Is the MD4700S Kit Worth It? In-Depth Review of CPU and Graphics Card Combo!

Is the MD4700S Kit Worth It? In-Depth Review of CPU and Graphics Card Combo!

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Unboxing and Design
3. Specifications and Features
4. Performance Benchmarks
5. Gaming Performance
6. Limitations and Gargles
7. Cooling and Noise Levels
8. Construction Quality and Available Resources
9. Pros and Cons
10. Conclusion

Introduction

Hey everyone, Jean Carlo here! In this review, I'll be analyzing the MD4700S desktop kit. This kit includes the MD4700S motherboard equipped with the PlayStation 5's CPU, 16GB of DDR6 RAM, and a Radeon RX 5500 graphics card. The kit comes with both the motherboard and the RX 5500, but you can also purchase them separately. The motherboard and graphics card were well-packaged and had a similar look to pre-built PCs from brands like HP and Dell. The motherboard has a green PCB, a basic cooling solution, and a robust backplate. It lacks integrated Wi-Fi and has limited expansion and storage options. The audio codec used is the LC 897, which is mounted on the same layer as the other components and may negatively affect audio quality. The rear panel has a basic layout with USB ports, Ethernet, and simple audio connectors. The CPU cooling system resembles Intel's stock cooler and uses an 80mm fan. Overall, the MD4700S kit has decent construction quality, but it's limited in terms of features and expansion options. Now, let's dive deeper into each aspect of this kit.

Unboxing and Design

The MD4700S kit comes packaged with the MD4700S motherboard and the RX 5500 graphics card. Both components are securely wrapped in plastic and protected with Bubble wrap. The only accessories included are the respective I/O shields for each component. The visual design of the motherboard is similar to other low-cost motherboards with a green PCB. It features a simple cooling solution with a backplate that acts as a heatsink for the DDR6 memory. The expansion and storage options are very limited, with only two SATA ports, one M.2 slot, and a PCIe Gen2 x4 slot. The audio codec used is the LC 897, which is not ideal for high-quality audio due to its placement near other components. The rear panel has a basic layout with four USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, and three audio connectors. The CPU cooling system is simple but effective, using an 80mm fan and a heatsink. However, the lack of a heatsink on the RX 5500 may cause thermal issues. Overall, the design and features of the MD4700S kit are basic and may not appeal to users looking for extensive customization or high-end components.

Specifications and Features

The MD4700S motherboard is equipped with the AMD 4700S processor, which is actually the AMD APU used in the PlayStation 5 but with the integrated GPU disabled. The processor is manufactured by TSMC using a 7nm process and has a die size of around 300mm². It features a GPU based on the RDNA2 architecture with 2304 stream processors, 2 CCXs with 4 cores each, and 4MB of L3 Cache per CCX. The memory configuration consists of 8 DDR6 chips manufactured by HeinekenX, with a 256-bit bus and a theoretical bandwidth of 448GB/s. The processor's lower clock speeds, reduced L3 Cache, and higher memory latency compared to regular desktop processors may impact overall performance. The MD4700S kit is available in two versions: one with just the motherboard and one that includes the RX 5500 graphics card. The RX 5500 is a budget GPU with a 64-bit memory bus and a modest gaming performance. It's important to note that the MD4700S motherboard has limitations in terms of PCIe lanes and memory latency, restricting the use of more powerful GPUs.