Overview
When it comes to value CPUs, there’s no question that AMD’s APUs are some of the best. They offer unparalleled gaming performance at their respective prices since they essentially provide the buyer a capable GPU at minimal additional cost.
If processor performance was the only factor in consideration Intel’s newest 12th-gen CPUs make the strongest case as value CPUs. If you don’t already own a discrete graphics card, AMD APUs like the 5600G, 5700G, or 5800G, with their powerful built-in Vega graphics, are certainly the way to go.
These Vega graphics easily best even Intel’s newest Alder Lake models; even the highest-end 12th-gen CPUs’ UHD 770 Integrated Graphics are no match for Vega.
Radeon Vega Graphics Specifications
Ryzen’s Radeon Vega integrated graphics are used in all recent AMD APUs (processors with built-in graphics functionality), but they vary in performance between generations and models. Since all GPUs in the Vega lineup feature the 5th generation of AMD’s GCN (Graphics Core Next) architecture, these variations in performance are caused by differences in GPU clock speeds and core count.
Thus, a GPU with more cores should outperform an otherwise identical unit. Likewise, a GPU with higher clocks will achieve higher framerates, all else being the same. Since AMD mixes and matches frequencies and core counts, however, it’s not always cut-and-dry to see which APU will perform the best.
Regardless, we’ve compiled a chart (shown below) summarizing these metrics for the most prominent AMD APUs from the past three generations (the 3000, 4000, and 5000-series). Note that the 4000-series as well as the 5300G are OEM-only, so you’ll only find these SKUs in prebuilt PCs.
| Model | Graphics | Core Count | Graphics Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 3 3200G | Vega 8 | 8 | 1250MHz |
| Ryzen 5 3400G | Vega 11 | 11 | 1400MHz |
| Ryzen 3 4300G | Vega 6 | 6 | 1700MHz |
| Ryzen 5 4600G | Vega 7 | 7 | 1900MHz |
| Ryzen 7 4700G | Vega 8 | 8 | 2100MHz |
| Ryzen 3 5300G | Vega 6 | 6 | 1700MHz |
| Ryzen 5 5600G | Vega 7 | 7 | 1900MHz |
| Ryzen 7 5700G | Vega 8 | 8 | 2000MHz |
Radeon Vega 7 Graphics In-Game Benchmarks
We’ve assimilated in-game FPS benchmarks from a variety of major titles to provide an accurate depiction of Vega 7’s performance. All benchmarks are recorded at low settings at a resolution of 1920x1080p, as this is generally considered the best balance between maximizing framerate and maintaining picture quality.
These benchmarks were recorded by Christo Gevedjov with a Ryzen 5 5600G and a G.Skill Aegis 2x8GB C16 3200MHz RAM kit.
| Game | Average FPS |
|---|---|
| COD: Warzone | 42 |
| Apex Legends | 58 |
| Assassin's Creed: Valhalla | 60 |
| Control | 56 |
| CS:GO | 163 |
| CyberPunk 2077 | 40 |
| Days Gone | 37 |
| Death Stranding | 26 |
| Dota 2 | 73 |
| Fallout 76 | 45 |
| Far Cry: New Dawn | 40 |
| Fortnite: Battle Royale | 61 |
| Overwatch | 65 |
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 29 |
| Hitman 3 | 41 |
| PUBG | 53 |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 61 |
| VALORANT | 138 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 43 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 35 |
| Sea of Thieves | 38 |
| Rust | 32 |
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 31 |
| Rocket League | 74 |
| GTA V | 53 |
Radeon Vega 7 vs Vega 8 Graphics (Ryzen 5 5600G vs Ryzen 7 5700G)
With an additional core and faster frequency of 2000MHz, Vega 8 integrated graphics like those found Ryzen 7 5700G pack a tad more punch than those of their Ryzen 5 family. To illustrate exactly how much better, here are some benchmarks comparing the two. Both are recorded in 1080p at low graphical settings.
| Game | Ryzen 5 5600G Average FPS | Ryzen 7 5700G Average FPS | 5700G Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assassin's Creed: Valhalla | 36 | 39 | +8.3% |
| COD: Modern Warfare | 31 | 34 | +9.7% |
| CS:GO | 182 | 193 | +6.0% |
| CyberPunk 2077 | 33 | 36 | +9.1% |
| Days Gone | 32 | 34 | +6.3% |
| Death Stranding | 25 | 26 | +4% |
| GTA V | 57 | 59 | +3.5% |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 53 | 58 | +9.4% |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 31 | 33 | +6.5% |
On average, the R7 5700G outperformed the R5 5600G by a margin of 7%. As the 5700G is priced approximately 34% higher than the 5600G, we recommend opting for the cheaper option if you’re only purchasing on the basis of graphical performance. You’ll be paying primarily for the additional two CPU cores, while the FPS boost will be minimal.
Vega 6 vs Vega 7 vs Vega 8 (Ryzen 3 5300G vs Ryzen 5 5600G vs Ryzen 7 5700G)
Last but not least, we’ll look at the full stack of 5000-series APUs’ graphics performance compared head-to-head. These tests were performed by Benchmark on a system with 2x16GB of DDR4 3600MHz C16 RAM and an Asus Prime X570-Pro Motherboard. While the CPUs were overclocked, this won’t affect the numbers since all of these titles were GPU-bottlenecked. Benchmarks were recorded in 1080p.
| Game | Ryzen 3 5300G Average FPS | Ryzen 5 5600G Average FPS | Ryzen 7 5700G Average FPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Evil 3: Remake | 46 | 52 | 60 |
| GTA V | 58 | 68 | 77 |
| Battlefield V | 34 | 40 | 45 |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 65 | 73 | 82 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 28 | 32 | 37 |
| Hitman 3 | 25 | 28 | 32 |
| Witcher 3 | 31 | 36 | 42 |
| Average FPS | 41.0 | 47.0 | 53.6 |
Breaking these results down, Vega 7 outperforms Vega 6 by an overall margin of 14.63%. Vega 8 improves upon Vega 7 by a similar 14.04%. This means that Vega 8 is approximately 30.73% better than Vega 6.
Even on the lowest settings, all three of these GPUs struggled mightily in some of the more graphics-intense titles. In some they couldn’t even hit 30FPS. For this reason, it’s essential to check benchmarks in titles you intend to play in order to ensure any of these APUs is adequate for your specific needs. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to purchase a discrete graphics card or deal with subpar performance.
Note that the Ryzen 3 4300G and Ryzen 5 4600G’s GPUs should perform identically to their newer-generation peers since they have identical core counts and clocks. The 4700G is actually 100MHz faster than the 5700G, which means it should theoretically outperform by around 5%.