Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 7 2700

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-7960X vs AMD Ryzen 7 2700 and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Furmark, WPrime, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, Blender, SuperPi, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Blender.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Halo Infinite
Death Stranding
Apex Legends
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Cyberpunk 2077
Fortnite
Valorant
Last Man Standing
Red Dead Redemption 2
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Rainbow Six Siege
Valheim
Fallout 76
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Watch Dogs Legion
Grand Theft Auto V
Borderlands 3
DOOM: Eternal
Overwatch

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 2700 or Intel Core i9-7960X.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i9-7960X

58%

Ryzen 7 2700

54%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-7960X is 6% better than Ryzen 7 2700. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7960X

60%

Ryzen 7 2700

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Control, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.9	96.1
Valorant	121.4	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	68.0	61.1
Apex Legends	114.2	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	91.1	81.9
Overwatch	98.4	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.8	75.3
DOOM Eternal	60.7	54.6
Warzone	94.7	85.1
Assassin's Creed	102.0	91.7
Valheim	100.8	90.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-7960X

22%

Ryzen 7 2700

49%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 7 2700 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7960X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 7 2700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	164
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3161	1529
Cinbench 20 Single-core	611	403
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5496	3448
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1103	1057
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22189	8947

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 7 2700
Single-Core	2605	2182
Multi-Core	27039	15741

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 7 2700
Single-Core	1113	973
Multi-Core	18501	7894

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7960X	AMD Ryzen 7 2700
Announcement date	October 01, 2017	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	7	2
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	2.8 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	16	8
Threads	32	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography		12 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	3800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache		768KB
L2 cache		4MB
L3 cache	22 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD2700BBM88AF YD2700BBAFBOX YD2700BBAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 7 2700 is 12% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7960X has 8 more core than Ryzen 7 2700. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7960X is better: 31
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 2700 is better: 7
However, it should be realized that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-7960X and AMD Ryzen 7 2700 before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 2700 specs and review.