AMD Ryzen 7 3700X vs Intel Core i7-8700K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests AMD Ryzen 7 3700X vs Intel Core i7-8700K and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, programming, video editing, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, 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 VeraCrypt, Handbrake, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, 3DMark, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, Gears 5, Prime95, AIDA64, 7zip, RealBench, SuperPi, PCMark 10.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Ryzen 7 3700X

56%

Core i7-8700K

54%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 7 3700X is 3% better than Core i7-8700K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 7 3700X

55%

Core i7-8700K

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.2	95.7
Valorant	110.5	108.7
Cyberpunk 2077	61.9	60.9
Apex Legends	103.8	102.2
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	81.6
Overwatch	89.5	88.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.2	75.0
DOOM Eternal	55.2	54.4
Warzone	86.2	84.8
Assassin's Creed	92.8	91.3
Valheim	91.7	90.3

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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 7 3700X

68%

Core i7-8700K

49%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 7 3700X is more energy efficient than the Core i7-8700K as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that 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

	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X	Intel Core i7-8700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	204	208
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2114	1447
Cinbench 20 Single-core	501	487
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4834	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1294	1209
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12355	8960

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

	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	2716	2760
Multi-Core	22880	13949

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

	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	1339	1402
Multi-Core	9023	7536

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X	Intel Core i7-8700K
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Matisse	Coffee Lake
Architecture	Zen 2	x86
Generation	3	8
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	4600 millions	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth		41.6 GB/s
L1 cache	512KB
L2 cache	4MB
L3 cache	32MB	12 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000071 100-100000071BOX 100-100000071MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-8700K is 2% better than Ryzen 7 3700X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 7 3700X has 2 more core than Core i7-8700K. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is better: 29
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700K is better: 9
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and Intel Core i7-8700K before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3700X specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8700K specs and review.