Ryzen 5 8600G Review: The Best Budget CPU for 2025?

Ryzen5_8600G

If you’re building a budget gaming PC in 2025—or need a capable system without a dedicated GPU—AMD might have just dropped your dream chip. Enter the Ryzen 5 8600G, a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 APU featuring integrated RDNA 3 graphics. It’s the spiritual successor to the 5600G but with serious upgrades under the hood.

Is this the new go-to processor for budget gamers, HTPC builds, and GPU-less setups? Let’s dive in.


🧠 Specs Overview: Ryzen 5 8600G

FeatureDetails
ArchitectureZen 4 (6nm)
Cores / Threads6 / 12
Base / Boost Clock4.3 / 5.0 GHz
L2 / L3 Cache6MB / 16MB
Integrated GPURDNA 3 (Radeon 760M)
TDP65W
SocketAM5
MSRP~€180–€200

✅ Compatible with DDR5 (officially), but some boards support DDR4 in limited cases.


🎮 Gaming Without a GPU? Here’s What You Get

We tested the Ryzen 5 8600G’s integrated Radeon 760M GPU on a 1080p monitor using low-to-medium settings. Here’s how it performed against the Ryzen 5 5600G and Intel i5-12400:

Game8600G5600Gi5-12400
CS2120 FPS95 FPS40 FPS
Fortnite80 FPS55 FPS35 FPS
Valorant140 FPS110 FPS60 FPS
Baldur’s Gate 345 FPS32 FPS20 FPS
GTA V70 FPS58 FPS38 FPS
Rocket League130 FPS100 FPS75 FPS

You can game comfortably at 1080p on eSports titles and even push modern AAA games with adjusted settings.


🧪 Performance with a Discrete GPU

Pairing the Ryzen 5 8600G with a budget GPU like the RX 6600 or RTX 4060 unlocks even more performance. Since it’s based on Zen 4, it scales well with external GPUs and doesn’t bottleneck mid-range cards.

Compared to the Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel i5-12400F, it’s slightly faster in single-threaded workloads thanks to Zen 4 IPC improvements.


🧊 Power, Thermals & Cooling

The 8600G is rated for 65W TDP, but under load (especially gaming or rendering), it can boost higher. Still, it’s impressively cool and can be used with a stock cooler for most builds. If you’re using a compact case or HTPC enclosure, it’s one of the easiest CPUs to tame thermally.


🧩 Use Cases: Who Is It For?

  • 🧒 New gamers without a GPU
  • 🎮 Emulation fans / retro gaming rigs
  • 💻 HTPC and media centers
  • 🧳 Portable builds and LAN boxes
  • 💡 Steam Deck / console-like PC alternatives
  • 🧪 Budget all-in-one work + game systems

⚔️ Comparison: Ryzen 5 8600G vs Others

Feature8600G5600Gi5-12400F
ArchitectureZen 4Zen 3Alder Lake
iGPURDNA 3Vega 7UHD 730
Performance (Gaming)🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Price (avg 2025)€180€120€140
Upgradability✅ AM5✅ AM4✅ LGA1700

✔️ The 8600G is clearly ahead in iGPU performance and is future-proof with AM5 platform, unlike the aging AM4 or LGA1700.


✅ Final Verdict

“The Ryzen 5 8600G is hands-down the best APU you can buy in 2025.”

It brings real GPU-free gaming to the table and blows past previous gen chips like the 5600G and Intel’s UHD offerings. Whether you’re gaming on a budget or need a silent, compact, GPU-less machine — the 8600G hits a home run.


🛒 Buy Ryzen 5 8600G on Amazon

👉 Check price & availability


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