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AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core
AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core graphics card review

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core: Simple iGPU in Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 9000

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is a basic integrated graphics solution in desktop Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 9000. It is not designed for gaming but rather for basic PC startup without a dedicated graphics card: to display BIOS/UEFI, install the operating system, open a browser, output video, and temporarily work without the main GPU. This is not a full-fledged APU GPU, but a utility iGPU within a regular Ryzen.

In specifications, AMD typically refers to this graphics as simply AMD Radeon Graphics-without an index like Vega 2, Radeon 610M, or Radeon 740M. The name AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is conveniently used to distinguish it from other built-in Radeon graphics.

What AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core Is

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core can be found in desktop Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 9000, and Ryzen PRO 9000. This iGPU is present, for example, in Ryzen 5 7600, Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 7 9700X, Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and Ryzen 5 PRO 9655.

In terms of class, this is the most basic integrated graphics solution AMD offers for desktop Ryzen: 2 graphics cores, a frequency of up to 2200 MHz, using shared system memory instead of dedicated VRAM. It is significantly weaker than mobile Radeon 740M, 760M, 780M, and 840M because it is primarily designed for image output and light 2D tasks.

Parameter AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core
Type Integrated Graphics
Class Basic Desktop iGPU
Graphics Cores / CU 2
Shaders 128
Architecture RDNA 2
Frequency Up to 2200 MHz
Video Memory Uses system RAM
Main Task Image output and light graphics

This is not a "cheap gaming Radeon," but a minimal graphics block to ensure the PC can boot without a dedicated graphics card.

Why AMD Added Such an iGPU

Many older Ryzen CPUs without a "G" index lacked integrated graphics. Without a dedicated graphics card, such a PC could not output any image at all. This is not always a problem for gaming computers, but it can be inconvenient for builds, diagnostics, office PCs, or servers.

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core solves this problem. With it, you can build a computer without a graphics card, check hardware, update the BIOS, install Windows or Linux, and connect a monitor to an office system. In service scenarios, this is more important than FPS in games.

This iGPU is particularly useful when a graphics card is unnecessary, broken, sold, or has not yet been purchased. For a powerful Ryzen, this is not a gaming advantage, but a means to operate without a separate graphics card.

Where It Is Sufficient

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is adequate for the Windows interface, browsers, office applications, messengers, online videos, and system setup. Two graphics cores are sufficient for 2D interfaces and multimedia.

In a standard office PC, this graphics solution may completely replace a dedicated graphics card. If tasks are limited to documents, spreadsheets, email, browsing, and video conferencing, a separate GPU is often unnecessary.

Suitable scenarios include:

  • Office computer;
  • Home PC without gaming;
  • Diagnostics and system installation;
  • Temporary operation without a dedicated graphics card;
  • Media player or simple server with a monitor;
  • Browsing, video, documents, and remote access.

Gaming: Only Light Projects

In games, AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core quickly reaches its limits. It has very few compute units, no dedicated video memory, and performance depends on system RAM. Modern games are not suitable for it.

Light projects can be run. Dota 2, League of Legends, older online games, 2D indie titles, simple strategies, and undemanding 3D games can operate on low settings. However, the margins are minimal: transitioning to 1080p, high settings, or heavy scenes quickly reduces FPS.

Game / Scenario Realistic Assessment
Dota 2 Low or medium settings
League of Legends Low settings, usually without serious load
Older 2D Games & Indie Most suitable
Older 3D Games Only low settings
GTA V More of an experiment than a normal scenario
Modern AAA Games Don't expect it to perform

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core does not compete with Radeon 740M, 760M, or 780M. Even if a game launches, it does not mean gameplay will be comfortable. This iGPU is better viewed as a backup graphics solution with the bonus of simple games.

Why This Is Not Vega 2

Due to its two graphics cores, this iGPU is sometimes mistakenly called Vega 2. This is incorrect. Vega 2 is an older integrated graphics solution based on the Vega architecture, which appeared in budget mobile APUs. AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core in Ryzen 7000/9000 is a modern basic iGPU based on RDNA 2.

This distinction is important for base specifications. If referred to as Radeon Vega 2, it creates a mix of different generations, architectures, and class devices.

Name What It Is
Radeon Vega 2 Old mobile iGPU based on Vega
Radeon 610M Basic mobile iGPU of the new generation
AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core Basic desktop iGPU in Ryzen 7000/9000
Radeon 740M / 760M / 780M Stronger mobile iGPUs

For the processor card, it is better to use the short notation: AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core. In specifications, you can add: 2 CU, 128 shaders, up to 2200 MHz.

Comparison with Radeon 610M and Radeon 740M

In terms of level, AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is closest to Radeon 610M. Both belong to the basic class and are not designed for serious gaming. The difference lies in where they are used: Radeon 610M is more commonly found in mobile processors, while AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is in desktop Ryzen CPUs.

Radeon 740M is noticeably superior. It has more graphics cores, higher gaming performance, and different intended use: it is a lower-end iGPU for light gaming, not just basic graphics for booting a PC. Radeon 760M, 780M, and 840M are even stronger.

Graphics Class
AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core Basic iGPU in desktop Ryzen
Radeon 610M Basic mobile iGPU
Radeon 740M Lower-end iGPU for light gaming
Radeon 760M / 780M Noticeably stronger integrated graphics
Radeon 840M Modern iGPU above basic level

If you need a computer without a dedicated graphics card for work, AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is sufficient. If gaming is required, it is better to look at APUs with stronger integrated graphics or install a separate graphics card right away.

Should This Graphics Solution Be Considered When Choosing a Processor

Yes, but not as a gaming argument. The presence of AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is convenient because it ensures that the processor does not leave the PC without video output in the absence of a dedicated graphics card. This is useful during assembly, maintenance, and regular office work.

For Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, or Ryzen 9, this iGPU does not make the processor a replacement for Ryzen G or mobile APUs with powerful integrated graphics. It does not change the class of the system or negate the need for a dedicated graphics card if the PC is intended for gaming, 3D work, video editing, or applications using GPU acceleration.

It is important for the buyer to understand the boundaries:

  • Office, browser, video, and diagnostics - yes;
  • Light gaming - with compromises;
  • Modern gaming - no;
  • Heavy graphics, editing, and 3D - a discrete graphics card is required.

Conclusion

AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core is a simple integrated graphics solution in desktop Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 9000. It is necessary for booting a PC without a dedicated graphics card, diagnostics, office tasks, browsers, and video. For light gaming, it can still be used with compromises, but modern games, video editing, and heavy 3D graphics require a separate graphics card.

The key point is not to confuse it with Vega 2. This is not the old Vega, but a separate modern iGPU with 2 graphics cores. For base specifications, it is better to use the name AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core and not promise more than it can truly deliver.

Basic

Label Name
Intel
Platform
Integrated
Launch Date
September 2022
Former Codename
Raphael
GPU Lithography
6 nm
Model Name
AMD Radeon Graphics 2-Core
Generation
Radeon 600M Series
Base Clock
400 MHz
Boost Clock
2200 MHz
Bus Interface
Integrated
Transistors
3.4 billion
RT Cores
1
Compute Units
2
Tensor Cores
?
Tensor Cores are specialized processing units designed specifically for deep learning, providing higher training and inference performance compared to FP32 training. They enable rapid computations in areas such as computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition, text-to-speech conversion, and personalized recommendations. The two most notable applications of Tensor Cores are DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and AI Denoiser for noise reduction.
No
TMUs
?
Texture Mapping Units (TMUs) serve as components of the GPU, which are capable of rotating, scaling, and distorting binary images, and then placing them as textures onto any plane of a given 3D model. This process is called texture mapping.
8
Foundry
TSMC
Process Size
6 nm
Architecture
RDNA 2

Memory Specifications

Memory Size
Shared system memory
Memory Type
DDR5 shared system memory
Memory Bus
?
The memory bus width refers to the number of bits of data that the video memory can transfer within a single clock cycle. The larger the bus width, the greater the amount of data that can be transmitted instantaneously, making it one of the crucial parameters of video memory. The memory bandwidth is calculated as: Memory Bandwidth = Memory Frequency x Memory Bus Width / 8. Therefore, when the memory frequencies are similar, the memory bus width will determine the size of the memory bandwidth.
Dual-channel system memory, platform dependent
Memory Clock
DDR5-5200, platform dependent
Bandwidth
?
Memory bandwidth refers to the data transfer rate between the graphics chip and the video memory. It is measured in bytes per second, and the formula to calculate it is: memory bandwidth = working frequency × memory bus width / 8 bits.
System memory dependent

Display and Media

AV1 Encode/Decode
Decode only
H.264 Hardware Encode/Decode
Encode/Decode
H.265 HEVC Hardware Encode/Decode
Encode/Decode
H.266 VVC Hardware Encode/Decode
No hardware support
Intel Quick Sync Video
No
Outputs
HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode; device and motherboard dependent
USB Type-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode
Yes

Theoretical Performance

Pixel Rate
?
Pixel fill rate refers to the number of pixels a graphics processing unit (GPU) can render per second, measured in MPixels/s (million pixels per second) or GPixels/s (billion pixels per second). It is the most commonly used metric to evaluate the pixel processing performance of a graphics card.
8.8 GPixel/s
Texture Rate
?
Texture fill rate refers to the number of texture map elements (texels) that a GPU can map to pixels in a single second.
17.6 GTexel/s
FP16 (half)
?
An important metric for measuring GPU performance is floating-point computing capability. Half-precision floating-point numbers (16-bit) are used for applications like machine learning, where lower precision is acceptable. Single-precision floating-point numbers (32-bit) are used for common multimedia and graphics processing tasks, while double-precision floating-point numbers (64-bit) are required for scientific computing that demands a wide numeric range and high accuracy.
1.13 TFLOPS
FP64 (double)
?
An important metric for measuring GPU performance is floating-point computing capability. Double-precision floating-point numbers (64-bit) are required for scientific computing that demands a wide numeric range and high accuracy, while single-precision floating-point numbers (32-bit) are used for common multimedia and graphics processing tasks. Half-precision floating-point numbers (16-bit) are used for applications like machine learning, where lower precision is acceptable.
35.2 GFLOPS
FP32 (float)
?
An important metric for measuring GPU performance is floating-point computing capability. Single-precision floating-point numbers (32-bit) are used for common multimedia and graphics processing tasks, while double-precision floating-point numbers (64-bit) are required for scientific computing that demands a wide numeric range and high accuracy. Half-precision floating-point numbers (16-bit) are used for applications like machine learning, where lower precision is acceptable.
0.56 TFLOPS

AI Features

Intel Deep Learning Boost on GPU
No

Miscellaneous

Native PCIe Lanes
28 total / 24 usable
PCI Express Version
PCIe 5.0
Shading Units
?
The most fundamental processing unit is the Streaming Processor (SP), where specific instructions and tasks are executed. GPUs perform parallel computing, which means multiple SPs work simultaneously to process tasks.
128
TDP
Shared with processor; 65-170 W default TDP, CPU-dependent
Vulkan Version
?
Vulkan is a cross-platform graphics and compute API by Khronos Group, offering high performance and low CPU overhead. It lets developers control the GPU directly, reduces rendering overhead, and supports multi-threading and multi-core processors.
1.3
OpenCL Version
2.1
OpenGL
4.6
CUDA
No
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Power Connectors
None
ROPs
?
The Raster Operations Pipeline (ROPs) is primarily responsible for handling lighting and reflection calculations in games, as well as managing effects like anti-aliasing (AA), high resolution, smoke, and fire. The more demanding the anti-aliasing and lighting effects in a game, the higher the performance requirements for the ROPs; otherwise, it may result in a sharp drop in frame rate.
4
Shader Model
6.7

Benchmarks

FP32 (float)
Score
0.56 TFLOPS
3DMark Time Spy
Score
715
Vulkan
Score
8032
OpenCL
Score
6167

Compared to Other GPU

FP32 (float) / TFLOPS
Radeon HD 6870M
1.058 +88.9%
FireStream 9250
1.02 +82.1%
FirePro M6000
1.004 +79.3%
Radeon HD 4850
0.98 +75%
Radeon Graphics 2-Core
0.56
3DMark Time Spy
Radeon R9 FURY
4682 +554.8%
Radeon R9 290
3619 +406.2%
Radeon 760M
2329 +225.7%
Radeon 660M
1526 +113.4%
Radeon Graphics 2-Core
715
Vulkan
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
83205 +935.9%
GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
55601 +592.2%
Radeon Pro 5300
34493 +329.4%
GeForce GTX 950
16654 +107.3%
Radeon Graphics 2-Core
8032
OpenCL
RTX A1000
53439 +766.5%
Radeon HD 7970
34541 +460.1%
GeForce GTX 970M
18130 +194%
FirePro M5100
10692 +73.4%
Radeon Graphics 2-Core
6167