We are seeing more and more interest in gaming PC builds that include the Ryzen 5 5600G and Ryzen 7 5700G, their popularity being mostly attributed to enthusiasts looking to build good value gaming PCs with integrated graphics. “Good value” is probably enough to worry anyone who is looking for high performance in terms of gaming, but the 5600G and 5700G are surprisingly well priced in their section of the market.
As far as the name goes, there may be some confusion. An iGPU is an integrated GPU, but AMDs APU - AMD Accelerated Processing Unit - is Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) which allows the CPU and GPU to be reside on the same bus in the chip, thereby reducing latency. In terms of graphical performance, this is why AMD get all the limelight with gamers.
Ryzen 5 5600G
Specifications
The 5600G is a 6-core/12-thread APU, with 16MB L3 cache. The integrated GPU is Vega Graphics with 7 CUs (442 shaders). These processors are from the AMD Ryzen 5000 G-Series Cezanne, the follow up and successor to the Ryzen 4000 G-Series (Renoir), which featured Radeon Graphics. The Ryzen 5 5600G comes with a Wraith Stealth cooler included, but for those wanting to overclock the CPU, you will need to look at a more substantial CPU cooler that can help calm things down a little.
Ryzen 5 5600G Benchmarks
As this article is predominantly about gaming, we must say that the benchmarks from reputable online sources confirm that the Vega 7 is definitely capable of holding its own for budget conscious PC builders waiting on a GPU price drop (or their turn in an e-queueing system).
Example benchmarks with stock cooler, 16GB DDR4 3200Mhz (2x8 dual channel / CL 16 / Model: G.SKILL AEGIS)
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – AVG 33FPS (Low Settings)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 – AVG 31FPS (Low Settings)
- Apex Legends – AVG 51FPS (Low Settings)
- Minecraft – AVG 122FPS (Fancy Graphics)
- Rainbow Six: Siege – AVG 60FPS (Low Settings)
- CS:GO – AVG 110FPS (Low Graphics)
Rainbow Six: Siege Screenshot - Credit: Christo Gevedjov
These benchmarks are not surprising in some respects, but they aren’t damning. Nobody should expect to play games like Valhalla on an iGPU/APU processor, but if they do, they might actually have a playable game. Conversely, if you play competitive games like CS:GO, you will have no problems here with the 5600G. When paired with fast dual-channel 16GB – 32GB of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, performance is improved overall.
Ryzen 7 5700G
Ryzen 7 5700G Benchmarks
The Ryzen 7 5700G is AMD’s poster child when it comes to performance and affordability in the 5000 series, when compared to other 8-core options. Since their launch in mid-2021, but the 5600G and 5700G were resigned to OEM desktops, pitched as “gaming PCs” to the unassuming. Now, though, you can purchase one of these APUs off the shelf.
Example benchmarks with stock cooler, 16GB DDR4 3200Mhz (2x8 dual channel / CL 16 / Model: G.SKILL AEGIS)
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – AVG 38FPS (Low Settings)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 – AVG 43FPS (Low Settings)
- Apex Legends – AVG 70FPS (Low Settings)
- Minecraft – AVG 150FPS (Fancy Graphics)
- Rainbow Six: Siege – AVG 56FPS (Low Settings)
- CS:GO – AVG 185FPS (Low Graphics)
Waiting Out The GPU Market With An APU
The latest news from China is that mining farms are impinging on the country’s carbon footprint goals, and that all cryptocurrency transactions are illegal. China’s central bank recently announced that services that offer or provide trading, token issuance, order matching and/or derivatives for these cryptocurrencies would now be prohibited under law. Further, it was announced that any foreign crypto exchanges who provide or offer said services in mainland China were deemed illegal.
Let’s also compound this hope with the fact that crypto mining is less profitable than it used to be, and we can safely assume that GPU availability should increase some time soon.
