Playing The Witcher 3 on a Cheap PC with an Integrated GPU

Table of Contents

• Playing The Witcher 3 on a Cheap PC with an Integrated GPU
• Ryzen 2400G and Radeon RX Vego – performance
• Ryzen 3400G and Radeon RX Vega 11 – overall performance

Ryzen 3400G and Radeon RX Vega 11 – overall performance

Among the Ryzen 3000 processors that are being introduced to the market and manufactured using a stunning 7nm technology process, AMD has also released a set of "new" APUs (also known as Accelerated Processing Unit, in other words – an integrated CPU + GPU). In fact, they are based on previous-generation technology, but unfortunately AMD hasn't prepared anything else in the area of APUs... Thus, Ryzen 3 3200G and Ryzen 5 3400G are actually 2200G / 2400G models with a bit faster frequency clocks.

Our new processor shortly before its landing in the AM4 socket.

However, thanks to these slightly overclocked values, the "new" AMD APUs can boast a small increase in performance. Considering the difference in price between 3400G and 2400G, I have some doubts whether this fresher model is profitable today. After receiving Ryzen 3400G for testing, we have decided to expand our game list in order to verify what we can get with Vega 11 integrated graphics chip. Although we had known what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised once again.

Mortal Kombat 11

To add a little variety to our shooter testing list, we have installed the latest part of the cult fighting series on our rig. Mortal Kombat 11 welcomed us with a blood-chilling screen about RX Vega 11's failure to meet the minimum system requirements.

Mortal was running quite tolerably.

Fortunately, in practice it wasn't so bad: at 720p resolution and with minimal settings, duels between Sub-Zero and Scorpion were running in almost stable 45 frames per second. After setting the resolution to FullHD the gameplay became very unpleasant. Although most of the time the FPS counter showed more than 30 fps, there were many painful framerate drop downs, especially during special moves. Also, all attempts to increase the level of detail ended in displeasing glitches.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

When it comes to the gold-laying Ubisoft series and the performance of the Ryzen 3400G with Vega 11 on board, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is comparable to the previous part of the series. It's theoretically possible to play with minimal detail settings – after all, many gamers often boast about the titles that they've completed in 20 frames per second or less.

For me, however, such fun is sadomasochism, but in the end it's better to play anything that don't play at all... Odyssey worked in the range of 25-29 frames in low details, and when we increased the detail settings to high, our computer was not able to exceed 20 FPS.

Far Cry 5

After the adventure with Assassin, which gave me very little pleasure, I decided to have some fun with a shooter. The choice fell on the crooked family of Joseph Seed in another Ubisoft game – Far Cry 5. At first I was pleasantly surprised by the power slumbering in the inconspicuous Radeon Vega 11. Unfortunately, after passing the first "tunnel" part of the game, APU by AMD had a strong headache. The open world of Far Cry is characterized by quite a lot of resourcefulness. Despite that – our PC managed to run the game with average 30 fps in low details and Full HD resolution.

Everything’s okay here. Even such small machines have lots of cables.

Darksiders 3

After various genres it was time to try on something else. The third part of Darksiders was no big deal for our PC – at least with details set to "low". The FPS counter swung a little between 40 and 50, so maybe it's hard to talk about some great stability, but the game was possible to be played in relatively smooth conditions. Encouraged by this small victory, we set the level of detail to a little higher, but then the frame rates started to drop drastically – amount of 22-25 FPS is a little too little to talk about comfort.

Summary – Ryzen 5 3400G

A PC equipped with a Ryzen 5 3400G processor and an integrated RX Vega 11 graphics card will surely be a useful tool for working and playing games when you want to save money. If you don't care about the maximum details or the absolute smoothness of the gameplay, you will be able to spend a nice time even in the newest titles. Personally, I've played Battlefield 5 for few hours on our test rig and I wasn't impressed by the low level of detail and unstable frame rate, which was much closer to 30 than 60 frames per second.

If you're thinking about purchasing a PC for more serious gaming, but you have limited financial possibilities, the ideal solution is to assemble a set with Ryzen 5 3400G or Ryzen 5 2400G processor and buy a dedicated graphics card in some later time. Combined with GeForce GTX 1660 (Ti), you may get a strong PC that will be suitable for next few years of pure fun!