The AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Review: Vega Barrels Into Budget Gaming

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Civilization VI & Dota 2

Civilization VI AI Test

Civilization's AI test measures performance in a turn-based strategy game.

Ryzen 3 2200G readily competes against the Pentium G4620 at stock settings, but fares quite a bit better after some tuning, again emphasizing the advantage of AMD's unlocked multipliers. The tuned Ryzen 3 2200G even beats Core i3-8100, a 20%-pricier processor.

The stock Ryzen 3 2200G also towers over Core i5-8400 and its UHD Graphics 630 engine, along with AMD's A10-9700.

Civilization VI Graphics Test

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The Ryzen 3 2200G plays Civilization VI well enough at 720p, but does trail its modern competition. Although a Pentium G4620 and GeForce GT 1030 beat the chip at its stock settings, a bit of overclocking propels Ryzen 3 into a second-place finish.

Our results at 1080p similarly show the 2200G starting from the bottom (close to much more expensive CPUs bound by graphics bottlenecks), then landing second-from-the-top after tuning.

Dota 2

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Dota 2 was one of the first games to receive a patch with Zen-specific optimizations. Nevertheless, it's still a challenge for both Raven Ridge-based processors. Even overclocking isn't enough to surpass the Intel competition with Nvidia graphics at 720p. Fortunately for AMD, we achieve smooth average frame rates.

Performance falls off sharply at 1080p. Not even overclocking can save us from some hitching and stuttering in our frame time graphs. We'd recommend dropping the detail preset to Low to smooth out gameplay at this resolution.

MORE: Best Cheap CPUs

MORE: Intel & AMD Processor Hierarchy

MORE: All CPUs Content

AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
$84.99Walmart

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Summary
  1. Ryzen 3 2200G: Zen And Vega On The Cheap
  2. Overclocking & Test Setup
  3. 3DMark & Battlefield 1
  4. Civilization VI & Dota 2
  5. Far Cry Primal, Grand Theft Auto & The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  6. Office & Productivity
  7. Rendering, Encoding & Compression
  8. Final Analysis
About the author
Paul Alcorn

Paul Alcorn is a Senior Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He writes news and reviews on CPUs, storage and enterprise hardware.

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26 comments
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  • wh3resmycar
    add mid/high 30 fps target for FC and witcher 3 and see if it can hold its own against a ps4. that would make more sense instead of playing it at 60 fps - low.
  • salgado18
    "In the end, there's no way we'd recommend a Pentium's two physical cores over Ryzen 3 2200G's four. And the dead-end Z270 chipset does little to help Intel's case. Coffee Lake-based Pentium processors can't get here fast enough. Even then, though, it's a safe bet they won't arrive with on-die graphics capable of battling AMD's Radeon Vega."

    There, so you guys stop saying the G4560 is better.
  • drinkingcola86
    Did you run these processors with the standard bios or did you change the limit of the video side of it to 2 gig from the 512meg that it is defaulted to?
  • Shumok
    I would like to see the APU's tested with 1080ti's to see how they hold up when the user upgrades to discrete eventually.
  • nate1492
    120171 said:
    "In the end, there's no way we'd recommend a Pentium's two physical cores over Ryzen 3 2200G's four. And the dead-end Z270 chipset does little to help Intel's case. Coffee Lake-based Pentium processors can't get here fast enough. Even then, though, it's a safe bet they won't arrive with on-die graphics capable of battling AMD's Radeon Vega." There, so you guys stop saying the G4560 is better.


    Would you really suggest the Ryzen 3 2200g or the Ryzen 5 2400g to someone over a G4560 and a 1050 (200 quid!)? Heck, take the AMD 1200 and the 1050, doesn't matter, I couldn't suggest gaming at low 720p to anyone, we are talking 90 quid, 140 quid, or 200 quid here. If you can't pony up 200 quid, just wait longer.

    And at this price point, who is even considering upgrading CPUs in short order?
  • logainofhades
    985697 said:
    Would you really suggest the Ryzen 3 2200g or the Ryzen 5 2400g to someone over a G4560 and a 1050 (200 quid!)? Heck, take the AMD 1200 and the 1050, doesn't matter, I couldn't suggest gaming at low 720p to anyone, we are talking 90 quid, 140 quid, or 200 quid here. If you can't pony up 200 quid, just wait longer. And at this price point, who is even considering upgrading CPUs in short order?



    US pricing is far different apparently. The cheapest 1050, on pcpartpicker, is $154.98.

    The G4560 is a great chip, but is on a dead platform, and hyperthreading can only do so much.

    @$99, the 2200g gets you in the door, for low budget gaming, and has enough horsepower to handle a midrange graphics card, once GPU prices get back to normal. Ram price difference isn't much different between the slower and higher clocked models, 3200 and lower. Also you have ability to go up to a higher cored Ryzen 5 or 7, if the need arises. Also current AM4 boards are supposed to be compatible with Ryzen II, with a bios update. With the Pentium G, you are stuck with a 7700k at best, and most likely will have a board that cannot even overclock it. A decently priced B350, on the other hand, can overclock.

    AMD has the low end locked in, for now. Once coffee lake Pentiums and we get non Z chipset boards, the tables will probably turn, to some degree. That is the beauty of competition though, and that is a good thing.
  • BulkZerker
    "Then again, we don't expect anyone to run a multi-GPU config on an entry-level platform."

    Cryptomining enthusiasts non-withstanding
  • ghettogamer
    not an xbox one killer , but you can build a mini itx & get into pc gaming with this cpu for almost the same price albeit at 720p custom medium-low settings. This cpu is probably the power plant of the future ps5/xbox2, great for console fans!
  • AlistairAB
    985697 said:
    120171 said:
    "In the end, there's no way we'd recommend a Pentium's two physical cores over Ryzen 3 2200G's four. And the dead-end Z270 chipset does little to help Intel's case. Coffee Lake-based Pentium processors can't get here fast enough. Even then, though, it's a safe bet they won't arrive with on-die graphics capable of battling AMD's Radeon Vega." There, so you guys stop saying the G4560 is better.
    Would you really suggest the Ryzen 3 2200g or the Ryzen 5 2400g to someone over a G4560 and a 1050 (200 quid!)? Heck, take the AMD 1200 and the 1050, doesn't matter, I couldn't suggest gaming at low 720p to anyone, we are talking 90 quid, 140 quid, or 200 quid here. If you can't pony up 200 quid, just wait longer. And at this price point, who is even considering upgrading CPUs in short order?
  • AlistairAB
    985697 said:
    120171 said:
    "In the end, there's no way we'd recommend a Pentium's two physical cores over Ryzen 3 2200G's four. And the dead-end Z270 chipset does little to help Intel's case. Coffee Lake-based Pentium processors can't get here fast enough. Even then, though, it's a safe bet they won't arrive with on-die graphics capable of battling AMD's Radeon Vega." There, so you guys stop saying the G4560 is better.
    Would you really suggest the Ryzen 3 2200g or the Ryzen 5 2400g to someone over a G4560 and a 1050 (200 quid!)? Heck, take the AMD 1200 and the 1050, doesn't matter, I couldn't suggest gaming at low 720p to anyone, we are talking 90 quid, 140 quid, or 200 quid here. If you can't pony up 200 quid, just wait longer. And at this price point, who is even considering upgrading CPUs in short order?


    The 2400G is 10 (single core) to 120 (multicore) percent faster as a CPU after a mild OC. It costs $275 for a G4560 and a GTX 1050 in Canada, much more than $210 for the Ryzen 2400G, which almost has GTX 1050 level graphics as it easily outperforms the gt 1030.

    As for the 2200G, an extra $30 gets you a modern motherboard platform, a better cooler, more multi core performance, and easy upgrade-ability. Kind of funny criticizing it's lack of 1080p chops, when everything works perfectly at 900p. (Can't even play Overwatch at 360p properly with Intel integrated graphics).
  • salgado18
    985697 said:
    120171 said:
    "In the end, there's no way we'd recommend a Pentium's two physical cores over Ryzen 3 2200G's four. And the dead-end Z270 chipset does little to help Intel's case. Coffee Lake-based Pentium processors can't get here fast enough. Even then, though, it's a safe bet they won't arrive with on-die graphics capable of battling AMD's Radeon Vega." There, so you guys stop saying the G4560 is better.
    Would you really suggest the Ryzen 3 2200g or the Ryzen 5 2400g to someone over a G4560 and a 1050 (200 quid!)? Heck, take the AMD 1200 and the 1050, doesn't matter, I couldn't suggest gaming at low 720p to anyone, we are talking 90 quid, 140 quid, or 200 quid here. If you can't pony up 200 quid, just wait longer. And at this price point, who is even considering upgrading CPUs in short order?


    You are comparing $100 to $240. Maybe that's pocket change for you, but for many of us $100 is all we can get for CPU+GPU. Instead of buying a stupid i3 for the house computer, and try to run any game in it (and fail), we can get that same "i3" (also overclockable)(also has cheap mobos) with a 1030, without paying for the 1030.

    Unless you believe nothing exists below the 1050. In that case, you definitely are in the wrong review.
  • nate1492
    59887 said:
    985697 said:
    Would you really suggest the Ryzen 3 2200g or the Ryzen 5 2400g to someone over a G4560 and a 1050 (200 quid!)? Heck, take the AMD 1200 and the 1050, doesn't matter, I couldn't suggest gaming at low 720p to anyone, we are talking 90 quid, 140 quid, or 200 quid here. If you can't pony up 200 quid, just wait longer. And at this price point, who is even considering upgrading CPUs in short order?
    US pricing is far different apparently. The cheapest 1050, on pcpartpicker, is $154.98. The G4560 is a great chip, but is on a dead platform, and hyperthreading can only do so much. @$99, the 2200g gets you in the door, for low budget gaming, and has enough horsepower to handle a midrange graphics card, once GPU prices get back to normal. Ram price difference isn't much different between the slower and higher clocked models, 3200 and lower. Also you have ability to go up to a higher cored Ryzen 5 or 7, if the need arises. Also current AM4 boards are supposed to be compatible with Ryzen II, with a bios update. With the Pentium G, you are stuck with a 7700k at best, and most likely will have a board that cannot even overclock it. A decently priced B350, on the other hand, can overclock. AMD has the low end locked in, for now. Once coffee lake Pentiums and we get non Z chipset boards, the tables will probably turn, to some degree. That is the beauty of competition though, and that is a good thing.


    Just stop with the 'dead platform' garbage.

    If we are talking EXTREME budget rigs, you don't consider 'buying a new CPU in 1 years time'.

    Heck, even if you did, what's stopping you from picking up a cheap 7600k in 'a few years time'.

    This garbage about 'AM4 working till 2020' is just that, They released Raven Ridge and it already requires a bios update, but who's going to go from 'extreme budget' to 'top of line next generation'?

    720p gaming is horendous and I wouldn't suggest it to anyone. I'd tell them if they are looking for a gaming PC, they are better off saving up $100 more and getting as described.

    If your point is 'This will run games from 15 years ago fine' then totally nailed it. You can play them, at low graphical settings, at 720p, easily.

    Yes, there may be a selling point to someone, but I just don't see it. And enough with the 'oh but some poor person blah blah'. If you want a cheap gaming kit, get a raspberry pi for $20 and stick some games on it while you save a few more dollars and get an entry level budget rig for $400.
  • gwardion74
    Hey Nate, some people are smart enough to plan for an upgrade path instead of a plan of yearly obsolescence. Some people realize prices change quite a bit and new things get released regularly. Some people even plan paths to hand down gear to other users and this is a very effective way to do so. You might love consoles, emachines and dells because all you can do is pay for a lump sum premade machine, but we aren't all so woefully ignorant and willing to throw away our cash.
  • megamanxtreme
    Far Cry 3 is very good looking, and seeing online videos of the GT 1030, it was able to 1080p max out, but high 20s - 40s. 2012 game, but it looks so good, and to pass that kind of power to a RY Zen 5 2400G is just breath-taking. Sure, 2012 is 6 years ago, but compare that to a an Intel integrated graphics solution... Even then, despite being anti-Intel, Intel has really improved over the years. Okay, people just want an Accelerated Processing Unit to come and just max out every single game out there 1080p at 60 frames per second, and I understand that that is expected, but it is too much wishful thinking at current moments, unless you think about the G series from Intel but that very expensive. Then again, the Iris Pro graphics were decent and powerful, but again the price(and don't get me started with the drivers, artifacts in games, etc).


    I agree on people laying off the "Dead Platform," since users still praise the Sandy Bridge architecture for its performance. If I were to even consider Intel, it would be the i5-8400 for my next 4 - 5 years for gaming, then upgrade to something else.

    And right about handing down my computer to my brother when I get a new one, so that his old computer(that I gave him 5 years ago) is handed down to the youngest brother.
  • RebootEDC
    This ryzen is still a whoopy 50% faster than my good'n'old HD5750. And it's only 99 bucks.
  • themadorange
    @NateDawg,

    "This garbage about 'AM4 working till 2020' is just that, They released Raven Ridge and it already requires a bios update, but who's going to go from 'extreme budget' to 'top of line next generation'?"

    Seriously, a BIOS update is considering a flaw???? LOL!!! Good one!

    Yeah, a BIOS update that takes 30 seconds to download on broadband Internet so that you can use a CPU in a motherboard that's over a year old is a joke, right?

    "If your point is 'This will run games from 15 years ago fine' then totally nailed it. You can play them, at low graphical settings, at 720p, easily."

    None of the games tested in the article were 15 years old. So, no, that wasn't the point. The point is that this processor is the 'best bang for the buck' for the market that it targets. It crushes the stock Core i3-8100 with UHD 630 Graphics. That's the point.

    "Yes, there may be a selling point to someone, but I just don't see it. And enough with the 'oh but some poor person blah blah'. If you want a cheap gaming kit, get a raspberry pi for $20 and stick some games on it while you save a few more dollars and get an entry level budget rig for $400."

    Please list all the parts with new prices that show you can build an Intel based system that beats the new Ryzen processors for $400.00.
  • Martell1977
    It's a shame they didn't include a RX 550 in the test mix. See how it stacks up.
  • tonyvstraten
    A bit unfair to test it with a ram kit that cost $220 at least. You need to buy a 2x8gb 3200mhz CL14 kit (samsung b-die) to reliably get 3200mhz.

    How realistic is that with a $99 cpu?

    all the cheaper ram kits have hynix/micron/samsung D/E-dies that don't guarantee to be able to run at 3200mhz, let alone are impossible to run with those timings at those speeds.

    Please test with cheap 2x4gb (2400/3200) for compatibility and performance
  • Nintendork
    Ram is expensive no matter how cheap you want to get.Many games struggle with 8GB of ram (and the igpu will take 1-2GB of it). 16GB will keep you company till 2020 and to any other Ryzen 1000 /Ryzen+ 2000 /Ryzen 3000 / Ryzen 4000 CPU/APU's someone wants to upgrade to.
  • Co BIY
    But can it mine ?

    If it is as good as an RX 550 which is selling at around $160 then maybe the miners will chase these around too.
  • Co BIY
    Intel needs to get the H/B 370 series boards out quick to stay competitive.

    Right now they seem barely relevant in the mid range and are no where at this budget end.
  • nate1492
    2662798 said:
    @NateDawg, "This garbage about 'AM4 working till 2020' is just that, They released Raven Ridge and it already requires a bios update, but who's going to go from 'extreme budget' to 'top of line next generation'?" Seriously, a BIOS update is considering a flaw???? LOL!!! Good one! Yeah, a BIOS update that takes 30 seconds to download on broadband Internet so that you can use a CPU in a motherboard that's over a year old is a joke, right? "If your point is 'This will run games from 15 years ago fine' then totally nailed it. You can play them, at low graphical settings, at 720p, easily." None of the games tested in the article were 15 years old. So, no, that wasn't the point. The point is that this processor is the 'best bang for the buck' for the market that it targets. It crushes the stock Core i3-8100 with UHD 630 Graphics. That's the point. "Yes, there may be a selling point to someone, but I just don't see it. And enough with the 'oh but some poor person blah blah'. If you want a cheap gaming kit, get a raspberry pi for $20 and stick some games on it while you save a few more dollars and get an entry level budget rig for $400." Please list all the parts with new prices that show you can build an Intel based system that beats the new Ryzen processors for $400.00.


    https://pcpartpicker.com/b/MyFtt6

    There are tons of sub $400 options that beat the pants off this CPU. Just combine Ryzen 1200/G4560 with 1050 or 1050ti (or a used 970 that is sub 140) and you have a great rig. This one even has an SSD put into it.
  • nate1492
    2662230 said:
    Hey Nate, some people are smart enough to plan for an upgrade path instead of a plan of yearly obsolescence. Some people realize prices change quite a bit and new things get released regularly. Some people even plan paths to hand down gear to other users and this is a very effective way to do so. You might love consoles, emachines and dells because all you can do is pay for a lump sum premade machine, but we aren't all so woefully ignorant and willing to throw away our cash.


    Buying multiple CPUs on the same motherboard, with a planned replacement, is not a good 'plan'.

    Trying to pretend that someone buying the AMD Raven Ridge is looking to swap it for a new CPU in less than 2 years time, and to claim their upgrade path is better, at the budget level for motherboards, is naive. We've already seen some budget motherboards not support Raven Ridge, with most having a bios update option.

    This APU just seems like a waste for gaming (note, the article is 'budget gaming' not 'budget computing' so let's not mistake this conversation with 'this is a cheap PC).

    I'm happy to entertain the chip *on it's own* versus the options, as right now the price is fairly good right now, but to carry on with the elephant in the room, 'you must play games at 720p, lowest settings' to get anywhere near 60 fps... And 1080p lowest settings to even be near 30 fps is crazy talk to me.

    Stick a 1050ti with this chip and you're on an ok starting setup. But the APU is not good, they have not brought the APU out of the dark ages yet.
  • Darkbreeze
    And now, if you don't have a current Ryzen chip, because if you did you probably have a graphics card too and don't need one with integrated graphics, and have no way to update the bios on any board you might get because it doesn't support these new CPUs, there is another option. Courtesy of AMD.

    https://www.extremetech.com/computing/264097-amd-shipping-free-processors-customers-address-apu-firmware-update-issue
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