The strongest integrated graphics APU can play games?

I recently watched the WeChat partner's video last week and noticed that Xiaobian has already obtained the latest APU testing platform. In fact, the Ryzen processor core used in the APU is already well-known for its performance, and it still brings a sense of confidence in terms of overall capability. What many users are more concerned about is the built-in graphics card: which games can it run? In response to these questions from some users, Xiao Bian doesn’t need to talk about benchmarks or scores. Instead, he decided to test the APU’s graphical performance directly with real games.

3D Online Games? APU Takes You to Fly

Xiao Bian categorizes 3D online games into three levels. First, games like League of Legends and Dota 2, which have been around for a while and are well-optimized, can achieve over 60fps at full HD resolution and maximum settings. The frame rate remains stable throughout, with no issues. Second, games such as Storm Hero, Watch Pioneer, and Tank World, which require higher 3D content, can reach at least 40fps at full HD resolution with medium quality. While this may not be sufficient for competitive e-sports, it's more than enough for casual gaming. If you want a higher frame rate, you can lower the image quality to get better performance.

Finally, for the most popular open-world FPS games, the APU's integrated graphics are a bit limited. Although it can reach over 40fps at 720p and low settings, the visual effects are significantly reduced, which affects the overall gaming experience. At full HD resolution, the frame rate drops below 40fps even when set to "very low" quality, making it unplayable. This shows that entry-level platforms aren't ideal for the hottest online games, which explains the recent PC upgrade trend.

Stand-alone Masterpieces? APU Can Still Fight

When it comes to stand-alone game masterpieces, many people don’t even consider using integrated graphics. Although the new generation of APUs can’t completely change this perception, they offer a much stronger performance than before. We also divided the stand-alone games into three categories. First, games like Rainbow Six: Siege, Call of Duty: WWII, Dust: Rally, and Killer 6, which use slightly older engines, can achieve over 40fps at full HD resolution with medium or even high settings.

Rainbow 6 full HD resolution, high quality test results

Next, games like Tomb Raider: Rise, Assassin’s Creed: Titan, and Far Cry 4, which require higher 3D performance, struggle to hit 40fps at full HD even with the lowest settings. However, at 720p resolution with medium quality, they can still provide a playable frame rate.

Tomb Raider 720P, medium quality test results

Lastly, newer graphics-intensive games like The Ashes of the Singularity completely exceed the capabilities of the APU's built-in GPU. Even at the lowest resolution (1280x1024) and lowest quality settings, the average frame rate is only around 30fps, often dropping below 10fps during intense gameplay, making it nearly unplayable.

In our tests, we found that compared to the Ryzen 5 2400G, the difference in 3D gaming performance between the Ryzen 3 2200G and the Ryzen 5 2400G is much smaller than what benchmark scores suggest. The actual frame rate difference is only around 10%, showing that their real-game performance is very similar.

Entry-level PCs, Boost Performance

To use a new-generation APU, especially its integrated graphics, there are certain requirements for peripheral components. For example, it's recommended to choose high-frequency, high-capacity dual-channel memory (for details, refer to previous articles). Interested users can check the following configuration guide.

When choosing a configuration, it's important to match the memory with the APU. The motherboard should have four memory slots for future expansion, and the memory frequency should ideally be above 3000 MHz. This mid-tier gaming system costs under 4,000 yuan. If you're not interested in standalone masterpieces, you can replace the CPU with the Ryzen 3 2200G and lower the memory requirements. This would bring the total cost down to around 3,000 yuan. Although this price is similar to basic entry-level systems, it offers office performance comparable to an Intel Core i3 and can run most mainstream online games at high settings.