No GPU? No Problem! The new VRLA Tech Spark Gaming PC, powered by the AMD Ryzen 5600G, is our solution to the ongoing graphics card shortages. In this blog, we’ll cover the components of the Spark, why we chose them, and whether or not the Spark is right for you.
Introduction
We at VRLA Tech made a name for ourselves with our entry level PC builds, the Vulcan and the Rogue. Those PCs were some of our best sellers for a long time, and for good reason, as they were some of the lowest priced gaming PCs on the market. As those parts aged it became hard to source them, and we had to discontinue those models. Even still, we knew that there was a need for low priced, entry level gaming PCs; cue, the Spark.
The Spark is an APU powered machine, which means that the CPU in this build has dedicated graphics compute units. This allows for gaming and just about any other PC task you can think of, without the need of a graphics card. One might wonder, why build a gaming PC without a GPU? It’s simple. We wanted to deliver the best possible system for your money, with a path to upgrade in the future.
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G that powers this build is an incredible starting point, and miles beyond any CPU we’ve used in an entry level build before. The 5600G is a 6 core 12 thread CPU, with a base clock of 3.9 GHz, and boost clock of 4.4GHz. In addition, the integrated Radeon Vega graphics have an independent 7 GPU cores at a frequency of 2000 MHz.
A Worthy CPU
The Zen 3 architecture in the Ryzen 5000 series is a perfect platform to begin your gaming desktop journey. The strong single core performance makes everyday computing tasks a breeze, and improves the gaming experience over the previous generation of Ryzen processors.
In benchmark testing from Tom’s Hardware, the Ryzen 5 5600G with Radeon graphics outperformed an Intel Core i3 10100 paired with a Nvidia GeForce GT 1030. An APU system outperforming any discrete GPU is a major feat, and demonstrates the power of this system.
If you plan on adding a graphics card in the future, like an RTX 3060 Ti, you’d go from a humble entry level build, on par with the former Rogue to a high performance computer closer to the Titan. As noted in the graphic above, the 5600G outperforms the previous generation of Ryzen 5 processors by a significant margin. This means that when you consider upgrading you don’t have to worry about any CPU bottlenecking.
The Spark comes standard with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and when we build we enable XMP, which maximizes your memory speed so you can get the most out of your CPU. It’s all powered by a 500w PSU, which is plenty of power for this system, and it gives you room to add a GPU if you choose to upgrade in the future.
Real World Performance
All of these specifications sound good on paper, but how do they perform in game? We tested the Spark in a variety of popular titles to answer that question. In a YouTube video about the Spark, we played Fortnite, CS:GO, Rocket League, and Overwatch on low, medium and high graphics settings.
Most of the games performed similarly, averaging around 150 frames per second on low settings, 90 frames per second on medium, and 55 frames per second on high. Also a part of our pre-release benchmarking, we tested Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, Apex Legends, Battlefield V, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Destiny 2, and GTA V. The results of these benchmarks can be found on the product page for the Spark.
On average, we saw around 100 FPS in most games on low settings, and 30-60 FPS on high settings. If you’re a competitive gamer looking for high frame rates with less of an importance on graphical fidelity, the Spark is the perfect choice. Alternatively, if you’re more interested in a console gaming experience, high graphics settings and lower more stable frame rates, the Spark can do that as well.
Final Thoughts
A console simply can’t compete with a gaming PC. With the Spark, you have all of the features you’d get from a console and more. On PC, you don’t need to pay a yearly subscription to play free online games like Fortnite and Rocket League. You have access to the largest selection of games anywhere, using launchers like Steam, Epic Games, Origin and more. Plus, access to services like Xbox Game Pass. On top of that, you can use productivity software from Microsoft or Google for school or work. If you’re a content creator, you can use fully fledged creative software like Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Pro.
The VRLA Tech Spark is the perfect PC to grow with you and your needs. Don’t wait, buy a Spark today. Looking for something that is on the higher-end? Check out our other Gaming PC offers.