No information available about leaks or specifications for the 8700G suceessor.
No information available about leaks or specifications for the 8700G suceessor.
I thought I would have found something already. The steady price drop for 8700G also hints that AMD is positioning itself for successors. So far, nothing like that. There aren't any clear leaks explaining what this change would entail—I haven’t seen anything about a repackaged Strix Point or anything similar. Same with early rumors about the Zen 6 generation arriving in 2027. Only desktop APUs released then would likely become the next Strix Point Halo successor (Meduza point), which would be quite different from what we expect. Unless the AI bubble bursts before then. Who knows if anyone has a general sense of when or how this might unfold? The 9950X3D2 with dual 3DV caches is expected to appear soon, possibly alongside new APUs.
This trend means integrated graphics are standard in modern CPUs, making dedicated desktop APUs less necessary. I doubt they'll keep developing them further.
The iGPU in Phoenix chips represents a significant leap compared to the 7000/9000 series, though it serves a very specific niche. Whether AMD continues producing them hinges on strong demand for powerful APUs. You might even manage basic 1080p gaming on the 8700G's iGPU—it performs quite well.
The problem lies in the fact that outside of mini PCs and when power usage is strictly controlled, APUs aren't practical. The most recent suitable AMD APU was the Ryzen 3 2200G, which only made sense due to a crypto surge that drove up used graphics card prices. No other APU in the past decade has justified fitting into a regular case with a used card. Even during the peak crypto boom, the 5600G and 5700G were unaffordable, offering GT 1030 performance for over $250. Even at its height, better cards were available for under $100. The 8700G is notable for delivering RX 570-level performance, but at $270 it's not worth it—used RX 570 cards cost between $40 and $50. The CPU part is weaker for gaming compared to standard Ryzen 7000/9000 models, making a 7600 plus a used RX 570 a more economical and future-proof choice today.
Obviously I won’t fit it into a standard PC and buy a used graphics card. Plus, why settle for that? Purchasing a used DPGU and similar options doesn’t make sense if you can just drop something at a local recycling center and fix it yourself. Not everyone plays games all the time. There are many other possibilities that suit a 12CU APU on an 8700G. Energy consumption could also be a big consideration. The RX570 isn’t famous for being power-efficient, particularly when running multiple displays. It also lacks video decoding and coding capabilities. The APU offers a compact, efficient design—no need for a large power supply or cooling system, making it easy to fit on a small, affordable motherboard and a budget cooler. It’s straightforward to upgrade and just needs a bit more expensive high-speed RAM to boost performance.
Purchasing a functional card isn't the same as acquiring faulty hardware. However, if you're committed to the latest market, your challenge is that the 8700G falls far behind in options for its price range. You can get the R5 8400F new on eBay for $110 or opt for an i5 12400F from Amazon/Newegg. Both offer performance comparable to the CPU found in the 8700G. Pair them with an Arc B580 or one of the cheaper 9060XT 8GB cards, and you'll have a setup that outperforms the 8700G across gaming and most productivity tasks thanks to its superior GPU. If power and space aren't limiting factors, when does this APU become a worthwhile investment from a value standpoint?
Fine, if you want to stick with the new market, whatever. You do you. But even if you pretend that the used market doesn't exist, where is the use case for APUs when not space or power constrained? Again, 12400F + B580 is available, new, from "known, registered" retailers, for the same price and is, on average, over 2.5x faster for gaming. If you go with a discounted 9060XT 8GB, we're at over 3x faster for the same price. This is not a minor improvement. This is going from 1080p 30fps to 75fps or 60fps to 150fps.
It seems the market is likely too limited to be worth much effort, and working with fixed CPU and RAM slots can significantly impact performance compared to soldered LPDDR mobile solutions. At this stage, a Strix Halo setup works well—just connect an external screen and you're good. It's not meant for traditional desktops, but it's fine for now. Some people are even fitting them onto ITX boards: https://www.sixunited.com/ZB_deatail/334.html Or the Framework desktop version: https://frame.work/desktop