AMD announced its latest Ryzen 8000G series desktop processors featuring the new Zen 4 architecture and RDNA 3 integrated graphics during its keynote at CES 2024. The highly anticipated chips bring impressive performance gains over previous generation Ryzen desktop APUs and introduce new AI acceleration capabilities.
Overview of Ryzen 8000G Series
The Ryzen 8000G lineup includes the flagship 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7 8700G, the 6-core/12-thread Ryzen 5 8600G and 8500G, and the 4-core/8-thread Ryzen 3 8300G. Key highlights of the new desktop APU family include:
- Built on the 5nm Zen 4 CPU architecture
- Up to 2.9 GHz boost clocks (Ryzen 7 8700G)
- RDNA 3 integrated graphics with up to 12 compute units
- Hardware-accelerated AI inference powered by Ryzen AI engine
- PCIe 5.0 and USB4 support
- AM5 platform compatibility
According to AMD, the Ryzen 8000G series delivers up to 36% faster multi-threaded CPU performance and up to 78% faster integrated graphics performance compared to prior generation Ryzen 5000G models.
Impressive RDNA3 Integrated Graphics Performance
A major highlight of the Ryzen 8000G announcement is the upgraded RDNA 3 integrated GPUs which AMD claims can match entry-level discrete GPUs.
Early benchmarks of the Ryzen 7 8700G leaked just before CES suggest its integrated Radeon 780M graphics with 12 compute units performs on par with Nvidia’s GTX 1060 (2016-era GPU) in 3DMark Time Spy tests. The Ryzen 5 8500G’s Radeon 760M GPU competes with the GTX 1650 in graphics workloads based on leaked Geekbench OpenCL scores.
This level of integrated graphics performance could make the Ryzen 8000G series very compelling for budget gaming PCs and small form factor builds, eliminating the need to pair a CPU with a dedicated graphics card.
| Processor | Integrated GPU | Relative Graphics Performance | Discrete GPU Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 7 8700G | Radeon 780M | 100% | GTX 1060 |
| Ryzen 5 8600G | Radeon 760M | 80% | GTX 1650 |
| Ryzen 5 8500G | Radeon 760M | 80% | GTX 1650 |
| Ryzen 3 8300G | Radeon 740M | 60% | Around GTX 1030 |
AMD demonstrated the Ryzen 7 8700G running Cyberpunk 2077 at close to 60 FPS at 1080p resolution without a discrete GPU, showing off the beefed up integrated graphics. This level of gaming performance from an APU could create a new class of low-cost gaming PCs and laptops.
AI and Content Creation Focus
The Ryzen 8000G introduces AMD’s new Ryzen AI engine for hardware-accelerated AI inferencing directly on the desktop processor. AMD is pitching the series for AI-enhanced creation workflows leveraging the AI acceleration along with powerful CPU and GPU horsepower.
Use cases could include live video streaming with background blur and facial recognition powered by neural networks running on the APU itself. The Ryzen AI engine offers up to 4x the AI performance of the prior generation according to AMD. Bringing more AI capabilities natively into the desktop chip aligns with AMD’s vision for PCs evolving into AI-powered smart devices.
Outperforms Last-Gen Ryzen 5000G
AMD shared first benchmarks of the Ryzen 5 8500G pitted against the Ryzen 5 5600G. In multi-threaded workloads, the Zen 4-based 8500G scored 36% higher than the Zen 3-based 5600G. Single-threaded performance saw a 21% improvement as well.
This shows the IPC and clock speed gains achieved from the new Zen 4 architecture translating to solid generational performance uplifts. While still early testing, this indicates noticeable CPU performance improvements for the full Ryzen 8000G lineup over older desktop APU products.
Gaming FPS benchmarks of the Ryzen 8000G series compared to prior generation chips have not been shared yet. However, with the major integrated graphics upgrade to RDNA 3, much bigger performance leaps are expected.
Continued Commitment to Desktop Market
The Ryzen 8000G introduction affirms AMD’s commitment to keep pushing desktop performance forward even amidst the mobile and ultraportable growth. Integrating cutting-edge Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 graphics technology into desktop APUs caters to budget gamers and mainstream users looking for a capable all-rounder chip.
AMD also announced new AM4 socket refresh CPUs led by the Ryzen 7 5700X3D. This shows they are not abandoning the AM4 platform yet despite the full transition to AM5 and PCIe 5.0 happening with the Ryzen 8000 series.
Competitive Response to Intel
The Ryzen 8000G launch comes on the heels of arch-rival Intel announcing their 13th Gen Core desktop chips code named Raptor Lake featuring upgraded integrated graphics. AMD’s timing ensures they counter Intel’s messaging around better integrated graphics performance with actual product announcements instead of vague roadmaps.
Early leaks showed Intel was targeting their flagship Core i9-13900K to beat AMD’s last-gen Ryzen 9 5950X in content creation workloads but at significantly higher power consumption. With the Ryzen 7000 and now 8000 families launched, AMD seems better positioned on performance per watt.
Ryzen 7000 Refresh in the Works
Looking ahead, AMD also teased a Ryzen 7000 “X3D” refresh bringing their 3D V-Cache technology to boost gaming performance. This will likely compete directly with Intel’s hybrid Raptor Lake architecture once launched around mid-2024.
AMD also shared they are developing Ryzen 7000 series APUs with Zen 4 cores and faster RDNA 3 integrated graphics due next year. Combined with expected price cuts on Ryzen 7000 CPUs, AMD looks primed to maintain technology leadership through 2024 and outgun Intel across desktop, mobile, and server segments.
In summary, AMD’s latest Ryzen 8000G desktop processors usher in improved integrated graphics, AI acceleration features and solid generational performance gains to the mass market desktop space. More importantly, AMD is delivering real products following up their CPU and GPU roadmap promises while Intel struggles with delays. The stage is set for AMD to continue gaining desktop computing market share through 2024.
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