AMD Athlon 220GE and 240GE review - Conclusion

Final Words 

Wow, so what to say here. Really in the year 2019 where I have been testing 32c/64t processors, I was not expecting to test 2c/4t core processors. The reality, however, is that these puppies offer incredible fun and this very line that I write here also indicated how keen AMD is about their push into coverage of the market from A to Z. I really had a good time testing them.

Strictly speaking, clock the two cores close to 4 GHz and you have close to a modern age Ryzen core perf. Funny thing, to not make the Athlon series 'too competitive' AMD initially enforced a multiplier lock and a memory frequency lock. AMD and the mainboard partners however figured, sod it, let's unlock it. The reality is that you can thus run (with a bit of luck and tweaking) these cores at 4 GHz and high-frequency dual-channel memory. As a result, we have had our DDR4 memory running at 3333 MHz CL16. Surely the two cores aren't capable of majestic workloads, however at these figures, you'll be surprised how well it will work as a bit of an Internet PC, Media PC and paired with an entry-level to a mainstream graphics card, you'll be able to game as well. The internal GPU for an IGP is not bad either. So if you only plan to browse, watch series/movies, YT or your word and spreadsheet functionality, it is sufficient. The OS is responsive thanks to the infrastructure and software backbone that AMD created over the years since they brought Ryzen to the table. Of course, our tests with an RTX 2080 Ti are absolutely silly, then again we can show you exactly what two cores do in terms of relative game performance as we take away all and any GPU limitation. You'll easily halve your framerate, but with an entry-level graphics card the proc does manage to bring playable framerates to the table. 

Procs like tested today are fun, and extra fun when they can be tweaked a bit. So yeah, I was initially disappointed to hear the Athlon being locked on the multiplier and DDR4 frequency, however, the current MSI BIOS we tested with shows you can bring the two gobblers towards ~4000 MHz stable with that memory at 3333 MHz. And that by itself is worth the 55 to 75 bucks you spend on this proc. It remains an unofficial step, MSI could always close that option with future BIOSes. However knowing AMD and MSI, that is not going to happen. So who is the Athlon 2x0GE series for? Well, the guys and gals that need an internet PC, a work OC, an HTPC or a PC for some really low-level gaming. 

The conclusion

So why should you spend 20 bucks more got the 240GE over the 200GE if all is unlocked, mate what an excellent question. First off, we're not sure if it's the BIOS, but we reached a higher tweak far more easily with the 220GE and 240GE opposed to the 200GE we tested late last year. However, we have a feeling that the 220GE and 240GE are binned and thus sorted for higher frequency ranges.  If you plan to tweak, the 220GE will be fine at roughly 60 bucks, and yeah that is the number we're talking about - and that is proper value. I do wish Athlon would have had four cores though, as, at such prices that would create a new race with Intel, and sure four cores minimum is the norm these days. However, as limited as the demographic is for the 2-core 4 threads Athlon series, I do have to admit I like what we tested. For a simple net, HTPC or file server these procs offer good performance and value. The power consumption is low idling at 20 Watts and around 50 Watts for the entire PC under stress, the proc won't run hot either. And as shoddy the stock cooler is looking and performing, for the money you do get a cooler for free as well.

What the Athlon 220GE and 240GE do not do is score high enough in the rankings for your average Guru3D reader. For what it is, it is powerful for its total package of two cute Zen cores and a small Vega GPU that also holds ground. Concluding, the Athlon 220GE and 240GE bring entry-level performance, allowing you to drop in a 2-core / 4-thread proc on the versatile motherboard infrastructure based on the AM4 platform with the option to, later on, upgrade to a faster processor. We think a great Value Award is well deserved for both, just as you understand the intended purpose and functionality of it. We love the fact that it is unlocked on the CPU multiplier and memory on at least our MSI platform with its publicly available system BIOS, very nice.

ATH +++

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