But you can’t buy them

Today AMD is Finally lifting the lid on your long-awaited Zen2 desktop APU family. Using the same silicon as in the Ryzen Mobile 4000 family, AMD is pumping it to 35W and 65 models on the same AM4 platform that is in use today. There has been a strong demand from PC makers to launch these chips, which were on the topics of conversation on the forum from CES. There is only one downside to these new processors: You can’t buy them alone. AMD claims that the initial release of Ryzen 4000G hardware is for OEMs like Dell and HP only for their pre-built systems.

The new processors use the same Vega 8-core Zen2 plus 8 computing unit that we saw in Ryzen Mobile 4000 earlier this year, but as with previous APU releases, the frequency and thermal power have been raised to environments of more manageable desktop. To that end, AMD will launch hardware in the Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 product lines at 65W and 35W, all on the AM4 platform.

AMD Ryzen 4000G Series APU
AnandTech	CONNECTICUT	Base Freq	Turbo Freq	GPU CUs	GPU Freq	TDP
Ryzen 4000G
Ryzen 7 4700G	8/16	3600	4400	8	2100	65 W
Ryzen 7 4700GE	8/16	3100	4300	8	2000	35 W
Ryzen 5 4600G	6/12	3700	4200	7 7	1900	65 W
Ryzen 5 4600GE	6/12	3300	4200	7 7	1900	35 W
Ryzen 3 4300G	4/8	3800	4000	6 6	1700	65 W
Ryzen 3 4300GE	4/8	3,500	4000	6 6	1700	35 W
Ryzen Pro 4000G
Ryzen 7 Pro 4700G	8/16	3600	4400	8	2100	65 W
Ryzen 7 Pro 4750GE	8/16	3100	4300	8	2000	35 W
Ryzen 5 Pro 4650G	6/12	3700	4200	7 7	1900	65 W
Ryzen 5 Pro 4650GE	6/12	3300	4200	7 7	1900	35 W
Ryzen 3 Pro 4350G	4/8	3800	4000	6 6	1700	65 W
Ryzen 3 Pro 4350GE	4/8	3,500	4000	6 6	1700	35 W

The top processor is the Ryzen 7 4700G, which hits 65 W TDP with a base frequency of 3.6 GHz and a turbo frequency of 4.4 GHz. It uses all eight computing units for graphics, running at 2100 MHz.

At the bottom end is the Ryzen 3 4300G, with four cores and eight threads, with a 3.8 GHz base and a 4.0 GHz turbo, which should mean that the performance is very consistent. This part has six graphics calculation units, running at 1700 MHz.

Each version has a 35W GE counterpart, which for the most part lowers the base frequency and TDP only. The exception is the Ryzen 7, where 100 MHz is lost in the turbo and 100 MHz in the graphics.

All APUs support DDR4-3200 and have eight PCIe 3.0 lanes. In PCIe lanes, this is because the mobile chip was built with eight PCIe 3.0 lanes, to save power in a mobile environment. These chips are primarily used by AMD on their own without a separate graphics card, since the company already has the Ryzen 3 CPU family for those who want discrete graphics.

At the same time as Ryzen 4000G APUs, AMD is also releasing Ryzen Pro 4000G versions for the commercial market. These specifications reflect Ryzen’s standard counterparts, but are framed by AMD’s Pro Technologies feature set, with added security, manageability, and ready business pillars. This includes full memory encryption and support for DASH management, image stability of the operating system for 18 months, guaranteed processor availability for 24 months, and improved quality control.

So are they OEM only? Than?

To be clear, AMD specified OEMs and not System Integrators (SI). In our call, AMD clarified that the market for its APUs is largely biased towards large mass-market precompiled customers like HP and Dell, rather than custom home builds. The numbers quoted were around 80% of all APU sales ending up in these systems, and by working only with OEMs, AMD can also help manage inventory levels of Renoir silicon leaving factories between desktops and portable.

What this means is, unless you choose to buy an office-centric pre-made commercial PC, then the only way to get these processors would be from dealers who sell them by parts: AMD is not creating official boxes and packages with Coolers for these processors.

Those office-centric pre-built business PCs are expected to be out soon. In case you control a corporate budget and need a few hundred of them.

Will we ever get Ryzen 4000 APU for desktop?

AMD says they are planning a consumer grade APU launch ‘soon’. In our briefing it was stated that a future Zen2 APU will be launched for the consumer market compatible with 500 series motherboards. The company specifically did not say 400 series, but clarified that the 4000G series announced today was for 400 series. and 500.

It is unclear when exactly this release will arrive, what it will be, or what price ranges AMD will target. As mentioned, we were discussing Zen 2-based Renoir desktop APUs with vendors in January, and at this point it certainly feels late for the game. Could AMD be hiding something up its sleeve? A PCIe 4.0 version maybe (would it require a new silicon?) Or maybe something at the TDP performance level of 105W? It really isn’t clear.

There are also some new Zen + APUs

For the lower end of the precompiled market, AMD also offers a new set of Zen + APUs. These are the first desktop pieces to bear the Athlon Gold and Athlon Silver brand.

AMD Athlon 3000G Series
AnandTech	CONNECTICUT	Base Freq	Turbo Freq	GPU CUs	GPU Freq	TDP
Athlon 3000G
Athlon Gold 3150G	4/4	?	3900	3	?	65 W
Athlon Gold 3150GE	4/4	?	3800	3	?	35 W
Athlon Silver 3050GE	2/4	3400	–	3	?	35 W
Athlon Pro 3000G
Athlon Gold Pro 3150G	4/4	3,500	3900	3	1100	65 W
Athlon Gold Pro 3150GE	4/4	3300	3800	3	1100	35 W
Athlon Silver Pro 3125GE	2/4	3400	–	3	1100	35 W

We believe they are based on the same silicon as Athlon Gold and Athlon Silver moving parts. We are still waiting for the full details of the 3000G family.

The final word: We were told that there will be a reviewer guide shared with us. Whether that is for these exclusive OEM parts, or for something next, we don’t know. But we have our fingers crossed.