AMD Ryzen 7 8700G Buyer's Guide
Positioning and generation
The AMD Ryzen 7 8700G is a desktop processor from the Ryzen 8000G generation, built on the Zen 4 architecture. On FrameScope's scale it sits in the modern mainstream band. Its main feature is the built-in integrated graphics, so you can get a picture without buying a separate graphics card. That makes it a sensible pick for a compact build, or for someone who wants to start with integrated graphics and add a card later.
If your plan is to pair it with a dedicated graphics card for gaming, it still handles mainstream games well as the CPU, but it is not a top-end part. Think of it as a balanced, capable mainstream processor and you will have realistic expectations.
Key specs explained
This processor has 8 cores and 16 threads. For most games that is plenty of processing power for mainstream titles. The extra threads matter more for streaming and video editing, where several tasks run at the same time.
The integrated graphics are the biggest difference from many processors. They let the machine boot and display an image without a graphics card, which suits office work, browsing and light gaming. Their performance is limited, though, so demanding games still need a dedicated graphics card.
The Zen 4 architecture is a newer design in its class and performs well for everyday use and gaming. Other specifications such as clock speeds and cache sizes are not listed in our data, so we do not speculate on them here.
Suitable games and resolutions
Our catalogue has 439 games with published official requirements, and 416 of them can be compared directly. This processor reaches the recommended requirement or better for 328 of those games, meets the recommended level for another 76, and meets only the minimum for 12. None of the games fall below the minimum. In other words, it covers the CPU demands of most mainstream titles.
Examples that clear the recommended level or better include Big Ambitions, Scrap Mechanic, Palworld, Forza Horizon 6, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era and Timberborn. Titles that only reach the minimum level include LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Dying Light: The Beast and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. In those more demanding scenes you may want to lower some settings.
For resolution, 1080p is the practical target, and a mid-range graphics card paired with this processor gives a balanced result. If you want 1440p or 4K, the limit usually moves to the graphics card, so the processor matters less.
Compared with similar hardware
On our scale, desktop processors in the same band or close to it include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel Core i5-13400F. The Ryzen 5 7500F and Core i5-13400F sit slightly higher in our ranking, while the Ryzen 7 5700X is at the same position as this chip.
Slightly lower are the Intel Core i9-11900K, the Intel Core i7-12700H (a laptop chip) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X. These sit below this processor in our ranking.
These comparisons only show the order of positions on our scale. They do not show the exact gap you would see in a game, so choose based on the games you play and your budget.
Buying new or used
This processor uses the AM5 platform and supports DDR5 memory only. When buying a motherboard, make sure it is an AM5 board with DDR5 support. Older 600-series AM5 motherboards may need a BIOS update before they support the Ryzen 8000G, so check the board's BIOS version before you buy.
This processor uses a land grid design: the pins are in the motherboard socket, so take care not to touch them when installing it.
Its multiplier is unlocked, so it can be overclocked on a motherboard that supports overclocking.
Our data does not say whether a cooler is included in the box, so check the package contents yourself rather than assuming one is provided.
If you are buying used, check the chip for physical damage, ask for proof of purchase and confirm the warranty status before you pay.
Upgrade advice
If you are coming from an older AM4 or earlier platform, the benefit depends on where your system's bottleneck is. If your graphics card is already weak, a new processor will not help much, so look at the graphics card first.
If you want a clearly faster processor, the upgrade options in our data are the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and the faster AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. All three sit clearly higher on our scale than this chip, so they suit players who want more CPU performance.
When upgrading, keep the graphics card and memory in balance. A mismatch between CPU, graphics card and RAM often holds back the whole system, so plan them together.