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Test Notes
All third-gen Ryzen entries with "PBO" indicate an auto-overclocked configuration with DDR4-3600 memory, while the Ryzen 5 3400G has an 4.2 GHz all-core overclock paired with DDR4-3466 memory and a 1700 MHz graphics clock. Intel's overclocked configurations use DDR4-3600.
We tested the integrated graphics engine at 1080p and 720p gaming, along with putting the chips through our standardized suite of discrete GPU testing. It should go without saying, but the integrated graphics testing is far more impactful for this class of processor. We only included the Core i3-9100 in our integrated graphics testing, but rest assured: You can expect similar performance from other Intel chips that come with the same UHD Graphics 630 engine.
Civilization VI Graphics Test
Civilization VI benefits from higher clock rates and per-core performance when you're using a discrete graphics card, but the faster clocks do little for Intel's Core i3-9100 due to its underwhelming UHD 630 graphics engine. Here we see the i3-9100 trail far behind the other processors in both 1920x1080 and 1280x720 resolutions.
The Ryzen 5 3400G dishes out solid performance at stock settings, and the $99 Ryzen 3 3200G is also surprisingly agile given its lesser allotment of 8 CUs.
Dota 2
We tested Dota 2 with the 'best-looking' preset at both 1080p and 720p resolutions, and the Ryzen 5 3400G easily took the crown with a smooth gaming experience. The Core i3-9100 delivered unplayable performance at a 1080p resolution, but its 34 fps looks passable in the 720p tests. However, we encountered regular hitching during our test sequence, while the Ryzen APUs soldiered on with smooth gaming performance.
Far Cry 5
Most people wouldn't expect to be able to play a newer title like Far Cry 5 on integrated graphics, but the Ryzen APUs handled the 720p round of tests quite well, albeit with dialed-back settings. Our 1080p sequence of tests weren't quite as impressive, but the game was playable after overclocking. You also have the room to step back to a lower quality preset to unlock a few more fps.
World of Tanks enCore
The World of Tanks Encore benchmark also runs surprisingly well on the Ryzen APUs, with frame rates easily passing 60 fps during the 1080p tests. Switching over to the lighter presets exposed several hundred fps of performance from the Ryzen processors and 100+ fps the Intel Core i3-9100, but an unexplained issue with our data charts prevented us from charting out those results. Meanwhile, the Core i3-9100 struggled once again at 1080p and fell into unplayable territory.
Discrete GPU Testing
Gaming with a discrete graphics card almost defeats the purpose of a chip of this class, but we did put the processors through our standardized game suite. You'll find those results below, which show the Ryzen 3000-series APUs trailing Intel's processors in most of the graphics-intensive benchmarks. Notably, the Ryzen 5 3400G trades blows with the Core i3-9100 in many tests, particularly after overclocking, but the former pulls out a few big leads. However, be aware that these deltas will shrink appreciably with the lower-cost gaming cards we'd expect to find in a budget gaming system.
VRMark and 3DMark
Civilization VI AI and Stockfish
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
Civilization VI Graphics Test
Dawn of War III
Far Cry 5
Final Fantasy XV
Hitman 2
Project Cars 2
World of Tanks enCore
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