AMD's latest Ryzen 8000G APUs, the Ryzen 7 8700G and Ryzen 5 8600G, experienced throttling issues due to the STAPM feature, but after updating our review with the latest firmware that removes this limitation, we observed significant performance gains in sustained workloads.
Last month, we took a deep dive into AMD’s latest Ryzen 8000G APUs, specifically the Ryzen 7 8700G and Ryzen 5 8600G. However, during our review process, we encountered an issue that caused these APUs to throttle after a short period of time. This presented a couple of problems for us. Firstly, it compromised the accuracy of our performance data, making it difficult to assess the true capabilities of these processors. Secondly, it shed light on an oversight by AMD when they carried over the STAPM feature from their mobile series of Pheonix chips (Ryzen 7040) to the desktop platform.
In response to this issue, we have updated our review of the Ryzen 7 8700G and Ryzen 5 8600G to reflect the performance with STAPM enabled on the initial firmware, as well as with STAPM disabled using the latest firmware. You can find our comprehensive and updated review by following the link below:
AMD Ryzen 7 8700G and Ryzen 5 8600G Review: Zen 4 APUs with RDNA3 Graphics
As we discussed in our previous article on Ryzen 8000G APU STAPM Throttling, AMD, in collaboration with AM5 motherboard vendors like ASUS, has released updated firmware that eliminates the STAPM limitation. To provide a quick recap, Skin Temperature-Aware Power Management (STAPM) is a feature introduced by AMD back in 2014 for their mobile processors. It aims to manage power consumption based on the internal temperatures of the processor and the laptop’s surface temperature.
The purpose of STAPM is to prevent Laptops from becoming uncomfortably warm for users by dynamically adjusting power generation based on thermal conditions. However, in the case of Ryzen 8000G APUs like the Ryzen 7 8700G and Ryzen 5 8600G, which are designed for desktop use, the STAPM feature becomes irrelevant as desktop platforms are not typically placed on a user’s lap.
During our testing of the Ryzen 7 8700G with the initial firmware, we observed power throttling (STAPM) after approximately 3 minutes of running a gaming load. This resulted in a drop in sustained power from around 83-84 W to about 65 W, representing a significant decrease of around 22%. While Zen 4 architecture is known for its efficiency at lower power levels, hitting this limit inevitably leads to a decline in overall performance. It appears that AMD overlooked the need to disable STAPM when transitioning the Pheonix chips to the AM5 desktop platform.
However, after retesting the same game (F1 2023) at the same settings (720p High) with the latest firmware that removes STAPM limitations, we observed no power throttling issues. Power was sustained for over 10 minutes of testing, indicating that the performance remains consistent with what the Ryzen 7 8700G should have delivered at launch.
The question arises: how does the removal of STAPM affect our initial results? To address this, we have added the new data to our review while retaining the initial results. This allows users to compare the performance and identify any differences. While benchmark runs are limited by their duration, real-world scenarios involving tasks like video rendering and sustained loads are more likely to showcase performance gains. After all, a 22% drop in power over an hour-long task is significant.
Using Blender 3.6 as one of our longer benchmarks, we observed a performance increase of approximately 7.5% on the Ryzen 7 8700G after removing STAPM limitations. The Ryzen 5 8600G APU also saw a boost of around 4% in the same benchmark. Across all the rendering tests in our CPU performance suite, performance gains ranged from 2% to 4.4% on the Ryzen 5 8600G and 5% to 7.5% on the Ryzen 7 8700G. It’s important to note that these gains are not “free” performance but rather the performance that should have been available from the start.
When examining how STAPM affected our initial data, we found that the difference in World of Tanks at 768p Minimum settings was marginal at best, with a slight impact of around 1% due to STAPM. Given the CPU-intensive nature of World of Tanks, combined with integrated graphics, both the AMD Ryzen APUs (5000G and 8000G) outshine Intel’s integrated UHD graphics in gaming. While gaming benchmarks are typically time-limited, it’s difficult to pinpoint precise performance gains. However, the key takeaway here is that with STAPM limitations removed, performance should remain consistent over sustained periods, ensuring that our figures and updated review data are reliable.
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AMD, a large player in the semiconductor industry is known for its powerful processors and graphic solutions, AMD has consistently pushed the boundaries of performance, efficiency, and user experience. With a customer-centric approach, the company has cultivated a reputation for delivering high-performance solutions that cater to the needs of gamers, professionals, and general users. AMD's Ryzen series of processors have redefined the landscape of desktop and laptop computing, offering impressive multi-core performance and competitive pricing that has challenged the dominance of its competitors. Complementing its processor expertise, AMD's Radeon graphics cards have also earned accolades for their efficiency and exceptional graphical capabilities, making them a favored choice among gamers and content creators. The company's commitment to innovation and technology continues to shape the client computing landscape, providing users with powerful tools to fuel their digital endeavors.Latest Articles about AMD
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ASUS, founded in 1989 by Ted Hsu, M.T. Liao, Wayne Hsieh, and T.H. Tung, has become a multinational tech giant known for its diverse hardware products. Spanning laptops, motherboards, graphics cards, and more, ASUS has gained recognition for its innovation and commitment to high-performance computing solutions. The company has a significant presence in gaming technology, producing popular products that cater to enthusiasts and professionals alike. With a focus on delivering and reliable technology, ASUS maintains its position as a important player in the industry.Latest Articles about ASUS
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AM5: Socket AM5 (LGA 1718) is a zero insertion force flip-chip land grid array (LGA) CPU socket designed by Advanced Micro Devices, that is used for AMD Ryzen microprocessors starting with the Zen 4 microarchitecture. AM5 replaces the Socket AM4 and is AMD's first LGA socket designed for mainstream, non-enthusiast CPUs.
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