AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series CPUs have been well received by the PC industry for its impressive performance and efficiency. The company has launched a whole range of processors across Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 models, including new X3D variants.
In this review, we’ll be checking out the Ryzen 7 7700X CPU, which represents the middle of the current lineup of processors. It features a higher TDP of 105W with an 8-core/16-thread design based on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture. We tested the chip across various scenarios and here is our review.
Package
The processor ships in a slim box with AMD Ryzen 7 branding. Since it belongs to the ‘x’ series processors, the Ryzen 7 7700X ships without a cooler in the box. The target audience for this product are likely PC enthusiasts with a higher overall budget, and will prefer having an after-market cooling solution. For this reason, AMD simply doesn’t include a cooler in the box.
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Specifications
| Cores | 8 |
| Threads | 16 |
| Base Block | 4.5 GHz |
| Max Boost Clock | Up to 5.4GHz |
| L2 Cache | 8MB |
| L3 Cache | 32MB |
| PCI Express | PCIe 5.0 |
| Memory Support | DDR5 at 5200MT/s |
| Max Temp | 95 degrees |
| TDP | 105W |
| Manufacturing Technology | TSMC 5nm FinFET |
| Socket | AM5 |
| Architecture | x86 / AMD Zen 4 |
| Launch Price | Worldwide: $399 |
| Warranty | 3 year limited warranty |
Our Test Bench
- AsRock B650 PG Lightning motherboard
- CoolerMaster MasterLiquid ML240L V2 RGB AIO cooler
- 32GB DDR5 5200MHz RAM
- WD Black SN850 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- SilverStone ET750-HG 750W modular power supply
Architecture
The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is built on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture, similar to other processors in the Ryzen 7000-series. These updates include improved power efficiency, faster base clock speeds, a new 6nm I/O die that incorporates an AMD RDNA 2-based graphics engine and more. Even though it is an ‘x’ variant it still features an integrated GPU, based on their RDNA 2 architecture.
Similar to the Ryzen 7900X and Ryzen 7600 that we reviewed recently, the Ryzen 7700X uses the AM5 platform. It brings support for dual-channel DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0 and a higher power target. Notably, the platform also switches to an LGA socket instead of a PGA socket. For now, there are 5 chipsets announced for the AM5 platform – X670E, X670 and B650E, B650 and A620.
Benchmarks
For our benchmarks, we focused largely on productivity and synthetic benchmarks.
Cinebench R23
Cinebench is based on the Cinema 4D suite and can be used to measure 3D modeling, animation, motion graphic and rendering performance. We recorded a score of 19422 points in multi-core and 1985 points in single-core.
GeekBench 5
Geekbench is a popular cross-platform utility for benchmarking CPU and GPU performance. We recorded a score of 13485 points in multicore and 2125 points in single core.
CPU-Z
CPU-Z is a very popular tool to check the system information of Windows computers. It has a benchmarking tool built-in, which gives a taste of the raw CPU performance of both single-core and multi-core. We recorded a score of 767 points in single-core and 7893.4 points in multi-core.
PCMark 10 Extended
This is a benchmark that is geared more towards general usage and is developed by UL Solutions. For the test, we recorded an overall score of 11953 points.
Blender
This benchmark is based on the Blender open-source project, which gives an idea about the rendering performance of both CPUs and GPUs. The BMW benchmark was completed in 2 mins, while the classroom benchmark was completed in 4 mins and 27 seconds.
Jetstream 2
Jetstream is a Javascript benchmark which can measure browser performance effectively. It was run in Google Chrome.
Mozilla Kraken
Mozilla Kraken is another JavaScript benchmark which is built by the Mozilla Foundation and gives a glimpse into real world web browsing performance. This test was run in Google Chrome.
7-Zip
This is a built-in benchmark that comes with the 7-zip file compression app.
Ryzen Master / Overclocking
As expected, the Ryzen 7 7700X features support for overclocking. Windows users can utilize AMD’s RyzenMaster app, which is a great tool to monitor CPU performance right down to each individual core. Overclocking can performed quickly and easily without needing to go the BIOS. One thing to note is that the processors may not have much headroom to overclock. As is with any form of overclocking on Ryzen, you need a good amount of technical knowledge to get the best results.
We request you to use the tool at your own risk, and we would not be responsible in any way if you void your warranty in case you damage your CPU
Real World Performance / Thermals
AMD increased the power targets for this generation of 7000 ‘x’ series processors. The Ryzen 7700X in particular has a higher power target of 105W. For this reason, I would recommend getting a decent Air-cooler or at least a 240mm AIO cooler.
When running AIDA64’s stress test, the processor peaked at 5.4GHz but quickly dropped to 5.1GHz on all cores. During this time, temperature touched a touched a maximum of 95° C. Clearly this CPU requires excellent cooling if you are planning to run heavy loads for extended periods of time.
For gaming workloads and creative applications, the processor was fantastic. With 8 cores, you can easily run games and stream at the same time, and for multi-threaded workloads the processor can handle it with ease.
Conclusion – Verdict
Based on its performance and its 8 core design, the Ryzen 7 7700X is clearly positioned between the 7000-series Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 9 processors. It offers a noticeable jump in performance over the Ryzen 5 7600 and Ryzen 5 7600X, and it is priced lower than than any Ryzen 9 CPU.
You get all the advantages of AM5 including DDR5, PCIe Gen5 and AMD EXPO RAM technology. More importantly, the platform costs have lowered enough to make the jump to the AM5 a lot more reasonable. There are cheaper motherboard options and DDR5 memory prices are no longer unreasonable.
When it comes to price, the Ryzen 7700X launched at an MSRP of $399, but it has since received a price cut. In India, the processor can be found online for about Rs. 33000. That is a solid price for the level of performance offered. It is perfect for gaming and for productivity applications, especially creative applications, the processor is plenty powerful. If you want a processor that is better than the Ryzen 5 7600X but is not priced as high as the Ryzen 9, then the Ryzen 7 7700X is a great middle choice.
Pros
- 8 cores and 16 threads – Excellent gaming performance and great for productivity
- Support for DDR5, PCIe Gen 5.0 and AMD EXPO
- Impressive power efficiency during gaming loads
Cons
- Requires newer DDR5 RAM and not backward compatible with DDR4
- No cooler in the box so aftermarket cooling solutions are required