Which integrated CPU

koolpc · 2026-01-19T12:52:24+0000

Which is the best integrated CPU these days?

I ask as I am thinking of building myself a small ITX PC (again, after several years) and no idea which to go for.

Only light gaming, but I have no need for a dedicated GPU (yet).

Are AMD the best these days? If so, which one.

I know components have shot up in price but I would still prefer to build my own PC. I did look at Geekom units but what if it goes faulty after a few years?

Build my own seems like the best route......

Tetras · 2026-01-19T13:02:59+0000

What do you want to use it for? By light gaming, can you describe that in more detail?

Are you open to using a mobile CPU, or definitely desktop?

koolpc · 2026-01-19T13:36:17+0000

GTA5, Tomb Raider, JC3...

No idea between mobile CPU and desktop...

koolpc · 2026-01-19T13:45:33+0000

Was looking at Geekom...

tamzzy · 2026-01-19T13:51:36+0000

Well, for desktop processors the best iGPU is still the Radeon 780M in the 8700G
The price isn't great though...

The 8600G is a lot better value, but it (only) has the 760M which is a good 10-15% slower than the 780M

tamzzy · 2026-01-19T13:58:26+0000

If you do go the mini-PC route then that opens up a better iGPU in the form of the Radeon 890M, which is again faster than the 780M

The spanner in the works, is if you want to wait for Intel to release their Arc B390 that has only been announced last week

Ready For Next-Gen Handheld Gaming: Intel Arc B390 "Panther Lake" iGPU Arrives

After much anticipation, Intel has finally unveiled its "Panther Lake" Core Ultra Series 3 mobile processors, built on the 18A node. This new mobile platform aims to maximize performance across various areas, with a significant focus on integrated Arc graphics. The "Panther Lake" features a new...

www.techpowerup.com

Vestas · 2026-01-19T14:09:54+0000

tamzzy said:
The spanner in the works, is if you want to wait for Intel to release their Arc B390 that has only been announced last week

DF did a good graphics review of Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 vs Core Ultra X9 388H vs Ryzen AI Max+ 395 recently - all at the same TDP.

The tl;dr is Strix Halo graphics performance is about 20-30% faster than Panther Lake which in turn is about twice as fast as Strix Point.

tamzzy · 2026-01-19T14:15:02+0000

Vestas said:
Ryzen AI Max+ 395 [snip] Strix Halo

that's in another tier of pricing lol

Vestas · 2026-01-19T14:32:58+0000

tamzzy said:
that's in another tier of pricing lol

Indeed but its an interesting* comparison given Strix Halo is the fastest iGPU for now. RDNA 3.5 is a big issue for future usage even though it looks like AMD are offering cheaper Strix Halo SKUs while keeping the 8060S graphics.

Frankly AMDs integrated graphics prior to Strix Halo are dated at best and as they're all RDNA 3 then its unlikely there's going to be any improvement via drivers. Some of Intel's current iGPUs (ie not Panther Lake) are probably a better bet given XeSS is a good deal more backwards compatible than anything AMD offer.

*I found it interesting as I have a Strix Halo box

koolpc · 2026-01-19T14:41:36+0000

All the above might aswell have been written in Chinese! Lol.....

I specced up building my own, going on the AMD 8700G plus DDR5 (6200) 16gb, mobo, PSU, Windows and it's just over £1k......I already have a nice ITX case.

I then need a monitor!! No idea where to start!!! Prob 27"....

Like I said above, the Geekom A1 looks interesting but, it's £1,200 plus!! Not a lot of room for upgrading I don't think either. Has great reviews though. Thing is, I have always built my own over the years.

Component prices have shot up so much!!

Tetras · 2026-01-19T14:46:02+0000

koolpc said:
All the above might aswell have been written in Chinese! Lol.....

The simple summary would be: the 8700G costs a lot and is now outdated and not very fast.

koolpc · 2026-01-19T14:55:35+0000

Tetras said:
The simple summary would be: the 8700G costs a lot and is now outdated and not very fast.

I see...so, what is the alternative?

tamzzy · 2026-01-19T15:23:05+0000

koolpc said:
I see...so, what is the alternative?

for a diy-build alternative to a mini-pc? there isn't.
also, if you're spending a best part of a grand, then a "normal" pc will give much better performance than a pc with an iGPU (self-build or mini-pc)

koolpc · 2026-01-19T15:28:37+0000

tamzzy said:
for a diy-build alternative to a mini-pc? there isn't.
also, if you're spending a best part of a grand, then a "normal" pc will give much better performance than a pc with an iGPU (self-build or mini-pc)

I see....I still wouldn't be able to choose the components as I have lost touch.....I would definitely need help there....either ITX or micro ATX

tamzzy · 2026-01-19T15:29:20+0000

koolpc said:
I see....I still wouldn't be able to choose the components as I have lost touch...

we're here to help

what is your budget and what case/parts do you already have?

jigger · 2026-01-19T15:29:52+0000

tamzzy said:
that's in another tier of pricing lol

I’m sure any products using Intel’s top end parts will be in the same bracket. Possibly an even higher bracket depending on the performance requirements of the DRAM.

koolpc · 2026-01-19T15:36:03+0000

tamzzy said:
we're here to help

what is your budget and what case/parts do you already have?

Budget, £1k......plus a monitor

I do have an Raijintek Metis Mini ITX case but I am open to going to Micro ATX.

I would need everything as I don't have any other components.

tamzzy · 2026-01-19T15:43:32+0000

The RAM and case are a bit crap, you can get RAM for cheaper and a better case elsewhere

My basket at OcUK:

1 x KOORUI 27" E2721F 2560x1440 IPS 100Hz 1ms Adaptive Sync Widescreen Gaming Monitor (SKU: MON-KRI-06356) = £95.99
1 x AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core 5.10GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: CP-3DW-AM) = £160.99
1 x Gigabyte B650M D3HP AX (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-GIG-03566) = £107.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5 5200MHz CL40 EXPO XMP Kit (SKU: MEM-CRS-06663) = £199.99
1 x Crucial P310 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 NVMe Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-CRU-03049) = £109.99
1 x Palit GeForce RTX 5060 Dual 8GB GDDR7 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-PAL-05102) = £259.99
1 x MSI MAG A650BN UK PSU 650W 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply (SKU: POW-MSI-03345) = £44.99
1 x Kolink Inspire Series K2 ARGB Micro-ATX Case - Black Window (SKU: CA-046-KK) = £29.99

Total: £1,009.92 (includes delivery: £0.00)

koolpc · 2026-01-19T15:45:11+0000

What about windows software?

tamzzy · 2026-01-19T15:47:39+0000

koolpc said:
What about windows software?

that's less than a fiver if you know where to look
(obvs as it's not technically a retail key we cannot mention in the open forums)