AMD has pushed out new Ryzen processors in its 8000G range, and this time the firm has launched models without any integrated graphics.
Team Red has a pair of new chips, in fact, namely the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F and AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, with the ‘F’ indicating that they don’t have integrated graphics.
While there’s no on-board GPU, what one of these CPUs does offer – the higher-end Ryzen 7 – is an NPU for accelerating AI tasks. They also have a design that focuses on power efficiency, sipping away at wattage.
For graphics duties, the idea is that – obviously enough – you’ll need a separate GPU.
As for the core specs, the Ryzen 8700F is an 8-core (16-thread) chip capable of boosting up to 5GHz (from a base clock of 4.1GHz). Whereas the Ryzen 8400F drops that down to 6 cores (12 threads) and a boost of up to 4.7GHz (the base clock is 4.2GHz).
Both processors have a 65W power usage and the 8700F has that NPU as mentioned. US pricing is pitched at $269 (around £210, AU$400) for the 8700F and $169 (around £135, AU$250) for the 8400F. The new CPUs are on sale as of today.
Lukewarm reaction
Initial reaction to the new CPUs has been somewhat lukewarm, as they do feel a little pricey for what they are. Yes, the 8700F does come with an NPU, but for now, the usefulness of this additional bonus is limited – though that could change in the future. AI performance is about to become a whole lot more relevant to Windows 11 users, with ‘AI Explorer’ and doubtless further AI-powered features inbound.
Price corrections may make these processors more tempting down the line, as well, if consumers are slow to move in grabbing them. Time will tell.
