Do Ryzen CPUs need graphics cards?

For fun, I'm building my first computer. I thought it would be easy enough but as I finished I had trouble getting it to boot.

The computer turns on when I press the power button but it won't show any video and the monitor keys seem to become unresponsive when the computer is turned on, like if it was trying to process bad input or something. It's a similar behavior most computers have when they have no memory installed. No memory: no video.

Somewhere on the CPU's (it's not a APU) packaging I read it needs a graphics card but I assumed it means for accelerated processing for things like gaming, videoprod and the like; since this is just a weekend project –so to speak– I didn't get one.

I'm confused if it's bad RAM or a missing GPU. Adding to my confusion is the fact that the [hideous] motherboard lighting comes on as soon as I connect the thing to the AC outlet. I think it's off though because pressing on the power button turns on every fan on the system and turns on the LED ring circling the power button in addition to the seizure show on the motherboard.

I have a couple of servers with Xeons on them which are supposed to need dedicated graphics and yet they're able to show basic video without them, so; is it incompatible RAM or do Ryzens really need dedicated graphics to work?

Thanks !

Solution 1:

The R5 2600 is a CPU without an integrated GPU. The Ryzen 5 2600x, 3600 and 3600x are the same. They need a discrete video card. For Ryzen processors, there needs to have a "G" suffix (ex. Ryzen 5 2400G ) to indicate the presence of an iGPU (APU).

Note: For Intel 9th and 10th Gen CPU, the F suffix indicates a lack of iGPU, same as the R5 2600. Please be careful when buying.

Nowadays, most motherboards do not have an integrated GPU, as was the case back a few years ago (ex. nForce series). You need a CPU with an iGPU core to output from the motherboard.