For mini PC enthusiasts, building a mini ITX system with a powerful processor and integrated graphics that can smoothly run popular games is indeed very appealing. Currently, AMD’s Ryzen 5000G series with ZEN3 architecture features integrated Radeon Vega graphics that rival entry-level discrete graphics, while Intel’s 12th generation Core processors with UHD770 have significantly improved performance compared to their predecessors. So how should one choose? Particularly, when it comes to the most discussed Ryzen 5 5600G and Core i7 12700, which one is the ultimate sweet spot for mini gaming PCs? This article will provide a detailed comparison.

From the hardware specifications of the processors, the Ryzen 5 5600G adopts a 7nm ZEN3 architecture, which indeed has an advantage in terms of energy efficiency compared to competitors. Its IPC performance is also reliable, with 6 cores and 12 threads sufficient to meet the demands of current popular games. It strikes a good balance between core count and power consumption, making it a solid choice for mini PCs that have strict power supply and cooling requirements. On the other hand, while the Core i7 12700 offers more cores and threads due to its big.LITTLE architecture, it also results in higher power consumption, with a maximum boost power of up to 180W when fully unleashed. This is somewhat excessive for a mini gaming PC. Even if the power supply can handle it, issues with heat dissipation and noise are harder to solve.

Ryzen 5000G series can allocate up to 16GB of large video memory manually.

Of course, when choosing a processor for a mini gaming PC, the weight of integrated graphics is higher than that of processor performance, given that the processor’s performance is already sufficient. In terms of integrated graphics specifications, the Radeon Vega 7 integrated in the Ryzen 5 5600G has 7 compute units with a total of 442 stream processors, while the UHD770 integrated in the Core i7 12700 only has 256 stream processors. Although it is not appropriate to simply compare the number of stream processors due to architectural differences, it does reflect that the chip scale of the two is not on the same level, with the Radeon Vega 7 clearly positioned much higher and even comparable to entry-level discrete graphics. Additionally, it is worth noting that the integrated graphics of the Ryzen 5000G can manually allocate up to 16GB of system memory as video memory, which directly determines whether certain software and games that have strict video memory requirements can run. In contrast, Intel’s UHD770 can only pre-allocate a maximum of 128MB of video memory and manually allocate up to 1GB, which may cause some software and games to fail to run.

Finally, let’s discuss the price, which is a major concern for everyone. The Ryzen 5 5600G is priced at only 1499 yuan, while the Core i7 12700 costs 2699 yuan, a difference of 1200 yuan. Some players might say that since these two are not in the same price range, what is there to compare? However, we must remember that our goal is to build a mini gaming PC, and ultimately we need to compare the practical gaming performance of the integrated graphics. So, the outcome cannot be determined solely by price.

Building a mini gaming PC will definitely require an ITX motherboard. Considering cost-performance factors, choosing the B550 for the AM4 platform and the B660 for the LGA1700 platform is a consensus among most players. Although most mini PC players may not need to overclock their processors, the B550 for the AM4 platform perfectly supports overclocking. The power consumption of the Ryzen 5 5600G is also relatively low, and players can manually overclock the CPU, GPU, and memory or directly enable PBO to achieve better performance if needed. On the Intel side, the B660 only supports memory overclocking, and the Core i7 12700 is also locked in terms of multiplier. Even if it can overclock the base clock, the 180W full load power consumption will likely deter most mini PC players from attempting this.

In addition to the motherboard chipset itself, the actual ITX motherboard products also significantly influence player choices. As seen in the table, there are 7 models of mini-ITX B550 motherboards from reputable brands available on the market, all supporting cost-effective DDR4 memory. Even if players have strict requirements for motherboard positioning, there are still plenty of options. In contrast, there are only 4 models of mini-ITX B660 motherboards available on the Intel side, of which only 3 support DDR4. If players demand a higher positioning, the options become even scarcer…

So, can we choose mini-ITX motherboards that do not use these two chips? For the AMD platform, it is certainly possible. If one does not choose B550, there are X570, A520, and B450 options, all of which support Ryzen 5 5600G without any issues. Considering cost-performance, A520 and B450 are also good choices. However, on the Intel side, the mini-ITX Z690 is too expensive for mainstream use, while the mini-ITX H610 is positioned as entry-level. It not only has overly simplified specifications but also has a maximum of only 6 phases of power delivery, which is too inadequate to pair with the 180W Core i7 12700, making it unable to unleash its full performance. Moreover, it is even less common than the mini-ITX B660.

In summary, when it comes to choosing mini-ITX motherboards, the range of options for the Ryzen 5 5600G platform is broader, allowing players to select products that fit their budget and brand preferences, while the Core i7 12700 platform has fewer motherboard options.

Of course, after comparing so many specifications, the final verdict must rely on practical performance. In this case, both platforms are equipped with DDR4 3600 8GB×2 memory, with the Ryzen 5 5600G platform manually allocating 4GB of video memory, while the Core i7 12700 platform manually allocates a maximum of 1GB of video memory.

In the testing of “Elden Ring”, the integrated graphics of the Ryzen 5 5600G can reach 32fps in complex large scenes at 1080P.

The test results clearly show that the Ryzen 5 5600G is a clear winner. In the benchmark tests, the 3DMark TimeSpy score surpassed the Core i7 12700 by about 78%, and the FireStrike Extreme score was about 55% higher, demonstrating a significant performance advantage. In popular esports games, it led by approximately 67% in “League of Legends”, 84% in “CS:GO”, and 42% in “DOTA2”. The advantages are substantial. In AAA games, the performance is even more compelling. In the currently popular “Elden Ring”, the Ryzen 5 5600G outperformed the Core i7 12700 by about 68%, achieving a level of 32fps, which can be considered playable, while the Core i7 12700 only reached around 19fps, which is barely enough to watch the scenery. In the test of “Far Cry 6”, the Ryzen 5 5600G won without any pressure, as the UHD770 of the Core i7 12700 could not run normally, resulting in screen artifacts and crashes during testing. In “Watch Dogs: Legion” and “Shadow of the Tomb Raider”, the Ryzen 5 5600G also had an advantage of 86% to 95%, and “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” reached 43fps, which is considered smooth by gaming standards. Notably, the integrated Radeon Vega7 graphics of the Ryzen 5 5600G also support AMD’s FSR technology, as evidenced by the test results of “Ratchet & Clank” and “Far Cry 6”, where enabling FSR quality mode yielded significant frame rate improvements, achieving 64fps for “Ratchet & Clank” and 53fps for “Far Cry 6”, which is considered playable by PC gaming standards.

In summary, from the perspective of integrated graphics gaming performance, the Ryzen 5 5600G clearly outperforms the Core i7 12700, providing nearly double the gaming frame rates and an exceptional gaming experience.

Due to the limited size of mini PCs, heat dissipation conditions are more stringent, making the power consumption and temperature performance of processors very important. In practical tests, the Ryzen 5 5600G has a single CPU power consumption of about 71W and a temperature of about 64°C, while the Core i7 12700 has a power consumption of up to 160W and a temperature of 75°C (using a 240mm AIO cooler). If building an ultra-mini computer using external power supply (generally equipped with 150W-200W adapters) with pure integrated graphics, the Core i7 12700 would essentially be eliminated, while the Ryzen 5 5600G would face no pressure at all. When both the CPU and GPU are stressed, the total power consumption of the Ryzen 5 5600G rises to 87W, while the Core i7 12700’s power consumption drops to 128W (still much higher than that of the Ryzen 5 5600G). This indicates that when both the CPU and GPU are under heavy load, the Ryzen 5 5600G can still deliver full performance, whereas the Core i7 12700 clearly reduces performance to lower power consumption and heat generation, which can affect the player’s actual experience. Overall, in terms of energy efficiency, power consumption, and temperature performance, the Ryzen 5 5600G is still more suitable for building mini gaming PCs, even for ultra-mini pure integrated graphics mini PCs.

Through the previous specifications and performance comparisons, it is clear that in the case of using integrated graphics, the gaming experience of the Ryzen 5 5600G has surpassed that of entry-level discrete graphics. Compared to the Core i7 12700, it is significantly better, with average frame rates in popular esports games and AAA titles exceeding 42% to 95%. When FSR is enabled, the advantage can even reach up to 167%! The Core i7 12700 struggles to run AAA titles smoothly, while the Ryzen 5 5600G can maintain a frame rate of over 30fps in most cases. Once AMD implements RSR functionality in the drivers, further improvements in smoothness can be expected. Additionally, the Ryzen 5 5600G excels in energy efficiency, with a full load power consumption of only slightly over 40% of the latter, and temperatures lower by over 10°C, making it clearly more suitable for mini PCs that have stricter power and heat requirements.

From the perspective of assembly costs, due to the high cost-performance ratio of the Ryzen 5 5600G platform, even when pairing it with a doubled capacity SSD and selecting the cheapest mini-ITX B660 motherboard for the Core i7 12700 platform, the total assembly cost of the Intel platform is still 119 yuan higher. Clearly, the Ryzen 5 5600G platform wins in this aspect as well. A larger SSD not only offers faster speeds but also allows for the installation of more large games, thus providing a better experience. Of course, this mini gaming PC with Ryzen 5 5600G also supports upgrading to a discrete graphics card (the case supports the installation of a 320mm discrete graphics card, and the power supply has reserved enough upgrade space). If players have higher gaming demands in the future, its performance can fully support powerful discrete graphics without causing a bottleneck.

In summary, from all aspects, if you want to build a mainstream mini gaming PC, the Ryzen 5 5600G is undoubtedly the best overall choice.

Editor | Xiong Le

Review | Hu Jin

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