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AMD Athlon 3000G : The Last Raven Ridge APU!

AMD Athlon 3000G : The Last Raven Ridge APU Unlocked!

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Together with the Ryzen 9 3950X, AMD just launched their last Raven Ridge APU – the Athlon 3000G!

Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about the AMD Athlon 3000G, and how it compares against the older Raven Ridge APUs!

Updated @ 2019-11-26 : Added Singapore purchase link.

Updated @ 2019-11-22 : Added the official AMD Athlon 3000G price for Malaysia.

Updated @ 2019-11-20 : Added UK purchase links, and some minor corrections.

Originally posted @ 2019-11-07

 

Introducing The AMD Athlon 3000G

The AMD Raven Ridge soldiers on for one more hurrah! Introducing the AMD Athlon 3000G in this video is Don Woligroski, AMD Desktop Processor Technical Marketing Manager.

 

AMD Athlon 3000G : The Last Raven Ridge APU!

The 3000G is what AMD calls an Accelerated Processing Unit, because it combines a processor with a graphics processor in a single die.

It comes with two Zen processor cores that are capable of handling four simultaneous threads, and a Radeon Vega 3 GPU with 12 texture units and 4 ROPs.

Priced at just US$49, the Athlon 3000G has a fixed 3.5 GHz clock speed, with a 35 W TDP. It comes with a 1 MB L2 cache and a 4 MB L3 cache. Unlike earlier Raven Ridge APUs though, the 3000G has been unlocked for overclocking.

However, this will be the (last and) only Raven Ridge Athlon to be released this year, so don’t expect a higher clocked part. Don Woligroski confirmed this in the Q&A session (see this video)

Recommended : AMD Ryzen 9 3950X : Everything You Need To Know!

 

AMD Athlon 3000G Specifications

As this table shows, the Athlon 3000G is basically the Athlon 240GE with a 100 MHz faster Vega 3 GPU, that has been unlocked for easier overclocking.

Specifications Athlon
3000G		 Athlon
240GE		 Athlon
220GE
 Athlon
200GE
Fab Process 14 nm
Cores / Threads 2 / 4
Base Clock 3.5 GHz 3.5 GHz 3.4 GHz 3.2 GHz
Boost Clock NA NA NA NA
L2 Cache 1 MB
L3 Cache 4 MB
Vega Graphics Vega 3 (1100 MHz) Vega 3 (1000 MHz)
Memory Support DDR4-2667 (Dual Channel)
TDP 35 W
Launch Price $49 $75 $65 $55

 

How Fast Is The AMD Athlon 3000G?

AMD is targeting the 3000G against the Intel Pentium G5400, which retails at $73 – almost 50% higher.

According to AMD’s benchmarks, it will offer better performance across the board, at ⅔ of the cost.

Because it’s very similar to last year’s Athlon 240GE, AMD unlocked the 3000G to allow for easier overclocking.

If you overclock it by 400 MHz to 3.9 GHz, you will see even better performance over the Intel Pentium G5400 :

 

AMD Athlon 3000G Price + Availability

The AMD Athlon 3000G has a recommended retail price of just US$49 / RM209, and it will be available for purchase from 19 November 2019 onwards.

Here are some online purchase options (we will update it when more opportunities come online) :

This makes it 35% cheaper than the Athlon 240GE ($75) when it was first launched. But of course, that was a year ago!

 

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Official AMD Athlon PRO with Radeon Vega Graphics Tech Briefing

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AMD just announced the Athlon PRO family of processors, together with the consumer-grade “regular” AMD Athlon APU with Radeon Vega Graphics. This new processor is basically the AMD Athlon APU with enterprise-grade security and reliability features.

In this article, we will share with you the official AMD tech briefing on the AMD Athlon PRO with Radeon Vega Graphics APUs, including the official slides, and other details.

Don’t forget to check out the Official AMD Athlon APU with Radeon Vega Graphics Tech Briefing and the Official 2nd Gen Ryzen PRO Desktop CPU Tech Briefing!

 

The Official AMD Athlon PRO with Radeon Vega Graphics Tech Briefing

Let’s start with the official Athlon PRO tech briefing by David Tjong, AMD Product Marketing Manager. This is an improved video that we created with larger, sharper slides and gaps removed. Enjoy!

 

AMD Athlon PRO with Radeon Vega Graphics

The AMD Athlon PRO with Radeon Vega Graphics is what AMD calls an Accelerated Processing Unit, because it combines a processor with a graphics processor in a single die.

In the Athlon PRO’s case, it is basically a cut-down version of the AMD Ryzen PRO APUs launched in May 2018 – a combination of a Ryzen CPU with a Radeon Vega graphics processor, with enterprise-grade security and reliability features.

Most of the built-in security features are already part of the consumer-grade AMD Athlon APU. The PRO version adds on quality assurances and warranty, as well as manageability features for businesses and enterprises.

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AMD Athlon PRO 200GE

AMD officially launched only one PRO APU on 6 September 2018 – the AMD Athlon PRO 200GE with Radeon Vega 3 Graphics. It has exactly the same performance characteristics as the consumer-grade AMD Athlon 200GE APU.

The Athlon PRO 200GE has two Zen processor cores that is capable of handling four simultaneous threads, with three Radeon Vega Graphics compute units. It has a fixed 3.2 GHz clock speed, with a 35 W TDP. It comes with a 1 MB L2 cache and a 4 MB L3 cache.

 

Where Does The AMD Athlon PRO Fit In?

The AMD Athlon PRO with Radeon Vega Graphics is meant to be a basic processor option with basic graphics capabilities.

It slots in below the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO models, and competes directly against the Intel Pentium G4560, which AMD notes, uses more power and lacks Intel vPro security and manageability features.

With just two Zen cores and three Vega CUs, it’s definitely not meant for serious graphics or video work. But it will be more than powerful enough to power an office PC. In fact, AMD sees it powering a new slew of thin and compact desktop PCs.

New Page > AMD Athlon PRO Performance, Price + Availability, Official Slides

 

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How Fast Is The AMD Athlon PRO?

AMD pit their Athlon PRO 200GE against the Intel Pentium G4560. A couple of differences to note :

  • The Athlon PRO 200GE runs at 3.2 GHz, while the Pentium G4560 runs at 3.5 GHz.
  • The Athlon PRO 200GE has 5 MB of L2 and L3 cache, while the Pentium G4560 only has a 2 MB L2 cache.
  • The Athlon PRO 200GE runs a 35 W TDP, while the Pentium G4560 has a 54 W TDP.
  • The Athlon PRO 200GE supports DDR4-2933 memory, while the Pentium G4560 only supports DDR4-2400 memory.

According to AMD, the Athlon PRO 200GE is slightly slower than the Pentium G4560 in CPU performance, but has 67% better graphics performance with a 35% lower TDP.

In light workloads, AMD claims that the 200GE performs just as well as the Pentium G4560.

For large enterprises whose IT teams have to deploy hundreds or thousands of PCs, this may matter more. According to a third-party study commissioned by AMD, deploying an AMD system is no different than deploying an Intel system – they both take the same number of steps.

In fact, the study also showed that it takes an IT team slightly less time to deploy an AMD system than an equivalent Intel system. This may not matter much with a few systems, but when you are dealing with a hundreds or thousands of systems, it could mean hours and days saved.

 

AMD Athlon PRO Price + Availability

The AMD Athlon PRO 200GE APU is available with immediate effect to AMD OEM partners, but their eventual system availability will depend on the respective OEM launch schedules. Right now, you can look forward to these system :

  • HP EliteDesk G4 – in full tower, mini tower and SFF form factors
  • Lenovo ThinkCentre M715q Tiny
  • Dell OptiPlex 5055

 

Complete Set of AMD Athlon PRO Presentation Slides

 

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The AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Tech Report

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AMD just announced the availability of seven Ryzen PRO APU models for the mobile and desktop markets, as well as laptops and desktops featuring these new APUs. Get the full details of the new AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs – features, specifications and availability!

 

AMD Raven Ridge

Raven Ridge is AMD’s codename for their Ryzen-Vega APUs (Accelerated Processing Units). First introduced in the mobile segment as the AMD Ryzen Mobile, AMD is now offering PRO versions in both mobile and desktop markets.

These Ryzen APUs combine an AMD Ryzen CPU, with an AMD Radeon Vega GPU, in a single die.

Ryzen CPU + Radeon Vega GPU = Ryzen APU

Mobile APUs are not new. AMD have been making them for years, and Intel mobile processors all come with integrated graphics. But AMD is still the only manufacturer to integrate “premium CPU cores” with “premium graphics cores”.

 

AMD Ryzen PRO APU

The AMD Ryzen PRO desktop processors, revealed in September 2017, were enterprise-grade versions of the first-generation AMD Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 processors. A month later, AMD launched the AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs.

However, AMD has not launched any enterprise-grade APU for either the desktop or mobile market… until now, that is. Here are the first seven AMD Ryzen PRO APU models – three for the mobile market, and four for the desktop market.

AMD Ryzen PRO APU (Mobile SKUs)

  • AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U – 4C/8T, 2.2 to 3.8 GHz, Vega 11 Graphics, 15W cTDP
  • AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U – 4C/8T, 2.0 to 3.6 GHz, Vega 8 Graphics, 15W cTDP
  • AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U – 4C/4T, 2.0 to 3.4 GHz, Vega 6 Graphics, 15W cTDP

AMD Ryzen PRO APU (Desktop SKUs)

  • AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G – 4C/8T, 3.6 to 3.9 GHz, Vega 11 Graphics, 65W TDP
  • AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE – 4C/8T, 3.2 to 3.8 GHz, Vega 11 Graphics, 35W TDP
  • AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200G – 4C/4T, 3.5 to 3.7 GHz, Vega 8 Graphics, 65W TDP
  • AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE – 4C/4T, 3.2 to 3.6 GHz, Vega 8 Graphics, 35W TDP

In this article, we will focus on the Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs. For the AMD Ryzen PRO desktop APUs, we have a separate article – The AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Tech Report.

 

Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Specifications

SpecificationsAMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700UAMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500UAMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U
CCX Configuration4+04+04+0
CPU Cores444
CPU Threads884
Base Clock2.2 GHz2.0 GHz2.0 GHz
Boost Clock3.8 GHz3.6 GHz3.4 GHz
L1 Cache64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache		64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache		64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache
L2 Cache512 KB x 4512 KB x 4512 KB x 4
L3 Cache4 MB4 MB4 MB
Integrated GPURadeon RX Vega 10
- 640 stream processors
- 40 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1300 MHz		Radeon RX Vega 8
- 512 stream processors
- 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1100 MHz		Radeon RX Vega 6
- 384 stream processors
- 24 TMUs, 8 ROPs
- Up to 1100 MHz
Memory SupportUp to DDR4-2400 (Dual Channel)Up to DDR4-2400 (Dual Channel)Up to DDR4-2400 (Dual Channel)
TDP15 W Nominal
12-25 W (Configurable)		15 W Nominal
12-25 W (Configurable)		15 W Nominal
12-25 W (Configurable)

Next Page > AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Key Features

 

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AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Key Features

AMD GuardMI Technology

Even though the Ryzen PRO APU uses the same silicon as its consumer-grade siblings, it has AMD GuardMI Technology enabled.

GuardMI is built into the silicon, which offers OS-agnostic security through :

  • Transparent Secure Memory Encryption – DRAM encryption with minimal performance impact
  • Secure Boot Process – hardware-based root of trust secures the BIOS from power-on
  • Real-Time Intrusion Detection – with support for fTPM and TPM 2.0

 

Enterprise-Grade Reliability

The AMD Ryzen PRO APU will come with enterprise-grade reliability features like :

  • 18 months of planned software stability
  • 24 months of planned processor availability
  • commercial-grade quality-assurance process
  • cherry-picked silicon for long-term reliability and performance
  • supports DASH manageability standard
  • 36-month limited warranty for system manufacturers

 

Single CCX Configuration

Unlike the Summit Ridge-based Ryzen CPUs, the AMD Raven Ridge processors use a single CCX configuration. This is a cost-saving measure with a much smaller die size, that also yield some performance benefits – reduced cache and memory latencies.

 

Precision Boost 2

The AMD Ryzen PRO APU also boasts the improved Precision Boost 2, whose more graceful and linear boost algorithm allows them to “boost more cores, more often, on more workloads“. It is now able to change frequencies in very fine granularity of just 25 MHz.

According to AMD, this will allow the AMD Ryzen PRO APU to perform better with apps that spawn many lightweight threads, as opposed to apps with persistent loads (e.g. video editing and 3D rendering).

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Mobile XFR (mXFR)

Mobile XFR (eXtended Frequency Range) is the automatic overclocking feature that boosts the processor voltage and clock speed beyond the Precision Boost clock speed. It leverages the temperature awareness of Precision Boost 2 to determine how much faster it can overclock.

Like the desktop XFR feature, it is highly dependent on the processor temperature, so a good cooling solution is necessary. Notebooks must have coolers that meet AMD’s performance criteria if they want to offer mXFR.

 

Synergistic Power Rail Sharing

The AMD Ryzen PRO mobile APUs have a unified VDD power rail with digital low-dropout (LDO) regulators. This synergistic power rail sharing allows the maximum current requirements to be reduced by 36%.

They also have multiple digital LDO regions for the CPU cores, graphics core and subregions. This allows those regions to be completely turned off when they are idle, greatly saving power.

The shared voltage regulators not only reduce the total current draw, it allows the Ryzen PRO mobile APU to gain a higher peak CPU and GPU current to boost performance.

Next Page > AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Performance

 

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AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Performance

Let’s take a look at some benchmark results that AMD shared with us.

General Office Productivity

In general office productivity apps, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U is about 95% as fast as the Intel Core i7-8550U. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, on the other hand, is equivalent to the Intel Core i5-8250U.

Professional Applications

Thanks to the integrated Vega Graphics, the AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs shine in professional applications. They are slightly faster in Photoshop, but offer significantly better performance in 3D CAD applications.

Desktop-Class Performance

Despite being a mobile processor, the Ryzen PRO Mobile offers desktop-class performance at a fraction of the power.

Ryzen PRO Mobile vs. 8th Gen Core

AMD shared some benchmarks to show you how the new AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs fare against their Intel 8th Gen Core counterparts.

Ryzen PRO Mobile vs. 8th Gen vPro

Here are some benchmarks demonstrating how much faster the new AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs again, compared to the Intel 8th Gen vPro counterparts.

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AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Gaming Performance

Even though the AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs are “technically” used only for work <wink wink>, the integrated Vega Graphics allow them to double as esports gaming systems! In fact, AMD shares that the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U is as fast as the Intel Core i7-8550U paired with the NVIDIA GeForce 950M GPU.

Now, the integrated Vega Graphics is not meant to be a true gaming GPU, but it is powerful enough to deliver playable frame rates for these games at 1080p resolution.

Next Page > AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Availability + Slides

 

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AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Availability

The AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs (and Ryzen PRO desktop APUs) are already available to OEMs, with AMD announcing the following designs for both SME businesses, as well as enterprises.

 

Suggested Reading

 

AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Slides

Here is the complete set of AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU slides for your perusal.

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The AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Tech Report

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AMD just announced the availability of seven Ryzen PRO APU models for the mobile and desktop markets, as well as laptops and desktops featuring these new APUs. Get the full details of the new AMD Ryzen PRO desktop APU – features, specifications and availability!

 

AMD Raven Ridge

Raven Ridge is AMD’s codename for their Ryzen-Vega APUs (Accelerated Processing Units). First introduced in the mobile segment as the AMD Ryzen Mobile, AMD is now offering PRO versions in both mobile and desktop markets.

These Ryzen APUs combine an AMD Ryzen CPU, with an AMD Radeon Vega GPU, in a single die.

Ryzen CPU + Radeon Vega GPU = Ryzen APU

Desktops APUs are not new. AMD have been making them for years, and many Intel desktop processors come with integrated graphics. But AMD is still the only manufacturer to integrate “premium CPU cores” with “premium graphics cores”.

 

AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU

The AMD Ryzen PRO desktop processors, revealed in September 2017, were enterprise-grade versions of the first-generation AMD Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 processors. A month later, AMD launched the AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs.

However, AMD has not launched any enterprise-grade APU for either the desktop or mobile market… until now, that is. Here are the first seven AMD Ryzen PRO APU models – three for the mobile market, and four for the desktop market.

AMD Ryzen PRO APU (Mobile SKUs)

  • AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U – 4C/8T, 2.2 to 3.8 GHz, Vega 11 Graphics, 15W cTDP
  • AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U – 4C/8T, 2.0 to 3.6 GHz, Vega 8 Graphics, 15W cTDP
  • AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U – 4C/4T, 2.0 to 3.4 GHz, Vega 6 Graphics, 15W cTDP

AMD Ryzen PRO APU (Desktop SKUs)

  • AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G – 4C/8T, 3.6 to 3.9 GHz, Vega 11 Graphics, 65W TDP
  • AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE – 4C/8T, 3.2 to 3.8 GHz, Vega 11 Graphics, 35W TDP
  • AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200G – 4C/4T, 3.5 to 3.7 GHz, Vega 8 Graphics, 65W TDP
  • AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE – 4C/4T, 3.2 to 3.6 GHz, Vega 8 Graphics, 35W TDP

In this article, we will focus on the Ryzen PRO desktop APUs. For the AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs, we have a separate article – The AMD Ryzen PRO Mobile APU Tech Report.

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Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Specifications

SpecificationsAMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GAMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GEAMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GAMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE
CCX Configuration4+04+04+04+0
CPU Cores4444
CPU Threads8844
Base Clock3.6 GHz3.2 GHz3.5 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock3.9 GHz3.8 GHz3.7 GHz3.6 GHz
L1 Cache64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache		64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache		64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache		64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache
L2 Cache512 KB x 4512 KB x 4512 KB x 4512 KB x 4
L3 Cache4 MB4 MB4 MB4 MB
Integrated GPURadeon RX Vega 10
- 640 stream processors
- 40 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1300 MHz		Radeon RX Vega 8
- 512 stream processors
- 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1100 MHz		Radeon RX Vega 8
- 512 stream processors
- 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1100 MHz		Radeon RX Vega 8
- 512 stream processors
- 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1100 MHz
Memory SupportUp to DDR4-2933 (Dual Channel)Up to DDR4-2933 (Dual Channel)Up to DDR4-2933 (Dual Channel)Up to DDR4-2933 (Dual Channel)
TDP65 W35 W65 W35 W

Next Page > AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Key Features

 

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AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Key Features

AMD GuardMI Technology

Even though the Ryzen PRO APU uses the same silicon as its consumer-grade siblings, it has AMD GuardMI Technology enabled.

GuardMI is built into the silicon, which offers OS-agnostic security through :

  • Transparent Secure Memory Encryption – DRAM encryption with minimal performance impact
  • Secure Boot Process – hardware-based root of trust secures the BIOS from power-on
  • Real-Time Intrusion Detection – with support for fTPM and TPM 2.0

 

Enterprise-Grade Reliability

The AMD Ryzen PRO APU will come with enterprise-grade reliability features like :

  • 18 months of planned software stability
  • 24 months of planned processor availability
  • commercial-grade quality-assurance process
  • cherry-picked silicon for long-term reliability and performance
  • supports DASH manageability standard
  • 36-month limited warranty for system manufacturers

 

Single CCX Configuration

Unlike the Summit Ridge-based Ryzen CPUs, the AMD Raven Ridge processors use a single CCX configuration. This is a cost-saving measure with a much smaller die size, that also yield some performance benefits – reduced cache and memory latencies.

 

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Smaller L3 Cache

Using a single CCX configuration halves the Raven Ridge L3 cache size from 8 MB to 4 MB. To compensate, AMD increased their base and boost clock speeds.

 

New CPU Package

The Raven Ridge APUs also introduce a revised CPU package, and a switch to the traditional non-metallic TIM (thermal interface material). These are again cost-cutting measures, albeit with a side benefit of allowing the Raven Ridge processors to officially support DDR4-2933 memory.

 

Precision Boost 2

The AMD Ryzen PRO APU also boasts the improved Precision Boost 2, whose more graceful and linear boost algorithm allows them to “boost more cores, more often, on more workloads“. It is now able to change frequencies in very fine granularity of just 25 MHz.

According to AMD, this will allow the AMD Ryzen PRO APU to perform better with apps that spawn many lightweight threads, as opposed to apps with persistent loads (e.g. video editing and 3D rendering).

 

PCIe x8 For Discrete GPU

The Summit Ridge-based AMD Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 processors have 16 PCI Express 3.0 lanes dedicated to the PCIe graphics card. In Raven Ridge, that gets cut down to half. That means any external graphics card will only communicate with a Raven Ridge processor at PCIe x8 speed.

This is a cost-saving measure, making the Raven Ridge processor simpler and cheaper to produce. AMD also claims that the move contributed to a smaller and more efficient uncore.

Next Page > AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Performance & Availability

 

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AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Performance

We haven’t had the opportunity to benchmark these desktop APUs, but they should perform similarly to the consumer-grade Raven Ridge desktop APUs we reviewed earlier :

Let’s take a look at some benchmark results that AMD shared with us.

General Office Productivity

In general office productivity apps, the AMD Ryzen PRO 5 2400G was just under 90% as fast as the Intel Core i5-8400. The AMD Ryzen PRO 3 2200G, on the other hand, was slightly faster than the Intel Core i3-8100.

Professional Applications

Thanks to the integrated Vega Graphics, the AMD Ryzen PRO desktop APUs shine in professional applications. The AMD Ryzen PRO 5 2400G performed up to 2.8X faster than the Intel Core i5-8400. The AMD Ryzen PRO 3 2200G, on the other hand, was up to 2X faster than the Intel Core i3-8100.

 

AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Availability

The AMD Ryzen PRO desktop APUs (and Ryzen PRO Mobile APUs) are already available to OEMs, with AMD announcing the following designs for both SME businesses, as well as enterprises.

 

Suggested Reading

Next Page > AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Slides

 

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AMD Ryzen PRO Desktop APU Slides

Here is the complete set of AMD Ryzen PRO desktop APU slides for your perusal.

 

Suggested Reading

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The 2018 AMD Ryzen Mobile Laptops Revealed!

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AMD launched the Ryzen Mobile APUs in October 2017, but where are the Ryzen Mobile laptops? Today, we share with you details and videos of three new Ryzen Mobile laptops, and an ASUS gaming laptop that actually uses a desktop-grade Ryzen 7 CPU!

 

The 2018 AMD Ryzen Mobile Laptops Revealed!

AMD Director of Consumer Sales (APJ), Peter Chambers, kicked off the event with a presentation on the Ryzen Mobile APUs, and the 2018 AMD Ryzen Mobile laptops. He also shared some updates on the upcoming Pinnacle Ridge (Zen+) processors.

Then Acer Malaysia’s Product Manager, Jeffrey Lai, shared the key features of the two new Acer Ryzen Mobile laptops – the Acer Nitro 5 and Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G. They run on the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U and AMD Ryzen 5 2500U APUs respectively.

Finally, Gavin Wong from Lenovo Technology revealed the key features of the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-13ARR laptop that runs on the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U.

ASUS was also at hand to show off their ROG Strix GL702Z gaming laptop that runs on the desktop-grade AMD Ryzen 7 1700 CPU. It also features the AMD Radeon RX 580 GPU!

The Acer Nitro 5 could not make it to the launch event on time. But when it arrived the next day, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at it too.

 

The 2018 AMD Ryzen Mobile Laptops First Look

After the launch of the three Ryzen Mobile laptops, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at them, as well as the ASUS ROG Strix GL702Z gaming laptop.

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Specification Comparison

Here is a table comparing the specifications of the three Ryzen Mobile laptops (Acer Nitro 5, Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 720S), as well as the Ryzen 7 gaming laptop (ASUS ROG Strix GL702Z).

SpecificationsAcer Nitro 5Acer Swift 3ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZCLenovo IdeaPad 720S
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 10 HomeMicrosoft Windows 10 HomeMicrosoft Windows 10 HomeMicrosoft Windows 10 Home
Display15.6" IPS display
- 1920 x 1080 pixels
- 300 nits brightness		15.6" IPS display
- 1920 x 1080 pixels		17.3" IPS display
- 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Supports AMD FreeSync		13.3" IPS display
- 1920 x 1080 pixels
ProcessorAMD Ryzen 7 2700U
- 4 cores, 8 threads
- 2.2 GHz base clock
- 3.8 GHz boost clock
- 4 MB L3 cache		AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
- 4 cores, 8 threads
- 2.0 GHz base clock
- 3.6 GHz boost clock
- 4 MB L3 cache		AMD Ryzen 7 1700
- 8 cores, 16 threads
- 3.0 GHz base clock
- 3.7 GHz boost clock
- 16 MB L3 cache		AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
- 4 cores, 8 threads
- 2.0 GHz base clock
- 3.6 GHz boost clock
- 4 MB L3 cache
Integrated Graphics ProcessorAMD Radeon Vega 10
- Up to 1.3 GHz		AMD Radeon Vega 8
- Up to 1.1 GHz		NoneAMD Radeon Vega 8
- Up to 1.1 GHz
Memory4 GB DDR4 memory
- upgradable to 16 GB x 2		8 GB DDR4 memory8 GB DDR4 memory4 GB DDR4 memory
Discrete Graphics ProcessorAMD Radeon RX 560X
- 4 GB GDDR5 memory		AMD Radeon 540
- 2 GB GDDR5 memory		AMD Radeon RX 580
- 4 GB GDDR5 memory		None
Storage128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD256 GB PCIe SSD256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD256 GB SSD
WiFi802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Battery4-cell lithium-ion battery
- 48 Wh (3220 mAh x 15.2 V)		4-cell lithium-ion battery
- 48 Wh (3220 mAh x 15.2 V)		4-cell lithium-ion battery4-cell lithium-ion battery
- 48 Wh (3220 mAh x 15.2 V)
Dimensions390 mm wide
266 mm deep
26.75 mm thick		341 mm wide
236.6 mm deep
17.95 mm thick		415 mm wide
280 mm deep
34 mm thick		305.9 mm wide
213.82 mm deep
13.6 mm thick
Weight2.7 kg1.5 kg3.2 kg1.14 kg

 

Prices & Availability

Here are their prices and availability, as well as some purchase links.

Model Availability Price Purchase Links
Acer Nitro 5 (Ryzen 5 2700U) End of March 2018 TBA / US$ 749.99 Amazon | Lazada
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G End of March 2018 TBA / US$ 749.99 Amazon | Lazada
ASUS ROG Strix GL702Z Available RM 6,999 / US$ 1,479 Amazon | Lazada
Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-13ARR Available RM 3,299 / US$ 846 Amazon | Lazada

 

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The AMD Raven Ridge Desktop APU Tech Report Rev. 3.0

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At CES 2018, AMD announced the AMD Raven Ridge desktop processors – the long-awaited AMD Ryzen APUs. They are basically AMD Ryzen processors with AMD Radeon Vega graphics built-in. We can now share with you the full details and our reviews of the AMD Raven Ridge desktop APUs!

Updated @ 2018-02-13 : Added the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G review links. Updated various parts of the article.

Updated @ 2018-02-10 : Added two new sections on the new CPU package, L3 cache, PCI Express lanes, and Precision Boost 2. Also updated the section on the Single CCX Configuration.

Originally posted @ 2018-02-08

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The AMD Raven Ridge Desktop APU Reviews

Here are the reviews of the new AMD Raven Ridge desktop APUs.

 

The AMD Raven Ridge Desktop APUs

Raven Ridge is AMD’s codename for their Ryzen-Vega APUs (Accelerated Processing Units). First introduced in the mobile segment as the AMD Ryzen Mobile, AMD is now introducing them to the desktop market.

The new Ryzen APUs combine an AMD Ryzen CPU, with an AMD Radeon Vega GPU, in a single die.

AMD Ryzen CPU + AMD Radeon Vega GPU = AMD Ryzen APU

Desktops APUs are not new. AMD have been making them for years, and many Intel desktop processors come with integrated graphics. But AMD is still the only manufacturer to integrate “premium CPU cores” with “premium graphics cores” to deliver gaming for the masses with :

  • 1080p HD+ gaming performance without a discrete graphics card
  • support for Radeon FreeSync, Radeon Chill, Enhanced Sync and Radeon ReLive

 

Single CCX Configuration

Unlike the Summit Ridge-based Ryzen CPUs, the AMD Raven Ridge processors use a single CCX configuration. This is a cost-saving measure with a much smaller die size, that also yield some performance benefits – reduced cache and memory latencies.

AMD analysed the performance of the 2+2 and 4+0 configuration and concluded that they are “roughly equivalent on average across 50+ games“.

 

Smaller L3 Cache

Using a single CCX configuration halves the Raven Ridge L3 cache size from 8 MB to 4 MB. To compensate, AMD increased their base and boost clock speeds, particularly in the Ryzen 5 2400G.

 

New CPU Package

The Raven Ridge APUs also introduce a revised CPU package, and a switch to the traditional non-metallic TIM (thermal interface material). These are again cost-cutting measures, albeit with a side benefit of allowing the Raven Ridge processors to officially support DDR4-2933 memory.

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Precision Boost 2

The new Raven Ridge processors also boast the improved Precision Boost 2, whose more graceful and linear boost algorithm allows them to “boost more cores, more often, on more workloads“. It is now able to change frequencies in very fine granularity of just 25 MHz.

According to AMD, this will allow the Raven Ridge processors to perform better with apps and games that spawn many lightweight threads, as opposed to apps with persistent loads (e.g. video editing and 3D rendering).

 

PCIe x8 For Discrete GPU

The Summit Ridge-based AMD Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 processors have 16 PCI Express 3.0 lanes dedicated to the PCIe graphics card. In Raven Ridge, that gets cut down to half. That means any external graphics card will only communicate with a Raven Ridge processor at PCIe x8 speed.

This is a cost-saving measure, making the Raven Ridge processor simpler and cheaper to produce. The Ryzen 3 2200G, for example, is $10 cheaper than its predecessor, the Ryzen 3 1200. They also claim that the move contributed to a smaller and more efficient uncore.

AMD made this decision because “abundant public data has shown that this is a neutral change for the midrange GPUs and workloads likely to be paired with a $99-169 processor“.

Frankly, the Raven Ridge is best used as-is. If you plan to use a discrete graphics card, it makes far more sense to get the Summit Ridge-based AMD Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 processors instead.

Next Page > Unboxing Raven Ridge, Specifications, Price & Availability

 

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The AMD Ryzen 2000G Series APUs Revealed!

As announced at CES 2018, AMD is introducing two Raven Ridge desktop processors as part of the new AMD Ryzen 2000G family – the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G, and the AMD Ryzen 3 2200G.

AMD kindly sent us their Raven Ridge desktop processor media kit, which we unboxed in this video :

 

The AMD Raven Ridge Desktop APU Specification Comparison

For your convenience, we created this table that compares their key specifications with those of their CPU-equivalents – the AMD Ryzen 5 1400 and the AMD Ryzen 3 1200.

SpecificationsAMD Ryzen 5 2400GAMD Ryzen 5 1400AMD Ryzen 3 1200AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
TDP65 W65 W65 W65 W
SocketAM4AM4AM4AM4
Process Technology14 nm FinFET14 nm FinFET14 nm FinFET14 nm FinFET
Transistor Count4.94 Billion4.8 Billion4.8 Billion4.94 Billion
Die Size209.78 mm²192 mm²192 mm²209.78 mm²
CCX Configuration4+02+22+24+0
Processor Cores4444
Number of Simultaneous Threads8844
L2 Cache Size2 MB2 MB2 MB2 MB
L3 Cache Size4 MB8 MB8 MB4 MB
Base Clock Speed3.6 GHz3.2 GHz3.1 GHz3.5 GHz
Boost Clock Speed3.9 GHz3.4 GHz3.4 GHz3.7 GHz
Max. DDR4 SpeedDDR4-2933DDR4-2667DDR4-2667DDR4-2933
GPURadeon RX Vega 11
- 704 stream processors
- 44 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1250 MHz		NoneNoneRadeon Vega 8
- 512 stream processors
- 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs
- Up to 1100 MHz
PCI Express LanesPCIe x8PCIe x16PCIe x16PCIe x8
Bundled CPU CoolerAMD Wraith StealthAMD Wraith StealthAMD Wraith StealthAMD Wraith Stealth
Launch PriceUS$ 169US$ 169US$ 109US$ 99

 

AMD Raven Ridge Price & Availability

The AMD Raven Ridge desktop APUs are available for purchase starting 12 February 2018, at the following prices :

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  • AMD Ryzen 5 2400G (review) : $169 | RM 759 (inclusive of 6% GST)
  • AMD Ryzen 3 2200G (review) : $99 | RM 479 (inclusive of 6% GST)

At those price points, these Raven Ridge APUs will literally shred Intel processors with integrated graphics to pieces with their value proposition. More cores and more threads, with a much faster graphics core, at such prices. What more can you ask for?

The AMD Raven Ridge desktop APUs will be a relief to many esports gamers, who are suffering from extremely high GPU prices because of cryptocurrency miners.

 

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AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs – Everything You Need To Know!

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AMD has officially announced the Ryzen Mobile APUs!. Formerly codenamed Raven Ridge, they combine the AMD Zen CPU cores with AMD Vega graphics to deliver new heights in CPU and graphics performance for ultra-thin notebooks. Let’s dive into the details of the new AMD Ryzen Mobile with Radeon Vega Graphics APUs!

 

AMD Ryzen Mobile “Raven Ridge” APUs

The AMD Ryzen Mobile is not just a mobile processor, it is a mobile APU (Accelerated Processing Unit). Basically, it is a combination of a traditional processor, with a GPU, using a System-on-Chip design.

The new Ryzen Mobile APU combines the new AMD Zen cores used in desktop Ryzen processors with AMD Vega cores used in the new AMD Radeon RX Vega graphics cards.

Mobile APUs are not new. Even Intel mobile processors come with integrated graphics. But AMD is still the only manufacturer to integrate “premium CPU cores” with “premium graphics cores”.

The new CPU and GPU cores used in the new Ryzen Mobile APUs allow them to deliver 3X better CPU performance, and 2.3X better GPU performance over that of equivalent 7th Gen AMD APUs. Performance isn’t everything though. The Ryzen Mobile APUs also promise to use 58% less power!

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The AMD Ryzen Mobile Specifications

AMD has announced two Ryzen Mobile models – the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U and the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U. Here are their specifications.

SpecificationsAMD Ryzen 7 2700UAMD Ryzen 5 2500U
CPU Cores4 Cores4 Cores
Simultaneous Threads8 Threads8 Threads
L1 Cache64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache		64 KB instruction cache
32 KB data cache
L2 Cache512 KB x 4512 KB x 4
L3 Cache4 MB shared4 MB shared
Base Clock Speed2.2 GHz2.0 GHz
Boost Clock Speed3.8 GHz3.6 GHz
GPU Cores10 Radeon Vega CUs8 Radeon Vega CUs
GPU ClockUp to 1.3 GHzUp to 1.1 GHz
Memory SupportUp to DDR4-2400 (Dual Channel)Up to DDR4-2400 (Dual Channel)
TDP15 W Nominal
12-25 W (Configurable)		15 W Nominal
12-25 W (Configurable)

Next Page > Precision Boost 2, Mobile XFR, Synergistic Power Rail Sharing

 

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Precision Boost 2

The AMD Ryzen Mobile APU introduces a new Precision Boost 2 algorithm that is part of the new AMD SenseMI technology. Instead of switching between a simple 2-core and all-core boost option, it is designed to dynamically seek the maximum possible clock speed according to the current CPU temperature, current and load.

It is also now able to change frequencies in very fine granularity of just 25 MHz. This allows for a smoother boost curve, and better boost clocks for different kinds of loads on-the-fly.

 

Mobile XFR (mXFR)

Mobile XFR (eXtended Frequency Range) is the automatic overclocking feature that boosts the processor voltage and clock speed beyond the Precision Boost clock speed. It leverages the temperature awareness of Precision Boost 2 to determine how much faster it can overclock.

Like the desktop XFR feature, it is highly dependent on the processor temperature, so a good cooling solution is necessary. Notebooks must have coolers that meet AMD’s performance criteria if they want to offer mXFR.

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Synergistic Power Rail Sharing

The new AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs have a unified VDD power rail with digital low-dropout (LDO) regulators. This synergistic power rail sharing allows the maximum current requirements to be reduced by 36%.

They also have multiple digital LDO regions for the CPU cores, graphics core and subregions. This allows those regions to be completely turned off when they are idle, greatly saving power.

The shared voltage regulators not only reduce the total current draw, it allows the Ryzen Mobile APU to gain a higher peak CPU and GPU current to boost performance.

Next Page > Per-Core Control, Enhanced Gate States, Power Gating & Faster Gate Exit

 

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Per-Core Frequency & Voltage

Thanks to its fine-grained integrated voltage regulation, the AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs can dynamically adjust the frequency and voltage for each core. As each processing thread has different compute requirements, this allows the Ryzen Mobile to push power to the cores that require more performance on-the-fly.

This capability is not restricted to the CPU cores. The AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs can trade power and current between the CPU and GPU as well!

 

Enhanced Gate States

The AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs feature enhanced gate states. The CPU cores can enter CC6 power gating individually, and the L3 cache power can be lowered when all four cores are in CC6 mode. The enhanced gate states also allow the Ryzen Mobile to power down up to 95% of the Radeon Vega graphics core.

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Dual Region Power Gating

The SoC elements of the AMD Ryzen Mobile APU are organised into two types of region. The Type A Region can remain gated during display refresh, while the Type B Region can become briefly active. This allows Type B regions to save more power during common battery life scenarios.

 

Faster Gate Exit

AMD designed the Ryzen Mobile APU to deliver 47% to 87% faster gate exits over the previous generation.

Next Page > How Fast Are The Ryzen Mobile & Radeon Vega Graphics?

 

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How Fast Is The Ryzen Mobile CPU?

AMD shared the following performance results of the Ryzen Mobile CPU.

In this comparison, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is 8% faster than the Intel Core i7-8550U, and 10% faster than the Core i7-7500U in the single-core test.

When all four cores were enabled, the Ryzen 7 2700U was 44% faster than the Intel Core i7-8550U, and 2.2X faster than the Core i7-7500U!

Here are some additional benchmark results of the new AMD Ryzen 7 2700U and Ryzen 5 2500U APUs against the Intel Core i7-8550U and the previous-generation AMD FX-9800P APU.

 

Desktop-Class Performance

With the greatly-increased performance of the new Ryzen 7 2700U APU, AMD points out that it is slightly (7%) faster than the Intel Core i5-7600K – a quad-core desktop processor with 6X higher TDP!

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How Fast Is Radeon Vega Graphics?

With just ten or eight Compute Units, the Radeon Vega GPU embedded into the Ryzen Mobile has nowhere near the performance of the Radeon RX Vega 64 or Vega 56 desktop graphics cards. However, they are still much faster than the mobile GPUs that both AMD and Intel have ever introduced in a mobile processor.

In the 3DMark Time Spy DirectX 12 test, the Ryzen 7 2700U with its 10 Compute Units was able to slightly beat the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M discrete graphics. That makes it about 2.5X faster than Intel HD Graphics.

What this means is the Radeon Vega Graphics in the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is fast enough to deliver playable frame rates at 1080p resolution for most games.

Next Page > Battery Life, Thinner Profile, Performance Summary & Conclusion

 

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Better Battery Life

As pointed out earlier, AMD claims that the Ryzen Mobile APUs will deliver 58% lower power consumption, compared to the 7th Generation AMD APUs. Their benchmark results show battery life improvements from 15% to 104%.

 

Thinner Profile

The AMD Ryzen Mobile is designed for ultra-thin notebooks. The AMD Ryzen Mobile APU itself will have a 24% thinner Max Z-Height. That may not mean a lot, but when it comes to mobile devices, every millimetre counts.

 

Performance Summary

Here is a spider chart that neatly summarises the performance advantage of the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U over the Intel Core i7-8550U.

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Conclusion

There is no doubt that the AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs are AMD’s most advanced mobile processor. This isn’t hyperbole. It’s a fact that is backed by what we have seen with their Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 desktop processors, as well as their Radeon RX Vega desktop graphics cards.

Finally, after many years of producing mobile APUs with lacklustre performance and high power consumption, AMD may finally have a thoroughbred in the Ryzen Mobile. We can’t wait to see the ultra-thin notebooks that will use these new APUs!

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