancement remains disabled.
We utilised G.Skill Trident Z Royal (48) ram at CL14, a G.Skill ENKI 360 cooler with manual fan curves, WD Black SN750 SSDs, and a Radeon RX 6900 XT GPU with BAR enabled in all three testbeds. We left MCE and PBO to the default setting of the motherboard and utilised DDR4/3600 RAM in our tests of the Ryzen 5000 and Intel 10th- and 11th-generation CPUs.
CPU performance: Ryzen 7 5700G
We’ll start our analysis Cinebench R23. It’s the latest edition of Maxon’s well-known test. It appears to be the same workload as Cinebench R20, except it now uses a somewhat more challenging 10-minute stress.
Nobody should be surprised by the outcomes. With TSMC’s highly efficient 7nm technology, AMD’s cores have a significant edge over Intel’s older 14nm process.
It’s not looking good for Intel’s most advanced desktop processor: it’s ranked seventh, with the Ryzen 7 5700G in the eighth position. AMD’s previous Ryzen 3000 CPUs and Intel’s 10th-gen components easily outperform the Ryzen 7 5700G. Essentially, this is a powerful CPU for heavy-duty computing.
Cinebench R23 is a 3D rendering benchmark with a 10-minute stress test by default.
The following result comes from the popular 7-Zip alpha version. The Ryzen 7 5700G, which is now ranked eighth in the chart, performs admirably, easily outperforming most Ryzen 3000 processors as well as most of Intel’s 10th-generation CPUs.
On Windows 10, 7-Zip is a popular and speedy decompression software that’s worth far more than the price you pay for it: $0.
The free and popular 1.3.3 HandBrake programme converts a 12GB MP4 video to 4K using the Vimeo and Youtube Preset. The high workload of HandBrake promotes having more cores and threads. The Ryzen 7 5700G (ranked 7th on the chart) outperforms the Ryzen 7 3700X and most Intel’s range, including the Core i9-11900K.
HandBrake is a well-known and open-source encoder.
The second result comes from Adobe’s Creative Suite, leveraging Puget System’s PugetBench to provide accurate advice to purchasing custom workstations.
PugetBench for Photoshop uses both the CPU and the GPU during its tests. The original Ryzen 5000 chips are the winners here, recalling Ford’s 1-2-3 victory at LeMans in 1966. Intel’s much-maligned 11th-gen Core i9-11900K Rocket Lake CPU receives an honourable mention but no top place.
The other CPUs are a long way behind them, but who will be the leader of the next batch to reach the finish line? AMD’s Ryzen 7 5700G chip. These figures are close enough to be a tie, but an APU outperforming the once-powerful Ryzen 9 3900X underlines the Zen 3 cores’ dominance.
PugetBench uses a script to test Adobe Photoshop’s performance.
PugetBench’s test for Adobe Premiere Pro, which likewise employs the popular non-linear editor as a basis, is the final CPU benchmark we’ll discuss. You’ll notice right away that with video editing and Premiere Pro, more cores matter a little more. Unlike the Photoshop results, there’s a little more breathing room between candidates here.
The 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X, for example, has already surpassed the 16-core and 12-core Ryzen 5000 CPUs to take the third position. The 10-core Core i9-10900K beats out the 8-core Ryzen 7 5800X slightly.
What happened to the Ryzen 7 5700G? Sandwiched between the 8-core 11th-gen Core i9-11900K and the 10-core Core i9-10850K, it sits comfortably in fifth place. All three are essentially tied, which isn’t bad for a cheap APU.
PugetBench uses Adobe Premiere Pro to assess a PC’s performance.
Gaming Performance: Ryzen 7 5700G
By now, you can see that with the Ryzen 7 APU, you’re getting eight of AMD’s outstanding Zen 3 cores that yield little to Intel and its siblings. But we know you’re probably considering a Ryzen APU because you can’t afford or even find a GPU.
As a result, the only actual options you have are The new Ryzen 7 5700G with its 8 CU Radeon cores; the prior Ryzen 5 3400G (remember that the Ryzen 4000 APUs were not widely available); and Intel’s 11th-gen UHD 750 and 10th-gen UHD 630 graphics. The results show the graphics performance with standard DDR4/3200 CL14 and the performance of the Ryzen 7 5700G with DDR4/3600 CL16.
The first game is Metro Exodus, set at 1080p with the low preset. If you’re used to high-end gaming performance, you won’t be blown away by the results. There’s not much difference between Ryzen 7 5700G and the previous Ryzen 5 3400G retail model. Nonetheless, all three Radeon-based CPUs deliver respectable frame rates. That’s particularly impressive when contrasted to the UHD 630 graphics, which don’t work at all.
While Intel’s 11th-generation Tiger Lake CPUs, based on 10nm, have remarkable integrated performance in its Xe-rated chips. However, because the 11th-generation Rocket Lake CPUs had to use an older 14nm process, Intel prioritised CPU speed above GPU performance.
The Radeon performs admirably in Metro Exodus, especially with Intel’s integrated graphics.
Shadows of the Tomb Raider comes next, with a 1080p resolution and the Very Low setting.
The Ryzen 7 5700G takes the lead once more, with almost 15% better average frame rates than the Ryzen 5 3400G. Yes, the Ryzen 7 5700G’s 8 cores are more efficient than the earlier Ryzen 5 3400G’s 11 cores. Intel’s components, once again, display severe flaws. Rocket Lake isn’t the same as Tiger Lake.
Compared to the previous top retail APU, the Ryzen 5 3400G, the new Ryzen 7 5700G has a 15% boost in average frame rates.
Even at their lowest settings, Metro Exodus and Shadows of the Tomb Raider are both challenging games to play with integrated graphics. While they are playable, most gamers with integrated graphics do not like them.
So, for our next game, we’ll play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at 1080p and low settings. Yes, CS: GO is so low-rent that it may run at a frame rate of 57 fps on average, with dips as low as 7 fps. The Ryzen 7 5700G is more interesting, as it can average 149 frames per second, which is around 30% faster than the Radeon 5 3400G. Going with DDR4/3600 also gives you a nice boost, but it’s not cheap.
On Steam, CS: GO is the most popular game.
Next up is Epic’s Fortnite, which is a viral game. Because of the game’s popularity and importance, Epic could break away from Valve and establish its storefront.
Its ability to operate on almost every PC in the world was highly beneficial. We say this since even Intel’s UHD 630 graphics can run it at a respectable speed.
AMD wants to highlight any parents buying a system for their children the longer bars on top, made by AMD’s Ryzen APU CPUs. Yes, parents, you’ll want an AMD APU if you want your child to quit whining about bandwidth.
Should you replace your Ryzen 5 3400G processor with a Ryzen 7 5700G? Most likely not. That roughly 10% boost is good, but it’s not worth the money for just one IGP game.
Fortnite is a top-rated game, and you’ll require an APU over an Intel processor to play it.
The final product is Overwatch, a popular game that can operate on low-end graphics. With a 17% advantage over the previous Ryzen APU, the Ryzen 7 5700G takes the top. Although AMD outperforms both, you can run it on Intel desktop graphics cards.
The latest Ryzen APU outperforms the previous Ryzen APU by around 17%.
Integrated graphics are excellent because of their low cost, but what happens when GPUs come to earth? The testing will be limited to just two titles, with each PC equipped with a Radeon RX 6900XT to measure performance.
We’ve chosen Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, which isn’t as GPU-restricted as many other games and instead relies on the CPU to move the needle.
There’s a definite winner’s pack here, and we’d place the Ryzen 7 5700G in the second. It’s a tad slower than the Ryzen 5 5600X processor.
The last graph shows the Ryzen 7 5700G with the same Radeon RX 6900XT running Borderlands 3 at 720p and the Badass preset in Borderlands 3. The Ryzen 5 5600X has now established a more significant advantage over the Ryzen 7 5700G.
It’s a tough sell with the Ryzen 5 5600X street pricing of $280 vs the Ryzen 7 5700G’s advertised price of $360. It merely makes sense to use the non-G chip in this area where pricing is king.
Summary
You wouldn’t consider an APU if GPUs were numerous and reasonably priced, we know. In today’s world, having a processor with a powerful graphics core is preferable to not having anything at all.
That’s why, despite its hefty $359 price tag, we believe the Ryzen 7 5700G is a clear winner. It can compete with Intel’s 11th and 10th-generation CPUs in CPU-bound workloads. It destroys the inbuilt graphics when it comes to gaming performance.
Will you complain that the Ryzen 7 5700G’s $359 price tag is an insult to the Ryzen 5 3400G, which had a recommended price of $149? You will. However, we understand the pricing and see the possibility of genuinely growing into a system given the current situation.
For example, you can build a Ryzen 5 5700G computer today and receive excellent CPU performance as well as acceptable gaming performance.
If GPUs return to earth in 2022 or 2023, you’ll be able to drop in a GPU and have the same terrific CPU performance with somewhat slower but still excellent gaming performance.
Even better, you can upgrade the same AM4 motherboard to a 12-core or 16-core Ryzen if you come across a windfall. It wouldn’t make sense if you could get a Ryzen 5 5600X with a GPU today for $359, but we can assure you that’s not going to happen.
