After several rounds of testing, two conclusions can be drawn regarding the GPU performance of the Ryzen 7 8700G APU processor:
- The GPU performance of the Ryzen 7 8700G is basically on par with the GeForce GTX 1650.
- The GPU performance of the Ryzen 7 8700G is equivalent to twice that of the Ryzen 7 5700G.
Overall, the Ryzen 7 8700G is very appealing and worth purchasing. Its only and biggest drawback is the high launch price. In contrast, the lower-tier Ryzen 5 8600G is directly $100 cheaper, making it much more cost-effective.
This leads to a very worthwhile question: How much lower is the performance (including CPU and GPU) of the Ryzen 5 8600G compared to the Ryzen 7 8700G? How big is the gap?
If the gap is small, then opting for the Ryzen 5 8600G is more appealing. If the difference is significant, then spending more to directly purchase the Ryzen 7 8700G is more appealing. — How do the actual results turn out? This article will reveal the answer.
01
Specification Comparison between Ryzen 5 8600G and Ryzen 7 8700G
The Ryzen 7 8700G was released on January 8, 2024, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads, a 2nd-level cache of 8MB, a 3rd-level cache of 16MB, a base operating frequency of 4.2GHz, and a maximum operating frequency of 5.1GHz.
It is equipped with the Radeon 780M integrated graphics, which has 12 compute units, a power consumption of 65W, and a suggested retail price of $329.
The Ryzen 5 8600G features 6 cores and 12 threads, a 2nd level cache of 6MB, a 3rd level cache of 16MB, a standard operating frequency of 4.3GHz, a maximum operating frequency of 5.0GHz, and is equipped with the Radeon 760M integrated graphics, which has 8 compute units, power consumption of 65W, and an official suggested retail price of $229.
02
Test Platform Configuration
The main configurations are as follows:
The processors are the Ryzen 5 8600G and the Ryzen 7 8700G, respectively. The motherboard is the Gigabyte ASRock A620M-HDV. The memory is 32GB DDR5 6000MHz, the hard drive is Western Digital SN770, and the operating system is Windows 11.
03
Game Performance Benchmark
The following tests seven games, all using 1080P quality mode with FSR enabled. In the series of images below, the left side represents the Ryzen 5 8600G platform (512MB of VRAM), and the right side represents the Ryzen 7 8700G platform (512MB of VRAM).
① The first game is “Psycho Killer 2.”
On the Ryzen 5 8600G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 39 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 21 FPS
- Frame Time: 25.5ms
- CPU usage: 34%
- CPU Power Consumption: 78.7W
- CPU temperature: 63 degrees
- Memory usage: 13.1GB
- GPU usage: 98%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 78W
- GPU temperature: 66 degrees
On the Ryzen 7 8700G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 44 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 25 FPS
- Frame Time: 21.3ms
- CPU usage: 29%
- CPU Power Consumption: 87.1W
- CPU temperature: 47 degrees
- Memory usage: 13.5GB
- GPU usage: 98%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 86W
- GPU temperature: 51 degrees
In this game, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform’s CPU usage is 5% lower than its competitor, power consumption is 8W higher, temperature is 16 degrees lower, memory usage is 0.4GB higher, GPU usage and VRAM usage are equal, power consumption is 8W higher, and temperature is 15 degrees lower.
In terms of average frame rate, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform is 5 FPS higher than the Ryzen 5 8600G platform, the lowest momentary frame rate is 4 FPS higher, and the frame time is about 4ms lower, showing closely matched performance.
② The second game is “Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.”
On the Ryzen 5 8600G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 56 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 46 FPS
- Frame Time: 15.7ms
- CPU usage: 21%
- CPU Power Consumption: 64.4W
- CPU temperature: 54 degrees
- Memory usage: 15.7GB
- GPU usage: 97%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 65W
- GPU temperature: 65 degrees
On the Ryzen 7 8700G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 66 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 55 FPS
- Frame Time: 14.8ms
- CPU usage: 17%
- CPU Power Consumption: 81.6W
- CPU temperature: 42 degrees
- Memory usage: 13.7GB
- GPU usage: 97%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 80W
- GPU temperature: 50 degrees
In this game, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform’s CPU usage is 4% lower than its competitor, power consumption is 18W higher, temperature is 12 degrees lower, memory usage is 2GB lower, GPU usage and VRAM usage are equal, power consumption is 15W higher, and temperature is 15 degrees lower.
In terms of average frame rate, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform is 10 FPS higher than the Ryzen 5 8600G platform, the lowest momentary frame rate is 9 FPS higher, and the frame time is almost equal.
③ The third game is “Cyberpunk 2077.”
On the Ryzen 5 8600G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 61 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 37 FPS
- Frame Time: 22.7ms
- CPU usage: 53%
- CPU Power Consumption: 86.5W
- CPU temperature: 57 degrees
- Memory usage: 16.4GB
- GPU usage: 97%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 86W
- GPU temperature: 56 degrees
On the Ryzen 7 8700G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 63 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 36 FPS
- Frame Time: 13.3ms
- CPU usage: 47%
- CPU Power Consumption: 87.9W
- CPU temperature: 52 degrees
- Memory usage: 14.8GB
- GPU usage: 97%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 87W
- GPU temperature: 50 degrees
In this game, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform’s CPU usage is 6% lower than its competitor, power consumption is nearly equal, temperature is 5 degrees lower, memory usage is 1.6GB lower, GPU usage and VRAM usage are equal, power consumption is also nearly equal, and temperature is 6 degrees lower.
In terms of average frame rate, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform is 2 FPS higher than the Ryzen 5 8600G platform, the lowest momentary frame rate is almost equal, and the frame time is about 10ms lower.
④ The fourth game is “Red Dead Redemption 2.”
On the Ryzen 5 8600G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 44 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 34 FPS
- Frame Time: 22.3ms
- CPU usage: 34%
- CPU Power Consumption: 75.6W
- CPU temperature: 58 degrees
- Memory usage: 14.4GB
- GPU usage: 97%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 74W
- GPU temperature: 63 degrees
On the Ryzen 7 8700G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 49 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 39 FPS
- Frame Time: 21.9ms
- CPU usage: 34%
- CPU Power Consumption: 67.7W
- CPU temperature: 41 degrees
- Memory usage: 15.3GB
- GPU usage: 96%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 68W
- GPU temperature: 46 degrees
In this game, the CPU usage is equal for both platforms. The Ryzen 7 8700G’s CPU part consumes about 8W less power than its competitor, with a temperature of 17 degrees lower, memory usage of 0.9GB higher, 1% lower GPU usage, equal VRAM usage, 6W lower power consumption, and 17 degrees lower temperature.
In terms of average frame rate, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform is 5 FPS higher than the Ryzen 5 8600G platform, with the lowest momentary frame rate also 5 FPS higher, and the frame time is almost equal.
⑤ The fifth game is “Hogwarts Legacy.”
On the Ryzen 5 8600G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 46 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 32 FPS
- Frame Time: 25.7ms
- CPU usage: 20%
- CPU Power Consumption: 73.1W
- CPU temperature: 48 degrees
- Memory usage: 22.6GB
- GPU usage: 98%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 73W
- GPU temperature: 52 degrees
On the Ryzen 7 8700G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 51 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 32 FPS
- Frame Time: 19.1ms
- CPU usage: 24%
- CPU Power Consumption: 65.5W
- CPU temperature: 40 degrees
- Memory usage: 20.8GB
- GPU usage: 99%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 65W
- GPU temperature: 45 degrees
In this game, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform’s CPU usage is 4% higher than its competitor, power consumption is about 8W lower, temperature is 8 degrees lower, memory usage is 1.8GB lower, GPU usage is 1% higher, VRAM usage is equal, power consumption is nearly equal, and temperature is 7 degrees lower.
In terms of average frame rate, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform is 5 FPS higher than the Ryzen 5 8600G platform, with the lowest momentary frame rate being equal, and the frame time about 7ms lower.
⑥ The sixth game is “The Last of Us Part I.”
On the Ryzen 5 8600G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 41 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 35 FPS
- Frame Time: 24.4ms
- CPU usage: 43%
- CPU Power Consumption: 77.7W
- CPU temperature: 61 degrees
- Memory usage: 17.9GB
- GPU usage: 98%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 75W
- GPU temperature: 64 degrees
On the Ryzen 7 8700G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 45 FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 40 FPS
- Frame Time: 22.5ms
- CPU usage: 32%
- CPU Power Consumption: 84.8W
- CPU temperature: 48 degrees
- Memory usage: 18.2GB
- GPU usage: 98%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 84W
- GPU temperature: 51 degrees
In this game, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform’s CPU usage is 11% lower than its competitor, power consumption is 8W higher, temperature is 13 degrees lower, memory usage is 0.3GB higher, GPU usage and VRAM usage are equal, power consumption is 9W higher, and temperature is 13 degrees lower.
In terms of average frame rate, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform is 4 FPS higher than the Ryzen 5 8600G platform, with the lowest momentary frame rate being almost equal, and the frame time is 1 ms lower, which is negligible.
⑦ The seventh game is “Starfield.”
On the Ryzen 5 8600G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 29FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 23 FPS
- Frame Time: 33.2ms
- CPU usage: 29%
- CPU Power Consumption: 65.5W
- CPU temperature: 56 degrees
- Memory usage: 18.1GB
- GPU usage: 98%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 66W
- GPU temperature: 57 degrees
On the Ryzen 7 8700G platform
- Average Frame Rate: 34FPS
- Lowest Momentary Frame: 30 FPS
- Frame Time: 25.1ms
- CPU usage: 34%
- CPU Power Consumption: 65.4W
- CPU temperature: 40 degrees
- Memory usage: 19.3GB
- GPU usage: 98%
- VRAM usage: 0.3GB
- GPU Power Consumption: 65W
- GPU temperature: 44 degrees
In this game, the Ryzen 7 8700G platform’s CPU usage is 5% higher than its competitor, power consumption is nearly equal, temperature is 16 degrees lower, memory usage is 1.2GB higher, GPU usage and VRAM usage are equal, power consumption is nearly equal, and temperature is 13 degrees lower.
In terms of average frame rate, the Ryzen 5 8600G platform is barely hovering near the minimum smooth-running threshold. The Ryzen 7 8700G platform is 5 FPS higher than the Ryzen 5 8600G platform, with the lowest momentary frame rate being 7 FPS higher, and the frame time is about 8ms lower.
04
Comparative Conclusion
Overall, if comparing purely final game performance, the actual difference between Ryzen 5 8600G and Ryzen 7 8700G is very small, with the average frame rate difference generally being in the single digits, and the largest frame time difference typically within 10ms.
The main advantage of the Ryzen 7 8700G lies in its lower CPU usage compared to its competitor, and lower temperatures for both CPU and GPU, indicating its overall absolute performance is indeed much stronger.
However, when considering the price factor, the differences with the Ryzen 5 8600G are acceptable. If the other hardware is matched reasonably, the final actual game performance will not be much worse than that of the Ryzen 7 8700G, very close, which is good news.
Therefore, for those pursuing cost-effectiveness, the Ryzen 5 8600G is a priority choice, but it’s advisable to improve cooling as its overall power consumption is higher than its competitor.
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