AMD has launched GPU-less Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F CPUs offering a cheaper entry point to the brand’s latest socket. Starting at $169, these new chips should allow budget-conscious users to join the AM5 platform.
Based on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture, these CPUs are in fact APUs that have defective/disabled iGPUs. Instead of discarding partially working silicon, AMD, like other brands, rebrands it as lower-tier products. In this instance, AMD is reusing Ryzen 7 8700G and Ryzen 5 8500G silicon to create the Ryzen 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F. As indicated by the letter F, they will not feature a working iGPU.
While the graphics portion is gone, the CPU portion remains completely active offering 8-cores/16-threads on the 8700F and 6-cores/12-threads on the 8400F. They come clocked up to 5Ghz and 4.7Ghz, packing 24MB and 22MB of cache, respectively. Interestingly, the Ryzen 8700F also features a working NPU for AI tasks, unlike the Ryzen 5 8400F. However, this is not the main selling point.
The reason one may choose these over other alternatives is undoubtedly the price. Sitting at $269 and $169, the 8700F and 8400F offer a cheap entry to the AM5 socket. This means that even budget buyers will have something on AMD’s latest platform, pushing more users away from ageing AM4. The Ryzen 5 8400F will surely be a sought-after CPU thanks to its powerful enough 6-core design, all while having the opportunity to upgrade to a faster chip later down the line.
Both CPUs have a 65W TDP and come bundled with a basic yet sufficient Wraith Spire cooler. If you are in the UK, you can grab a Ryzen 7 8700F for £259.99 and a Ryzen 5 8400F for £164.99. With only two fewer cores the 8400F is definitely the way to go, in my opinion.