AMD Raven Ridge Unboxing – Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G
AMD announced the desktop Raven Ridge APUs featuring Radeon RX Vega graphics at CES 2018 and now we are just days away from them hitting the market. On February 12th, 2018 you’ll be able to purchase the AMD Ryzen 3 2200G and Ryzen 5 2400G processors. In order to build some buzz around the new processors coming out, AMD is allowing sites to post unboxing content today. That means we can’t show you the benchmark numbers we have gotten for our full review that goes on-line next week, but we can show you what we are working with!
A somewhat large box arrived with the AMD Ryzen logo on it and in the upper right hand corner it said ‘processor with Radeon Vega Graphics’.
Once we opened the box you see the marketing slogan for Raven Ridge.
Ryzen Powers. Radeon Reigns. You Prevail.
High Performance Processing and Graphics. All On One Chip.
It also covered the basics of the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G (4-core/8-thread) processor and the AMD Ryzen 3 1200G (4-core) processor.
AMD Ryzen Desktop APUs:
| APU Name | AMD Ryzen 3 2200G | AMD Ryzen 5 2400G |
|---|---|---|
| Core Technology | 14nm Zen | 14nm Zen |
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 8 |
| Base Clock | 3.5 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost Clock | 3.7 GHz | 3.9 GHz |
| Cache | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| Memory Support | DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2933 |
| Graphics Chip | Vega 8 | Vega 11 |
| Graphics Cores | 512 SPs | 704 SPs |
| Graphics Clock | 1100 MHz | 1250 MHz |
| TDP | 65W (cTDP 45W) | 65W (cTDP 45W) |
| Platform Support | AM4 | AM4 |
| Price | $99.00 US | $169.00 US |
Under that cover we discovered the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G processor ($169.00 shipped), AMD Ryzen 3 2200G processor ($99.00 shipped), Gigabyte AB350N-Gaming WiFi motherboard ($99.99 shipped) and a G.Skill FlareX 16GB 3200MHz DDR4 dual-channel memory kit ($265.00 shipped).
Here is a closer look at the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G quad-core desktop processor with Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT). This is the flagship model that has a 3.6GHz base clock and a 3.9GHz max boost clock that is topped off with Radeon Vega graphics that has 11 Compute Units (CUs). AMD went with a single CCX configuration for these processors, so it will likely be a good overclocker. This processor is highly anticipated by gamers and enthusiasts as it should easily play most eSports titles.
It might also be a fan favorite in the cryptocurrency mining as this model has 8MB of cache and the CryptoNight algorithm uses 2MB of cache per core. This means the 2400G can mine on the four physical cores without issue. The Vega graphics with 11 CUs is rumored to perform comparable to the Radeon RX 550 that is selling for around $131.59 by itself. It won’t be a mining powerhouse, but it looks like something it could do very well. The lower cost AMD Ryzen 3 2200G won’t do as well mining as it has only 6MB of cache and 8 CUs.
Both the AMD Ryzen 3 2200G and Ryzen 5 2400G processors come bundled with the AMD Wraith Stealth CPU cooler.
Thermal paste is pre-applied to the bottom of the all aluminum base structure, so to install you just need to screw it down and plug in the 4-pin CPU fan header. The AMD Wraith Stealth is a no-frills HSF assembly that can handle these 65W TDP processors.
Installing the G.Skill FlareX AMD compatible DDR4 memory in our system was easy, but we noticed that the AMD logo on the Wraith Stealth cooler might cause installation issues for some. On our platform the logo interferes with the memory, so there was only one way the cooler could be installed. It’s really not a big deal as there are no heatpipes that you need to be aware of for orientation concerns.
We’ll have all the in-depth numbers for you to look at next week and we hope this new platform is as exciting to you as it is to us!
