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Best AMD Ryzen APU For Gaming In 2023
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Updated: Jul 24, 2023 3:08 pm
Back in 2011, AMD debuted its APUs or Accelerated Processing Units. While the first few generations were somewhat impressive, AMD’s aging CPU architecture bogged down subsequent releases of APUs, and for a long time, it seemed like the dream was dead. But what is the best Ryzen APU?
Fortunately for us, AMD didn’t stop there. After releasing the incredible Ryzen series of processors, featuring an entirely new processing architecture, AMD was able to release new APUs utilizing their latest cutting-edge CPU and GPU technologies on a single chip. Whilst the APU is much less of a CPU than a normal CPU and less of a GPU than a normal GPU, there are plenty of reasons cramming both onto one chip is beneficial.
APUs can still be powerful, but they’re not expected to replace any of the stand-alone discreet hardware we’ve come to know and love. So which AMD Ryzen APU is the best? Well, today, we’re going to walk you through each APU, explain its best attributes, and help you pick the best one for your needs.
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Best AMD Ryzen APU for gaming: Products at a glance
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Speed
3.8GHz – 4.6GHz
Core (threads)
8 (16)
Socket
AM4
Graphics
Vega 8
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Speed
3.9GHz – 4.4GHz
Core (threads)
6 (12)
Socket
AM4
Graphics
Vega 7
AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Speed
3.7GHz – 4.2GHz
Core (threads)
4/8
Socket
AM4
TDP
65W
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
Clock Speed
3.6 GHz (3.9 boost)
Cores
4 Zen cores, 8 threads
Graphics
RX Vega 11
AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
Speed
3.6GHz – 4.0GHz
Core (threads)
4/4
Socket
AM4
TDP
65W
Best AMD Ryzen APU for gaming: In-depth reviews
Here we will host our in-depth reviews on the best AMD APU for gaming in 2023.
Ryzen 7 5700G
Ryzen 7 5700G
Best APU for gaming
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Speed
3.8GHz – 4.6GHz
Core (threads)
8 (16)
Socket
AM4
Graphics
Vega 8
Pros
- Most powerful
- Whopping 8 cores and 16 threads
- Increased efficiency & performance
- Inexpensive now thanks to age
Cons
- less powerful than a GPU
The Ryzen 7 5700G is AMD’s current flagship APU and is widely considered to be the world’s most powerful thanks to the integrated graphics the chip comes paired with. Unlike the previous gen, this features a higher amount of cores, increased speeds, and a more efficient design.
The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G comes equipped with 8 cores and 16 threads, respectively. It features impressive clock speeds of 3.8GHz base and 4.6GHz boost, alongside a total of 16MB L3 cache and 4MB L2 cache. TDP will be equivalent to its predecessor at 65W and it brings VEGA 8 integrated graphics, with 8 CUs and 512 stream processors (all running at 2.0GHz).
While the 5700G is the most expensive APU from AMD to date, it is also by far the most powerful. With the current GPU climate, the 5700G can provide you with solid processing power and integrated graphics. While the integrated graphics may not be good enough for everyone, basic 1080p performance is there. Furthermore, when you finally get your hands on a dedicated GPU, you can easily slot it in with this APU for a quality overall gaming PC.
Ryzen 5 5600G
Ryzen 5 5600G
Runner up APU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Speed
3.9GHz – 4.4GHz
Core (threads)
6 (12)
Socket
AM4
Graphics
Vega 7
Pros
- Budget Friendly
- 6 cores and 12 threads
- Built in graphics suitable for basic gaming
- benefits from FSR
Cons
- Not the greatest value
The more affordable Ryzen 5 5600G is aimed more towards the budget-focused builders out there. With comparable gaming performance to the older 3400G, we have a processor here that now brings more cores and more threads into the mix, along with a more efficient design.
By comparison, the Ryzen 5 5600G features 6 cores and 12 threads – clocked at 3.9GHz base and 4.4GHz boost. Like the 5700G, the 5600G will also feature 16MB of L3 cache – but only 3MB of L2 cache. The APU will showcase a 65W TDP and will come equipped with AMD’s VEGA 7 iGPU. This will be clocked at 1.9GHz and feature 448 stream processors.
Vega 7 may seem like a step backward at first glance, however, the efficiency increases have compensated for this reduction in cores, meaning the graphical performance doesn’t suffer!
Ryzen 5 3400G
Ryzen 5 3400G
The Best 3rd-Gen AMD Ryzen APU
AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Speed
3.7GHz – 4.2GHz
Core (threads)
4/8
Socket
AM4
TDP
65W
Pros
- Extremely well priced, powerful APU with onboard VEGA 11 graphics
- Compatible with 300/400 series AM4 motherboards
- Get 30fps on most AAA games titles (with optimized graphics)
Cons
- Bios update needed if you want to use older motherboards
The 3400G is AMD’s older-gen flagship APU and is widely considered to be one of the world’s most powerful thanks to the integrated graphics the chip comes paired with. Unlike the 3200G, the 3400G comes with 4cores and 8threads, 6MB of cache, and the impressive VEGA 11 graphics engine.
It clocks at 3.7GHz with a boost clock speed of 4.2GHz which is a vast improvement over its predecessor. According to AMD, the Ryzen 5 3400G comes with high-quality metal TIM and is supported by AMD’s precision boost overdrive. This is a feature that auto overclocks the chip whenever it feels fit to do so.
The iGPU operates at 1,400MHz base clock making it 150MHz faster than the 2400G. Like the 3200G, this chip comes with AMD’s Wraith Spire CPU cooler.
If all that didn’t impress you, then the price tag is sure to change that. It retails at under $150 which is fantastic value for money. Especially when you consider the 2400G debuted at $170.
Ryzen 5 2400G
Ryzen 5 2400G
The Best 2nd-Gen AMD Ryzen APU
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
Clock Speed
3.6 GHz (3.9 boost)
Cores
4 Zen cores, 8 threads
Graphics
RX Vega 11
Pros
- Great CPU and GPU performance
- Overclockability
Cons
- Could potentially bottleneck your high-end GPU
- Doesn’t quite meet the value proposition of the 2200G
Up until about 4 years ago, the 2400G from AMD was thought of as the best APU money could buy. Thanks to their impressive new 3rd Gen processors, that is no longer the case. That being said, its embedded graphics performance still trounces any Intel integrated graphics solution by a rather severe amount, making it possible to play many modern games at 720p medium/high or 1080p low/medium settings.
The main downside of this chip is that, at least from a pure value perspective, it doesn’t totally live up to what the 2200G offers. The graphics performance doesn’t increase all that much, despite the seemingly-large jump in numbers. Just think of this as an option for those who want to complete their build with a high-end GPU down the line, rather than a mid-range one.
All being said, the 2400G still offers a great all-around product that would be perfect for any newcomer to PC building.
Ryzen 3 3200G
Ryzen 3 3200G
The Best Value AMD Ryzen APU
AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
Speed
3.6GHz – 4.0GHz
Core (threads)
4/4
Socket
AM4
TDP
65W
Pros
- Extremely affordable CPU with powerful onboard VEGA 8 graphics
- Backwards compatible with 300/400 series motherboards
- Can achieve 30FPS on AAA games titles
Cons
- Needs to be paired with powerful 3200+ RAM to be efficient
At the beating heart of this excellent, well-balanced, APU comes the VEGA 8 graphics engine. It has the ability to perform under the pressure of many AAA games titles thanks to its newly boosted clock speed. Like its predecessor, the Ryzen 3 3200G carries on the quad-core trend. Unfortunately, AMD has again decided to hold back on the multithreading technology for this one.
That being said, it does come with a few surprises like higher operating clock speeds and more available cache. The 3200g comes equipped with Vega 8 graphics clocked at 1,250MHz. That’ll be 150MHz faster than the last-gen 2200G.
Like all Ryzen chips, the 3200G comes with its own CPU cooler. In this case, it’s the Wraith Stealth. I was happily surprised with the performance power and instant cooling it gave the chip.
One area that has not been improved upon is the TDP, which still lies at 65W. That isn’t a huge deal though if truth be told, and the price tag only sweetens the deal further.
How we choose
While this is usually the section where we dive deep into how we made our picks, the truth is that AMD isn’t as eager to flood the market with APUs this time around. They’re playing it smart, so there aren’t a bunch of filler options to sift through… as of now, the only APUs worth buying are the Zen APUs on this list.
What matters more than what we chose is how we ranked them and which one is right for you. Keep reading to find the answers to those questions.
How we test
From CPUs to PC cases, we like to get hands-on with all the hardware we recommend. Testing the products is a huge part of our overall selection process and it is a way we can be sure that a specific option is the best for the job.
Products must pass our testing which is largely a lot of gaming, with some other boring stuff but most if not every recommendation will have gone through a strict testing process.
With an AMD APU, especially the latest 3rd-gen ones, we need to assess build quality, performance, and finally, value.
This process enables us to provide you with an accurate take on how well an APU performs and, ultimately, if it’s worth your hard-earned cash.
What is an AMD APU?
While the Accelerated Processing Unit is a very attractive name, make no mistake: an APU is pretty much just a combination of a CPU and a GPU. Many Intel processors using Integrated graphics, for instance, are essentially the same as APUs. That being said, though, their graphics chips are much less powerful than the ones inside these Ryzen APUs.
Note; you can also use these strictly as CPUs by adding a dedicated GPU to your setup.
A similar concept in a different sect of the industry is “SoCs.” SoC stands for System on Chip, and these tend to combine all components of the system onto a single, well, chip. This is seen most often in gaming consoles (both the PS4 and Xbox One, for instance, are using AMD SoCs), smartphones, and on rare occasions, laptops.
What is the difference between a CPU and an APU?
A computer’s central processing unit is responsible for executing the instructions of a program, playing a crucial role in the functioning of a computer.
An advanced processing unit goes beyond a traditional CPU by incorporating a GPU onto the same chip. This combination of a CPU and GPU within a single unit enhances the performance of activities that demand both processing power and graphics handling, such as video playback and gaming.
Complete Ryzen APU list
If you are considering purchasing an AMD Ryzen APU, then let us share with you all of the APUs currently available on the market as of today.
APUs actually considered APUs and are good for gaming:
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700G – 8 Core / 16 Thread & 4.6 GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600G – 6 Core / 12 Thread & 4.4 GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 5 3400G – 4 Core / 8 Thread & 4.2 GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200G – 4 Core / 4 Thread & 4.0 GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 5 2400G – 4 Core / 8 Thread & 3.9 GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 3 2200G – 4 Core / 4 Thread & 3.7 GHz Max Boost
Technically still Ryzen APUs – Just not considered great for gaming:
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600X – 6 Core / 12 Thread & 5.3GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 7 7700X – 8 Core / 16 Thread & 5.4 GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900X – 12 Core / 24 Thread & 5.6 GHz Max Boost
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X – 16 Core / 32 Thread & 5.7 GHz Max Boost
The older AMD Ryzen 5 APUs come with Vega 11 graphics, whereas the AMD Ryzen 3 APUs come with Vega 8 graphics. The new APUs have been made more efficient, with the Ryzen 7 featuring Vega 8 and the Ryzen 5 with Vega 8. We’ve benchmarked each of these APUs significantly, you can find our results on our Youtube channel right here.
The never Ryzen 7000 series CPUs all do contain an iGPU, but that doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be great for gaming. The RDNA2-based iGPU inside the Ryzen 7000 series CPUs only contains 2 CUs (compute units) and was only really meant for display purposes. As of the writing of this article, there are no Ryzen 7000 series APUs
VS Pieces and benchmarking data
Over the years, we have tested many of AMD’s CPUs. after testing, we collate the data and create comparison pieces or reviews with our findings. You can find all of our APU-related pieces below:
Best AMD Ryzen APU for gaming: Things to consider
There are many things to consider on the hunt for the best AMD Ryzen APU. Choosing the best AMD APU for your specific needs is important so that you aren’t left with a product that doesn’t meet your requirements. Let’s go over a few key terms.
RAM
Pairing your Ryzen CPU with a suitable set of RAM is more important than you might think. Ryzen CPU core communication speed is directly correlated to RAM speed, essentially meaning the slower the RAM the slower the CPU without getting overly complicated. Intel CPUs aren’t affected in this manner as their CPUs are constructed a little differently.
This is especially true for APUs as the system’s RAM is also used as VRAM for the integrated graphics. Whether this is a Vega iGPU or a Radeon RX iGPU, it’s the same case for both.
This is because the integrated graphics portion of the Chip is built directly into the CPU, instead of being on a spacious GPU PCB where VRAM can be built with ease. Because of the spacial limitations being built into a CPU package presents, the iGPU has to get creative and use the already available system RAM as Video RAM.
The sweet spot for AM4 Ryzen CPUs is 3600MHz, this speed of RAM gives you the best returns, any speed beyond this and you’ll receive diminishing returns and as a result, less value for money. If you’re planning on building a PC centered around an APU, it’s a good idea to invest in a higher RAM capacity for reasons we mentioned earlier, to make sure the iGPU RAM requirements do not interfere with the rest of the systems requirements.
Clock speed
Clock speed is the measurement of how many times per second a CPU can complete what’s called an instruction Cycle, this cycle consists of three main actions. These actions are: fetch, decode, and execute. And it’s these three actions that make up the fundamentals of CPU operation as we know it.
This isn’t just for desktop processors, this is the same on the mobile platform and OEM too, although clocked lower for efficiencies sake because of the power constraints being a mobile platform brings.
Generally, when discussing and comparing CPUs in the same architecture, CPUs with the same or greater number of cores and a higher clock speed will perform better. – this is also a single-core performance metric, as cores with higher clock speeds will perform better in single-core workloads.
Core count
The more CPU cores your CPU has then the better at multitasking it will be. However, it all depends on whether the application or software you are using is coded for multiple cores. Some older programs are not and will generally perform no better when given access to more cores. For software that does support multi-core utilization, more cores are better.
Core count is a metric for multi-core performance, As CPUs with a higher number of cores will obviously perform better in multicore workloads, due to the abundance of available CPU cores.
If you’re interested in seeing how these APUs stack up, then check out our CPU hierarchy.
Threads
Threads tell a similar story to cores, more threads make for a CPU that’s better at multitasking natively. However, cores and threads are not created equal.
All of the APUs on the list support SMT (Simultaneous Multithreading). This is AMD’s version of Intel’s Hyperthreading. This is a technology that allows one CPU core to process and execute two instructions at once. This means that the operating system is able to see and utilize your CPU as if it had double the number of physical cores. The collection of cores and threads is labeled ‘logical processors’ by operating systems.
These threads are known as V-cores and are virtual, so named because they do not physically exist or occupy space on the CPU die. These virtual cores have to share resources with the physical cores and threads suffer slower processing speeds as a result.
Again SMT relies on software integration and compatibility but it’s better to have and not need than to need and not have. Most modern software has multithreading integration and support.
If you want to know more about SMT you can read our in-depth feature on SMT.
Graphics
Graphics refers to the included “GPU.” In this case, the hierarchy starts with Vega 8 on the budget APU and ends with Vega 11 at the highest end, for now. If you’re interested in seeing how these compare, then check out the comparable graphics cards below and our GPU hierarchy.
The iGPUs inside these APUs are very underpowered compared to dedicated graphics powered by your GPU. With that being said, however, you shouldn’t write them off. APUs can be powerful enough for low-end 1080P gaming. Especially with the advancements made in AMD FSR.
Ryzen 7000 G-series APU
As of now, there is no Ryzen 7000 G-series APU. However, all of the Ryzen 7000 series CPUs contain an iGPU. This, by definition, makes the new 7000 series processors actually APUs.
However, the iGPU inside the new Ryzen 7000 series CPUs only contains 2 CUs (compute units) and isn’t really designed for gaming, it’s only really designed for driving a display for basic use. It would be interesting to see AMD release a Ryzen 7000 series APU, as the iGPU already inside the 7000 series CPUs is built on the RDNA2 architecture, and it is incredibly powerful.
Despite there only being 2 CUs inside the Ryzen 7000 Series iGPUs, we still got some very impressive performance out of them,
These results certainly aren’t bad, and they serve as a reason for AMD to manufacture a fully-fledged Ryzen 7000 series APU.
Final word
So, there you have it, the best AMD Ryzen APUs all listed in order of performance. Each of these APUs offers incredible value and performance for the budget-minded gamer.
Personally, we’d recommend the Ryzen 5 3400G. Value-wise, it’s one of the best price/performance processors and is an ideal jumping-on point for the AM4 platform as a whole.
Which of these APUs seem most enticing to you, and why? We’d love to hear your opinions!
Related pages
We have a large range of in-depth buyer guides here on WePC and we would hate it if you missed the chance to read them, feel free to check out any of the related guides below.
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