Pretty soon AMD will release updated versions of its Ryzen processors with integrated Vega graphics. AMD hasn't been heavily promoting these upcoming chips as APUs (accelerated processing units), but that's essentially what they are. Regardless, Asus is preparing for the launch with a whole bunch of BIOS updates.
Asus has made available BIOS updates for its complete lineup of AM4 motherboards, including seven boards based on AMD's X370 chipset, eight that are based on the B350 chipset, and five more based on the A320 chipset.
"Existing owners of ASUS AM4-socket motherboards can update their systems quickly and easily with the intuitive Asus USB BIOS Flashback or Asus EZ Flash 3 tools. In addition, an updated graphics driver— available from the Asus support website—pushes the integrated AMD Radeon graphics to new performance heights for best-ever visual and gaming experiences with AMD Ryzen 2000 series APUs," Asus says.
The upcoming Ryzen 2000 series combine four Zen-based CPU cores with Radeon Vega graphics. What we were told at CES last month is AMD will initially only have Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 parts. They included the Ryzen 5 2400G, which will run at up to 3.9GHz with 4-cores/8-threads and 11 CUs, and the Ryzen 3 2200G running at up to 3.7GHz with 4-cores/4-threads and 8 CUs.
Both chips will offer lower performance than a 6-core or 8-core Ryzen desktop chip paired with discrete graphics, but given the GPU market right now, these could be tantalizing alternatives. They could also attract gamers on a budget who want to put together a relatively cheap system with serviceable gaming performance.
Of course, if you already own an AM4 motherboard, these APUs aren't likely to be that interesting, since you'd have to have a discrete GPU of some form installed. But for new budget builds, this will provide an attractive alternative. In any event, you can find the BIOS updates here.
