AMD offers a lot of significant components, including GPUs and CPUs, but if you don't have the money to buy both, and you are a gamer who requires both to run games properly, you can buy an AMD CPU with integrated graphics.
APU stands for Accelerated Processing Unit, a CPU and GPU combination. Both components' chips are on a single die, and an APU can fulfill both roles efficiently. An APU helps in various ways as money is saved, less power is used, and there is enough space in your PC to upgrade to a GPU.
However, the downside of using an APU is that it's not as strong as having a dedicated graphics card, and it struggles to perform when running high-intensity games.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
Best AMD APUs for gaming
1) Ryzen 7 5700G
This processor offers outstanding 1080p performance and excellent 720p performance. With eight cores and 16 threads, it is the best APU in the market by AMD and should be the go-to for anyone looking for top performance without a GPU.
The CPU-cooler comes in the box that runs effectively, keeping the processor cool under load. The integrated graphics is the Radeon RX Vega 8, which runs at a base clock of 2000 MHz.
The APU will be able to run the best games at a minimum of 720p and most games at 1080p. It is officially priced at $359 but is currently on discount on Amazon for $284.
2) Ryzen 7 PRO 4750G
This processor rocks eight Zen 2 cores with 16 threads, making it a suitable CPU for gaming, and is paired with the Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics engine, which runs at 2100 MHz.
The major downside of this APU is that it is OEM only, which means it will only be sold attached to pre-built PCs and laptops. This makes it undesirable for gaming enthusiasts and gamers to buy.
Some resellers do sell the APU removed from pre-built PCs and laptops without a CPU-cooler or a box. Hence, there is no official price for this product.
3) Ryzen 5 5600G
This APU provides the best value for strong performances while being efficient and staying cool. It comes with a CPU-cooler in the box, which lets the APU overclock while keeping it stable.
The AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 is a robust graphics engine in this APU, which lets it run high-intensity games at 720p in medium to high settings and at 1080p in low settings.
It is better priced than its competitor, Intel i5-11600K, and provides similar performance. It officially costs $259 but is currently on sale at a discounted price on Amazon for $178.
4) Ryzen 5 4600G
This chip is based on Zen 2 microarchitecture, which is last-gen but is an excellent option for gamers as it is competitively priced and offers great performance. The graphics engine is the Radeon RX Vega 7, suited to running high-intensity games at 720p.
This APU is currently on sale at a discounted price on Newegg for $177.99.
5) Ryzen 3 5300G
The Ryzen 3 5300G is a fast Zen 3 APU that offers excellent performance with the Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics engine installed in the small package. The APU provides 90% gaming performance compared to the Ryzen 5 5600G in 720p, making it a great option for money-saving needs.
It is compatible with AM4 motherboards and has superb overclocking performance that stays stable under load. Unfortunately, this APU is OEM-only. Still, resellers have put it on sale without a stock cooler, so it does not have an official price unless AMD decides to sell it individually later.