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Raven Ridge Explored
Author: Mike Jennings
Author: Mike Jennings
It’s been a busy year for AMD. The red team unleashed its mainstream Zen processors to huge critical acclaim, and then took the high-end with its multi-core Threadripper chips. Now it’s time for cheaper chips to make their debut. Raven Ridge is here, and it’s the first time we’ve seen AMD’s latest architecture inside an APU.
That’s exciting, because AMD’s APUs take a radically different approach when compared with conventional processors. These chips cram Zen processors cores and proper Vega graphics into the same bit of silicon – so they’re a tempting alternative for gamers on a budget.
the apus
amd has begun its raven ridge assault with two desktop processors. mobile models and lower-power versions will follow later this year and in 2018.
the range-topping raven ridge part is the Ryzen 5 2400G. It’s a quad-core chip with simultaneous multi-threading, which means it can address eight threads at once, just like many of AMD’s conventional Ryzen 5 processors. The 2400G runs those cores at a base speed of 3.6GHz with a Boost peak of 3.9GHz, which is certainly competitive with the rest of the Ryzen range.
This top-end Raven Ridge chips pairs its Zen cores with a Vega 11 graphics core. It uses AMD’s latest graphics architecture, which means improvements in every key area. The Vega 11 chip inside the 2400G has 11 cores and 704 stream processors, and it’s clocked to 1,250MHz. That’s better speed and more stream processors than some of last year’s more modest discrete parts, like the Radeon RX 540 and RX 550.
Of course, Raven Ridge crams a whole lot of technology into a small space, so there are compromises too. There’s less cache in these chips than in the full-fat desktop processors,
Neither of these new parts are too expensive. The Ryzen 5 2400G comes in at £149.99 – a handful of pounds more than the Ryzen 5 1500X, and cheaper than Intel’s Core i5-8400 and the Core i3-8350K.
The second Raven Ridge part is the Ryzen 3 2200G, which costs just £89.99. The lower price means a reduced specification. It’s still got four cores, for instance, but they don’t have multi-threading. The base and boost clock speeds of 3.5GHz and 3.7GHz are also a little lower.
The 2200G is packaged with a Vega 8 graphics chipset. As the name suggests, it’s got eight graphics cores, and 512 stream processors. It’s also clocked to 1,100MHz – a little lower than the Vega 11 core in the 2400G.
Step away from the processor cores and graphics chips, and there are other Raven Ridge attributes that deserve a bit of attention.
The new chips still support DDR4, and AMD’s native support is for 2,933MHz memory – a little quicker than AMD’s first generation of Ryzen processors. Memory speed is crucial in Raven Ridge, because that system memory is now used for the CPU and the graphics core – the latter portion doesn’t have any of its dedicated memory.
Raven Ridge chips do have fewer PCI lanes than AMD’s full CPUs. That won’t be an issue for most people, though – it’s not as if those PCI lanes are needed for a discrete graphics card.
Impressively, these new chips use the same AM4 socket that AMD uses for the rest of its Ryzen parts. That solid compatibility means that the market is already crammed with motherboards that are ready for Raven Ridge in every possible form factor and price – they’ll only need a BIOS update to work.
It also means you’ll be able to re-use existing memory, coolers and storage with Raven Ridge chips. They’ve both got a modest TDP of 65W, which means that they’re efficient enough to use with low-profile cooling gear and in small form-factor PCs – perfect for compact, quiet gaming and media PCs.
What to Expect
AMD intends its Raven Ridge parts to tackle casual gaming, esports titles and most common computing tasks – Office applications, web browsing and streaming music and media.
The Raven Ridge benchmarks that have emerged certainly support this theory. The 2400G with the Vega 11 chipset scores just over 3,200 points in 3D Mark’s Fire Strike test, with the 2200G weighing in with about 2,600 points. Both of those results are better than the Radeon RX 550.
That translates to solid results in real-world games. The 2400G rose beyond 30fps in Rocket League when run at High settings, and the 2200G wasn’t far behind – a few tweaks to the graphics settings will get the space football title running smoothly.
Both chips handled World of Warcraft smoothly at solid resolutions, and both parts even managed to play top games like Rise of the Tomb Raider, albeit at medium quality and 720p.
If you play games like Rocket League, DOTA 2, CS:GO, Overwatch and League of Legends, then you won’t have any problems with Raven Ridge – the most you’ll have to do is tweak some settings to get those titles running smoothly.
Switch over to applications, and the 2400G matches the Ryzen 5 1500X in many tests – no surprise when both chips have similar speeds and core allocations. The 2200G is a little slower – on par with AMD’s Ryzen 3 1300X processor.
That’s ample for less demanding games, web browsing and office tools – exactly the kinds of software that Raven Ridge is designed to tackle.
AMD’s Raven Ridge chips are capable in applications, handy with games and affordable, then – and Overclockers UK has the perfect PC to deploy the red team’s latest hardware.
Our Kinetic R1 PC starts from just £439.99, and it unleashes every bit of power that comes from Raven Ridge chips. And that’s not all – the rest of the rig complements these new components.
We’ve kitted the Kinetic out with an AMD A320 chipset motherboard to support the CPU with every feature it’ll need, and 8GB of 2,666MHz memory is ample for powering through games and applications.
The Kinetic comes with a capacious 1TB hard disk, Windows 10 is included, and the APU is chilled by the new version of AMD’s Wraith Stealth cooler.
Of course, the latest Overclockers UK rig is covered with customisation, too. The Kinetic R1 can be purchased with either the Ryzen 3 2200G or Ryzen 5 2400G, and the memory can be doubled to 16GB. SSDs and larger hard disks can be added to the specification, and wireless networking can be slotted into the motherboard. And then there’s the case: the Kinetic comes with a stunning Kolink Aviator chassis, but we’ve also got micro-ATX cube enclosures and big-brand BitFenix kit to choose from if you fancy something else.
No matter the specification you choose, your new PC will be protected by the Overclockers UK warranty: three years of coverage that includes free labour and a collect-and-return service.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to like about Raven Ridge. AMD’s two new chips combine the Zen and Vega architectures to deliver impressive CPU performance and enough graphical grunt to handle the world’s biggest esports titles – and a bit more besides.
And, of course, Overclockers UK machine serves up Raven Ridge inside a tempting, versatile and affordable package. If you want a gaming PC that won’t break the bank and includes plenty of room to grow, then look no further.
Avaliable at OverclockersUK from £89.99
Author: Mike Jennings
(If you're interested in more of this kind of content on the forums, drop a comment below! Usually this gets posted to the 'blog' section of the website, but I thought perhaps if there was interest I'd start at thread on the forums to make it more visible.)
Avaliable at OverclockersUK from £89.99
Author: Mike Jennings
(If you're interested in more of this kind of content on the forums, drop a comment below! Usually this gets posted to the 'blog' section of the website, but I thought perhaps if there was interest I'd start at thread on the forums to make it more visible.)
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