AMD unveils its first Ryzen 5000 CPUs with built-in graphics

AMD is finally offering a follow-up to its 4000G-series APUs, and it appear to be a welcome upgrade — particularly if you can't wait for GPU shortages to end before buying a PC. The company's new Ryzen 5000G series CPUs mate current-generation Zen 3 processing power with up to Vega 8 integrated graphics, giving you decent (though certainly not cutting edge) GPU performance without having to buy a dedicated video card.

The initial lineup is split into four-core Ryzen 3 chips, six-core Ryzen 5 models, and eight-core Ryzen 7 parts. The entry Ryzen 3 5300G (4GHz base clock at a 65W TDP) and low-power 5300GE (3.6GHz base at 35W) CPUs are clearly aimed at no-frills computer buyers. The sweet spots appear to be the higher-end models. The 3.4GHz 5600GE, 3.9GHz 5600G, 3.2GHz 5700GE and 3.8GHz 5700G should be fast enough for 3D games that aren't too intensive, like Overwatch and Valorant.

Before you ask: yes, AMD is making some big performance claims. It says the 5700G is between 35 to 80 percent faster on average than Intel's Core i7-10700 in creativity, productivity and benchmark apps. There's also a night-and-day difference for games. AMD is claiming truly playable frame rates (that is, above 30FPS) in titles that struggle on the Core i7, including Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Civilization VI and Metro Exodus. The company is no doubt picking software that flatters the new Ryzens, but the tests are worth noting if gaming is an important consideration.

You'll have to be content with buying the Ryzen 5000G series as part of a pre-built system in the first weeks after launch. However, AMD said they'll be available separately for home-built PCs "later this year." Either way, they could be extremely useful for tiding over gamers — you could buy a Ryzen-powered system now and start playing while you wait for your dream GPU to become available.