Integrated Graphics

For our main tests, there are areas to consider to determine if these AMD Ryzen 4000 Desktop APUs are good for the expected market, and can claim the title as the best processors with integrated graphics.

  1. Competition against other Desktop APUs: Ryzen 3000 or Intel i7-5775C
  2. Competition against other integrated graphics: Ryzen 4900HS or Intel Tiger Lake
  3. Competition against entry level graphics

When comparing these APUs against entry level graphics, the usual consideration is for combined price comparison – what would be the equivalent CPU+GPU combo in price against the integrated graphics solution.

We paid £307 for the Ryzen 7 Pro 4750G, which includes the UK 20% sales tax. Without tax, that is £255.83, and the converted to USD results in $346.36, or around about $345. This is very expensive for a processor with integrated graphics – usually AMD targets price points around $100-$160, but this is where we can see the better margins of mobile processors come in to play. The 4650G and 4350G come in at $262 and $170 respectively.

Our main data point is a Ryzen 5 2600 paired with a GT1030 2 GB, which is a $200 (SEP) processor paired with an $85 graphics card, and so would sit between the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 in our testing. Technically the Ryzen 5 2600 has been cheaper than SEP, with the Ryzen 5 1600AF equivalent at one time being as low as $85.

We also have a Ryzen 9 5950X paired with a GTX 950 2GB (75W) in the results as well, which used to retail for $155. While the CPU value is obviously beyond being relevant for this test, it will show the GTX 950 in its best light.

Please note that some of this data includes notebook data, which was obtained during the loan period for that device. As a result, not all systems were tested on all benchmarks, depending on when the benchmarks were added to our testing (or were available at the time).

Gaming Tests: Chernobylite

Chernobylite is an indie title that plays on a science-fiction survival horror experience and uses a 3D-scanned recreation of the real Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. It involves challenging combat, a mix of free exploration with crafting and non-linear story telling. While still in early access, it is already picking up plenty of awards.

IGP Chernobylite 360p Low (Average FPS)IGP Chernobylite 1080p Max (Average FPS)

The GT1030 solution is in the ballpark for the low resolution setting, but falls behind when we crank it up. The GTX950 solution is an easy win here.

Gaming Tests: Civilization 6

Originally penned by Sid Meier and his team, the Civilization series of turn-based strategy games are a cult classic, and many an excuse for an all-nighter trying to get Gandhi to declare war on you due to an integer underflow.

IGP Civilization 6 480p Min (Average FPS)IGP Civilization 6 1080p Max (Average FPS)

Both the discrete solutions win out for Civilization 6, but it is worth noting how much of a lead the AMD R4000 parts have over Tiger Lake. The Ryzen 4800U seems to fall behind the 65 W processors here, indicating that this is also a TDP heavy test.

Gaming Tests: Deus Ex Mankind Divided

Deus Ex:MD combines first-person, stealth, and role-playing elements, with the game set in Prague, dealing with themes of transhumanism, conspiracy theories, and a cyberpunk future. The game allows the player to select their own path (stealth, gun-toting maniac) and offers multiple solutions to its puzzles.

IGP Deus Ex: MD 600p Min (Average FPS)IGP Deus Ex:MD 1080p Max (Average FPS)

The GT1030 its more inbetween the APUs on DEMD, however the Tiger Lake processor does prefer the more complex test.

Gaming Tests: Final Fantasy XIV

In 2019, FFXIV launched its Shadowbringers expansion, and an official standalone benchmark was released at the same time for users to understand what level of performance they could expect. Much like the FF15 benchmark we’ve been using for a while, this test is a long 7-minute scene of simulated gameplay within the title. There are a number of interesting graphical features, and it certainly looks more like a 2019 title than a 2010 release, which is when FF14 first came out.

IGP Final Fantasy 14 768p Min (Average FPS)IGP Final Fantasy 14 1080p Max (Average FPS)

At the lower resolution, the discrete solutions certainly win out, along with Tiger Lake. When the detail is pushed higher, the MX150 falls behind the APUs, however the others stay ahead.

Gaming Tests: Final Fantasy XV

The game uses the internal Luminous Engine, and as with other Final Fantasy games, pushes the imagination of what we can do with the hardware underneath us. To that end, FFXV was one of the first games to promote the use of ‘video game landscape photography’, due in part to the extensive detail even at long range but also with the integration of NVIDIA’s Ansel software, that allowed for super-resolution imagery and post-processing effects to be applied.

IGP Final Fantasy 15 720p Min (Average FPS)

Tiger Lake also likes Final Fantasy XV, and the R4000 APUs are straddling that 30 FPS average mark.

Gaming Tests: World of Tanks

World of Tanks is set in the mid-20th century and allows players to take control of a range of military based armored vehicles. The game offers multiple entry points including a free-to-play element as well as allowing players to pay a fee to open up more features.

IGP World of Tanks 768p Min (Average FPS)

Gaming Tests: Borderlands 3

The fourth title of the franchise, Borderlands 3 expands the universe beyond Pandora and its orbit, with the set of heroes (plus those from previous games) now cruising the galaxy looking for vaults and the treasures within. Popular Characters like Tiny Tina, Claptrap, Lilith, Dr. Zed, Zer0, Tannis, and others all make appearances as the game continues its cel-shaded design but with the graphical fidelity turned up.

IGP Borderlands 3 360p VLow (Average FPS)IGP Borderlands 3 1080p Max (Average FPS)

The Tiger Lake seems to have a bit of trouble on the lower resolution, with the Renoir APUs coming in strong, but still behind the desktop discrete solutions. The MX150 does relatively poorly here.

Gaming Tests: F1 2019

The 2019 edition of the game features all 21 circuits on the calendar for that year, and includes a range of retro models and DLC focusing on the careers of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. This edition revamps up the Career mode, with features such as in-season driver swaps coming into the mix, and the quality of the graphics this time around is also superb, even at 4K low or 1080p Ultra.

IGP F1 2019 768p ULow (Average FPS)IGP F1 2019 1080p Ultra (Average FPS)

Gaming Tests: Far Cry 5

The fifth title in Ubisoft's Far Cry series lands us right into the unwelcoming arms of an armed militant cult in Montana, one of the many middles-of-nowhere in the United States. With a charismatic and enigmatic adversary, gorgeous landscapes of the northwestern American flavor, and lots of violence, it is classic Far Cry fare. Graphically intensive in an open-world environment, the game mixes in action and exploration with a lot of configurability.

IGP Far Cry 5 360p Low (Average FPS)IGP Far Cry 5 1080p Ultra (Average FPS)

Gaming Tests: Strange Brigade

Strange Brigade is based in 1903’s Egypt, and follows a story which is very similar to that of the Mummy film franchise. This particular third-person shooter is developed by Rebellion Developments which is more widely known for games such as the Sniper Elite and Alien vs Predator series. The game follows the hunt for Seteki the Witch Queen, who has arose once again and the only ‘troop’ who can ultimately stop her.

IGP Strange Brigade 720p Low (Average FPS)IGP Strange Brigade 1080p Ultra (Average FPS)

Power Consumption Discrete Graphics
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  • NedHej - Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - link

    Why, for the integrated tests, are you showing 360pMin and 1080pMax?
    One of those I'm never going to use, and the other I'm not going to expect an IGPU to deliver.

    Sure the 1080pMax is good to know but why not pick something sensible, like 1080pMin or 720pMedium, to suggest a setup people might actually want to know about?
  • lucasdclopes - Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - link

    I entered the comment section to say the same thing. For IGP 1080pmax is too much but 360p/600plow is too little. Needs a 768p medium.
  • StevoLincolnite - Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - link

    Yeah. Also agree. 720P is what I would be targeting if I intend to game on integrated graphics.

    360P/480P and 1080P are not my use cases/expectations.
  • n13L5 - Saturday, January 16, 2021 - link

    Yeah, this test was done for or by a theoretical person, not a gamer, who would want to use values that give them an idea if it was going to be useful for gaming or not.

    I also missed the GTX 1650, just to see how APUs compare to the cheapest *modern* card you can buy at $160 or so (unless there's a bitcoin mining boom).

    Granted, if you buy an $160 GPU, and keep in the price range of the 4750G, you'd need to find a used i5-7xxx or so on eBay for under $100.

    But that would surely run better than anything they tested here, other than the GTX-1080...
  • jakky567 - Sunday, December 20, 2020 - link

    I'd argue 768p is a weird resolution in context of these chips, as I'd expect them to be used with an external display. In games, if you're using a lower resolution, I think 720p makes more sense anyhow.
  • n13L5 - Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - link

    True.
    Even though, people do play and benchmark these on YT @1080p with somewhat reduced settings.
    Its not horrible looking, but obviously no ray tracing there...
  • ricebunny - Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - link

    Tests “World’s best APUs”, but does not include Apple M1??
  • Tomatotech - Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - link

    I admire the M1 but it isn’t an APU. That APU name is just AMD’s branding and only applies to their chips.

    (intel’s IGPUs aren’t tested here either.)
  • nandnandnand - Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - link

    Hogwash. If Intel makes a CPU with a faster iGPU than AMD, then it's a better APU. Period.

    Technically, the Xbox Series X and PS5 have the world's best APUs. But good luck running your own OS on them.
  • ricebunny - Wednesday, December 16, 2020 - link

    Actually, the review does include a soldered Intel iGPU of Tiger Lake family. Plus a Broadwell family desktop CPU.

    @Ian: Can you specify in more detail per game what the max settings are?

    Assuming that for Civ6 that means Ultra settings (by default without AA), I get 33 FPS on the M1 mini. That's 65% faster than the 4750G and entirely playable.

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