Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 7 1700

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 7 1700 and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming, video editing. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, PCMark 10, RealBench, Handbrake, Blender, UserBenchmark, Prime95, 7zip, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, SuperPi.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 1700 or Intel Core i7-6950X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6950X

55%

Ryzen 7 1700

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-6950X is 1% better than Ryzen 7 1700. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Ryzen 7 1700

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, 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 little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Metro Exodus, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	95.3
Valorant	113.0	108.3
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	60.6
Apex Legends	106.2	101.8
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	81.2
Overwatch	91.5	87.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	74.7
DOOM Eternal	56.5	54.1
Warzone	88.1	84.5
Assassin's Creed	94.9	91.0
Valheim	93.8	89.9

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6950X

28%

Ryzen 7 1700

49%

To make a finishing 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 1700 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program 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 benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 7 1700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	151
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1403
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	331
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	3189
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	954
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	8065

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 7 1700
Single-Core	2377	1968
Multi-Core	17125	14629

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 7 1700
Single-Core	1204	972
Multi-Core	11187	7152

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 7 1700
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	March 02, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	AM4
Core name	Broadwell E	Summit Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	6	1
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.7 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	10	8
Threads	20	16
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count		3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2667
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		768KB
L2 cache		4MB
L3 cache	25 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD1700BBM88AE YD1700BBAEBOX YD1700BBAEMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 2 more core than Ryzen 7 1700. 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 i7-6950X is better: 26
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 1700 is better: 8
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and AMD Ryzen 7 1700 before making a decision which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i7-6950X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i7-6950X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 1700 specs and review.