I had the chance to get my hands on the MSI RX 5700 XT MECH OC video card while we were testing it out on an Intel i7 8700k processor. What struck me most was how much faster this card was compared to others, so I decided to take advantage of our new AMD test bench and see if there were any changes in performance.
This article compares two CPUs, the Intel i7 8700k and the AMD Ryzen 1800x. They both have many similarities like a base clock of 3.7GHz but differ in use cases with the AMD Ryzen 1800x being more capable in rendering programs because it has a higher number of cores and threads; however, there are other aspects to take into consideration such as power consumption when choosing which CPU to purchase.
The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X was just released this July 2019 and is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a TDP rating of 65 watts. This processor is part of the third generation of AMD’s popular Ryzen family series. With this new design also came improvements in power savings. There are some drawbacks though; it runs at a lower frequency when compared to its predecessors or competitors yet still stays reliable enough for everyday use – making it perfect for users who want performance without sacrificing any necessary battery life.
The specs of these two processors are amazing. In comparison, they both come with different structures but function the same way when it comes to benchmarks. They both support 4 cores and 8 threads which make them great for gaming and other things alike where multitasking is necessary. One major difference between them is that Intel supports DDR4 whereas AMD supports DDR4 too – but also includes its own Wraith Prism Cooler which offers 16 unique lighting effects or modes in addition to a built-in fan control (Yes, you heard me).
i7-8700K Vs Ryzen 7 3700X
After spending days pouring over every technical specification, we’re confident this graphics card will meet your needs. Plus, we’ve compiled all of the important specs below so you can make an informed decision about whether it’s right for you.
i7-8700K Vs Ryzen 7 3700X Testbeds:
Here is the Intel test bench configuration:
- Intel i7 8700k
- ASUS Strix Z390-E Gaming Motherboard
- ASUS ROG Ryujin 360 CPU Cooler
- CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO 16GB @ 3200MHz CL16
- Lexar NM610 250GB NVMe SSD
- CORSAIR AX1200i PSU
- Custom Open-Air Test Bench
Here is the AMD test bench configuration:
- AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
- AORUS X570 PRO WIFI
- CORSAIR H100i RGB Platinum
- CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO 16GB @ 3200MHz CL16
- HyperX 120GB SSD
- Antec HCP1300
- Custom Open-Air Test Bench
- Here is the AMD test bench configuration:
It’s been about a week since I last had my hands on my newest set of DDR4-3600MHz modules, since they’re currently residing in customs. It worries me that it’ll take too long for them to reach me while the H1N1 pandemic is still going strong – especially since people are being quarantined without exception.
Intel i7 8700k has been tested at the following settings:
- 5.0GHz using 1.30V VCore Manual
- Stock settings on Auto
- All cores set at a base clock of 3.7GHz using auto voltage and turbo boost disabled
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X was tested at:
- Stock settings on PBO
- All cores set at a base clock of 3.6GHz using auto voltage and turbo boost disabled
- All cores set at a clock of 3.7GHz using auto voltage and turbo boost disabled
I’ve included these overclocked numbers for the Intel Core i7-8700K since it’s what most people who are in the blue camp tend to do. In order to see how well this works, I’ve taken some of these benchmarks and ran them with the AMD Ryzen 2700X clocked at 3.2 GHz and then again when overclocked by 100 MHz across all cores up to 3700 MHz – which was because of its much lower base clock speed than Intel (1).
AMD driver Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.2.2 was used for all tests. Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) was used to remove the complete traces of the previous installation before installing the drivers.
Monitoring Software:
MSI Afterburner 4.62 was used to monitor and record the frames per second (FPS) of a series of computer games.
Synthetic Benchmarks:
Following synthetic benchmarks have been used:
- 3DMark Fire Strike
- 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
- 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
- 3DMark Time Spy
- 3DMark Time Spy Extreme
- Unigine Superposition
Games:
The following games have been benched:
- Ashes of the Singularity [DX11, DX12]
- Battlefield 1 [DX11, DX12]
- Battlefield V (DX11, DX12]
- Metro Last Light Redux [DX11]
- Metro Exodus [DX11, DX12]
- Assassin’s Creed Origin [DX11]
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider [DX12]
- Grand Theft Auto – V [DX11]
- Far Cry 5 – [DX11]
- Middle Earth – Shadow of War [DX11]
- The Witcher 3 [DX11]
- DOOM [Vulkan]
- Wolfenstein II The New Colossus [Vulkan]
Synthetic Benchmark:
Let’s take a closer look at the synthetic benchmark results first. Here are the scores for each of the systems. As you can see, it’s pretty clear which one performs best.
A marginal increase in the efficiency of AMD’s new chip at stock levels!
Intel i7 8700k vs Ryzen 7 3700x Gaming Performance:
Let’s take a look at some of the results from Assassin’s Creed Origins’ gaming.
1080p Testing is Strange But Heck Even Intel Core i7-8700K at 5.0GHz Could Not Produce This High of a Result Though! Higher Resolution Results are Closer Together.
Ashes of the Singularity – Escalation DX11
It’s good to see that AMD has finally fulfilled the long-awaited demand of individuals who want cheaper yet equally powerful chips. Though it is noteworthy to mention that Intel released its latest CPU in 2017, people are still satisfied with the performance of this considerably cheaper CPU from AMD.
Battlefield1 DX11
The Witcher 3
Middle Earth Shadow of War
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Now, it is time to see the results of this test with these CPUs. All cores were locked at their base clock and AMD Ryzen 7 3700X was overclocked at 3700MHz.
Synthetic Benchmarks
Following synthetic benchmarks have been used:
- 3DMark Fire Strike
- 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
- 3DMark Time Spy
- Unigine Superposition 1080P Extreme
Games
The following games have been benched:
- Metro Exodus [DX11, DX12]
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider [DX12]
- Far Cry 5 – [DX11]
- Wolfenstein II The New Colossus [Vulkan]
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the necessary time to test everything. So for this section, I will only list these few (selected) games and benchmarks below so you can see the results yourself:
Gaming Performance:
A boost in performance was seen on the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X when running it at its maximum clock speed. It could only be better judged against one of Intel’s processors, such as the Intel i9 9900K.
Far Cry 5
Metro Exodus DX11
Metro Exodus DX12
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
There are sellers on NewEgg who are pricing the Intel i7 8700k at $354.99, which we’re guessing might not be an accurate retail price. Even so, for only $284.99 (at the time of this article), you’re getting a very capable AMD Ryzen 7 3700X processor! With 16MB L3 cache and Precision Boost 3 Technology, it’s a well-rounded solution for productivity AND gaming!
It’s great that we’re seeing improvements in the CPU market through both AMD and Intel – but they are fighting tooth and nail to maintain their foothold. And while there may be some debate over which company has had better products recently, Intel really needs to up its game if it wants to hold onto its title as top dog. With Threadripper coming out soon at an aggressively competitive price point, it looks like things are about to get even more interesting.
