The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 7 7700 are mid-range CPUs designed for gamers who want the best performance out of their mid-range PCs. The chips are available in the $200-300 range and bring the latest technologies from Team Red. However, one of them is the flagship Ryzen 5 offering while the other is a cut-down Ryzen 7 CPU designed with power efficiency in mind.
Choosing between non-'X' and 'X' CPUs has always been a difficult decision. Moreover, choosing between the slightly cut-down 7600X and the eight-core 7700 will be an even more daunting task. In this article, we will compare the performance and specs of the two CPUs to answer which is the better option for gamers.
Both the Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 7 7700 pack superb gaming performance
The Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 7 7700 are quite different from each other in terms of specs. Although they are based on the same architecture, the chips target slightly different market segments. Let's review their spec sheets before looking at the performance details.
Specs comparison
The most important difference between the Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600X is that the former is an eight-core chip while the latter packs six cores. This makes the Ryzen 7 a much better processor for multi-core-heavy workloads like video editing and rendering.
Both processors have similar clock speeds, however. They can go up to a maximum of 5.3 GHz while operating under full load. However, the 7600X is a 105W chip and it may go way over that while delivering peak performance. The 7700 is a 65W processor and although it goes past that number under load, is more efficient than the 7600X.
Detailed specs of the processors are as follows:
Performance comparison
The Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600X are quite close to each other in terms of single-core performance. Since gaming performance is mostly reliant on this performance metric, both chips are equally as good in most titles.
However, the extra cores of the Ryzen 7 chip come in handy in multi-core-heavy workloads. The 7700 beats the 7600X consistently in this metric, maintaining a considerable lead of over 3,000 points in both Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 6 benchmarks. This makes the 7700 a much better choice for workstations that will double as gaming rigs.
Below is a list of performance metrics scored by the chips. The data has been sourced from the benchmarks aggregator website Nanoreview.
The Ryzen 5 7600X has been discounted to just $208 these days while the 7700 is selling for $291. This makes the six-core chip way more value-for-money given the performance it can dish out.
We recommend siding with this cheaper option and spending the extra cash on a beefier GPU since that will unlock better performance. However, if you plan to use your device for professional workloads as well, spend the extra cash and get the Ryzen 7.