AMD is set to launch the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F desktop processors for AM5 motherboards, making them available for individual purchase. These processors belong to the Hawk Point family, similar to the 8000G models, but lack the primary feature of the 8000G series: a powerful integrated graphics unit. As a result, users will need to pair these processors with a separate graphics card. Previously, these models were only available in pre-built PCs.
The Ryzen 8000F series, like the 7000 series, utilizes Zen 4 technology. However, due to their origins in notebook processors, they operate at reduced clock speeds and feature a halved Level 3 cache. This means that the older Ryzen 7 7700X should outperform the Ryzen 7 8700F, and the Ryzen 5 7600 should be faster than the Ryzen 5 8400F. Another advantage of the 7000 series is the inclusion of a small integrated graphics unit, which is sufficient for basic display output.
The Ryzen 7 8700F operates at clock speeds between 4.1 and 5.0 GHz, which is 400 MHz slower than the Ryzen 7 7700X. Additionally, its Level 3 cache is only 16 MB, compared to 32 MB in the 7700X, which particularly impacts gaming performance.
Ambiguous Ryzen AI Support
The Ryzen 7 8700F includes an active integrated AI unit, but AMD only describes the processor as “Ryzen AI ready.” AMD has not provided specific details about the AI functionality, suggesting that it may be limited or conditional. In contrast, the AI unit in the Ryzen 5 8400F is completely disabled.