AMD Athlon 200GE review - Conclusion

Final Words 

So, of course, we just tested the lowest of low, I mean two cores... who uses that in the year 2018/2019? Well, perhaps more people than you think as the proc certainly did not disappoint in overall desktop performance. The OS is fast and responsive thanks to the infrastructure and software backbone that AMD created ever since they brought Ryzen to the table. Of course, our tests with an RTX 2080 Ti are absolutely bonkers, then again we can show you exactly what two cores do in terms of relative game performance. You'll easily halve your framerate, but with an entry-level graphics card the proc does manage to bring playable framerates to the table. And yeah, as small as it is, the integrated GPU isn't half bad either.

Procs like tested today are fun, and extra fun when they can be tweaked a bit. So yeah, I was disappointed to see the Athlon being locked on the multiplier, however, the current MSI BIOS shows you can bring the two gobblers towards 3900 MHz stable. And that by itself is worth the 55 bucks you spend on this proc. MSI however might close that option with future BIOSes. So who is the Athlon 200GE 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. Remember, you pay $27.50 USD per core here. That's golden, you just need to position the product where it needs to be and is intended to be. While the 2667 Mhz clock frequency limit on the DDR4 is irritating, it did not hinder the performance. So yeah, no complaints there, it, however, should have been an unlocked proc just for the fun of it. Hey thanks, MSI, and let's hope this BIOS will remain that way. 

The Conclusion

We're not going to do the huge and long conclusion here, the product is a proper value processor. That said, I wish it would have had four cores though, but for that, there's Ryzen series 3 of course. For a simple net, HTPC or file server these procs ooze performance and value. The power consumption is low, the proc won't run hot. I also understand that your average Guru3D reader will not get super excited about a product like this. The Athlon 200GE simply does not score high enough in the rankings. For what it is, it is powerful for its total package of two Zen cores and a small Vega GPU that also holds ground. AMD's big mistake was to lock this processor on the multiplier, as that's where the fun is. The fact that the current BIOS from MSI erroneously does allow you to tweak it is actually very funny. Overclocking is what makes this proc so much fun and we've been able to manually reach a clock frequency in the vicinity of 3.9 GHz. This processor does a lot for the money, the reality is also that a Ryzen 3 2200G will be better value for money. Concluding, the Athlon 200GE brings entry level performance, allowing you to drop in a 2-core proc 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 the Athlon 200GE, just as you understand the intended purpose and functionality of it.

ATH +++

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