AMD Cezanne in the CPU test: Ryzen 5 5600G and Ryzen 7 5700G against Intel Core

AMD is partially rediscovering the love for the CPU-GPU combination processors in the desktop. Rightly so, as the two top models Ryzen 5 5600G and Ryzen 7 5700G show in the test, which thanks to Zen 3 are very strong in the CPU area and with the iGPU also sweep Intel's Xe architecture from the place – FSR support included.

Table of contents

1 Ryzen 5 5600G and Ryzen 7 5700G against Intel Core
1. Ryzen 5000G “Cezanne” for desktop PCs
2. The desktop CPU uses the notebook chip
3. Cezanne fills gaps in the Vermeer portfolio
2 Benchmarks in applications and games with RTX 3080
1. This is how ComputerBase tests
2. Tests in multi-core applications
3. Tests in single-core applications
4. Tests in games with RTX 3080 in three resolutions
3 Power consumption, efficiency, temperature and overclocking
1. Power consumption and temperature in applications
2. Power consumption in games
3. Overclocking of RAM, CPU and iGPU possible
4 Conclusion and recommendation

Ryzen 5000G “Cezanne” for desktop PCs

Two new Ryzen 5000s for the desktop significantly expand AMD's portfolio for end customers in one fell swoop. So far, as is well known, there have only been four solutions for them in the components business (5950X, 5900X, 5800X and 5600X), but the OEM segment was already able to fall back on the Ryzen 5000G APUs. AMD Ryzen 5700G and Ryzen 5 5600G are now explicitly intended for the retail market, which is why the manufacturer's sampling is also extensive in advance. This was not the case with the predecessor, an APU based on the Ryzen 4000. It was only intended for dealers and OEMs, which is why the real predecessor today is actually the AMD Ryzen 5 3400G.

This part of the two-part article series primarily deals with the processor performance of the new APUs. How the new models stand in relation to other AMD Ryzen 5000 and Intel Core is examined both in applications and games with discrete graphics cards. The second part, published in parallel, is devoted to the integrated graphics, which says: AMD Vega versus Intel Xe as well as small, discrete solutions.

The desktop -CPU uses the notebook chip

Cezanne in the desktop is a Cezanne from the notebook. It is exactly the same chip, around 180 mm² in size, with all the technical properties that are hidden in the 10.7 billion transistors. The 7 nm production from TSMC accommodates eight Zen 3 cores in the small package, the Vega graphics unit can be found in the middle and has 8 CUs (Vega8). This means that AMD remains below what has already existed before: An AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (test) already had a Vega11 graphics solution. The manufacturer wants to more than compensate for this again with a higher cycle and further optimizations. But it doesn't always get that far, as the test shows.

Cezanne fills gaps in the Vermeer portfolio

< p class = "p text-width">The demand for APUs has always been there, explains AMD. Here and now, the company is rediscovering its love for the APU with statements such as “a processor for everyone”. Interestingly, however, AMD does not place any APUs in the real entry-level segment of less than 200 euros, where solutions have hardly been available for weeks and months. And even today there are only two large models – the smallest is not available for free trade for the time being. The new APUs from the Cezanne series fill the gaps that Vermeer undoubtedly has. A 65-watt processor that has always been hoped for, such as a fictional Ryzen 7 5700X as the successor to the popular 3700X, will no longer come. The new Ryzen 7 5700G does this job. And in the Ryzen 5 family, the 5600G will take over this part as the smallest six-core. The manufacturer explains that the price should also match.

On the technical side, the game of the previous year is ultimately repeated. At the time, Matisse were the CPUs and Renoir the APUs. It turned out that the APUs in CPU scenarios not only came very close to the CPUs, but were basically the same speed – despite smaller L3 caches and minimal clock deviations. Something similar can also be expected this year, which is why AMD's approach to filling the gap is easy to understand: You don't need two solutions in the same place. There are simply too many bottlenecks in semiconductor manufacturing at the moment for that.

When it comes to integrated graphics, AMD promises the same as in the notebook. Since there are no changes for the desktop here either, the difference in this environment will once again be rather small. Vega has been around here for years. The clock rate or sometimes the number of CUs always changes slightly, but the bottom line is that the performance remains the same. That is enough in games, however, because the opponent is now called Intel Rocket Lake with new Xe graphics, but even there only in the smallest version with a third of the maximum configuration of shader units of the notebook SKUs. According to AMD, this should therefore be enough for a victory of your own product in all cases, at least according to your own measurements. ComputerBase probes these statements in a second article. What the APUs lack: AV1 acceleration.

Model overview of the retail desktop SKUs Ryzen 5000

Two models complement four existing Ryzen 5000s. This is clearly visible in the overview, but differences can also be recognized. The clock rates of Cezanne are lower, the L3 cache is only half as big. In the end, all of this will help ensure that the pure CPUs are in the front. The only question is: How clear?

Vermeer and Cezanne in the DIY desktop: Specifications in comparison Model Codename Cores/Threads Clock Base/Turbo L3 Graphics TDP MSRP price (market launch) Ryzen 9 5950X Vermeer 16/32 3.4/4.9 GHz 64 MB – 105 W 799 Euro Ryzen 9 5900X Vermeer 12/24 3.7/4.8 GHz 64 MB – 105 W 549 Euro Ryzen 7 5800X Vermeer 8/16 3.8/4.7 GHz 32 MB – 105 W 449 Euro Ryzen 7 5700G Cezanne 8/16 3.8/4.6 GHz 16 MB Vega8 with 2.0 GHz 65 W 359 USD Ryzen 5 5600X Vermeer 6/12 3.7/4.6 GHz 32 MB – 65 W 299 Euro Ryzen 5 5600G Cezanne 6/12 3.9/4.4 GHz 16 MB Vega7 with 1.9 GHz 65 W 259 USD

Also in the luggage the possibility of overclocking the APUs in both the processor and the graphics part. The 65 watt 8-core model further optimized by means of PBO and combined with fast storage could quickly turn out to be a very interesting solution, provided it is available close to or, in the best case, even below the RRP.

Exactly the price should tip the scales: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is available well below the RRP of 449 euros from 374 euros (best price *). The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, on the other hand, is much closer to its RRP, costs from 259 euros (best price *). Long-term prices of 300 and 200 euros respectively would be desirable for the two APUs – then Intel would have an even more difficult position in this segment. The opponents here and now are the Intel Core i7-11700 (test) and Intel Core i5 optionally in the 11400 variants 11500 or 11600. Below that, AMD has almost completely given up the market and left Intel. Nothing has happened here for a long time and the availability of old models is very poor.

For mainboards with 400 and 500 chipsets

All Cezanne APUs in the desktop can run on the same boards that also support Vermeer. But be careful: X570 high-end solutions often lack the graphics output. If the iGPU is to be used, the best choice would be a B550 board, which combines good features with a low price. The larger chipset makes less sense anyway, because the Cezanne APUs do not offer PCI Express 4.0 in the desktop either, but only 3.0 as in the notebook – it's just the same chip.

When it came to the announcement, AMD initially only spoke of the 500 series. Today it is said that B450 boards, basically all 400 chipsets, are also supported. In the end, however, the mainboard manufacturer always decides how exactly and for which models to implement it. A BIOS with AGESA 1.2.0.3A/B is important for Ryzen 5000G. For booting with an already installed APU, AGESA 1.1.8.0 is a prerequisite, which must be available as a minimum for a subsequent BIOS update.

Depending on the manufacturer, this should be implemented more or less quickly. Many motherboard manufacturers are still in beta BIOS status even at the start. Even the four that are on AMD's list of boards mentioned for the reviews are among them. In this respect, a further set of BIOS updates can be expected in the coming weeks, especially since the first manufacturers are currently starting to deliver AGESA 1.2.0.3C. The AGESA update wave will continue this year.

(*) The links marked with an asterisk are affiliate links. In the case of an order via such a link, ComputerBase receives a share of the sales proceeds without increasing the price for the customer.

On the next page: Benchmarks in applications and games with RTX 3080