Intel Core i7-7700K vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-7700K vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and understand which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, AIDA64, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, Blender, UserBenchmark, Prime95, PCMark 10, PassMark, 3DMark, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, Blender, MATLAB, WPrime, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-7700K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-7700K

52%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 2600X is 3% better than Core i7-7700K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-7700K

53%

Ryzen 5 2600X

53%

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: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.7	94.6
Valorant	106.5	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	59.7	60.2
Apex Legends	100.1	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	79.9	80.6
Overwatch	86.3	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.5	74.2
DOOM Eternal	53.3	53.8
Warzone	83.1	83.9
Assassin's Creed	89.5	90.3
Valheim	88.4	89.3

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 tested computers 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. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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

Core i7-7700K

49%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a finishing decision 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 Core i7-7700K is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i7-7700K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	200	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	995	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	466	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2257	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1216	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	6055	7514

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

	Intel Core i7-7700K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	2791	2438
Multi-Core	9750	14033

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

	Intel Core i7-7700K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1412	1127
Multi-Core	5637	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful 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 later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest 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 i7-7700K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	October 01, 2016	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA 1151	AM4
Core name	Kaby Lake	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	7	2
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	4.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	1760 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4
Max. Memory	64 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	8 MB	16MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD260XBCM6IAF YD260XBCAFBOX YD260XBCAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-7700K is 14% better than Ryzen 5 2600X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 5 2600X has 2 more core than Core i7-7700K. 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 i7-7700K is better: 11
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 24
However, it should be realized that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-7700K and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-7700K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.