Intel Core i7-14700K vs Ryzen 7 7700X: Which is the best high-end CPU for gaming?

The Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X are high-end offerings designed for the most powerful gaming rigs. These chips target the $400 price window with some of the best performance metrics you could get. Both are stacked with the latest processor technologies, like hybrid core architectures, improvements in power efficiency, better performance per cycle, and others.

However, despite their similarities, Intel and AMD chips are quite different in terms of what they offer and their performance metrics. Let's go over the differences between the two processors and try to determine which is the better buy for gamers.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the opinions of the writer

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Both Core i7-14700K and Ryzen 7 7700X are powerful gaming CPUs

The Core i7-14700K is a high-performance chip from Team Blue (Image via Amazon)

Before delving into the performance differences between the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, let's look at the specs sheets of the chips.

While the Intel chip is based on the Raptor Lake Refresh architecture that employs a monolithic design, the AMD one uses a chiplet design and is based on the latest Zen 4 architecture.

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Specs comparison

A quick look at the specs and features of the i7-14700K (Image via Amazon)

An accurate specs comparison between the i7-14700K and the Ryzen 7 7700X isn't possible because of how different the chips are in terms of their underlying architecture.

For an overview, however, the i7-14700K is a 20-core chip with eight high-performance 'P' cores and the rest being efficient 'E'-rated. The Ryzen 7 7700X, on the other hand, doesn't use a hybrid architecture and packs just eight cores. Besides, the two cores also differ regarding memory support and operating clock speeds.

Here's a detailed look at the specs of the processors:

	Intel Core i7-14700K	AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
Processor family	Raptor Lake Refresh	Ryzen 7000
Lithography	Intel 7 (10 nm)	Zen 4 (5 nm)
Core count	20 (8P+12E)	8
Thread count	28	16
Total cache (L2+L3)	33 MB Intel Smart Cache	40 MB
Max. turbo frequency	5.6 GHz	up to 5.4 GHz
RAM support	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s, Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 5200 MT/s
iGPU	Intel UHD 770	RDNA 3-based 2-core iGPU
Power draw	125W (253W turbo power)	105W
Price	$400	$349

Also, check out this comparison between the i7-14700K and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D

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Performance comparison

Packaging of the Ryzen 7 7700X chip (Image via Amazon)

The Core i7-14700K and Ryzen 7 7700X differ significantly in terms of the performance levels either can push out. The multi-core metrics are wildly different, given the extra core count the Intel chip packs. This makes the 14700K a much better option for workstations.

Single-core performance is still the major determinant of gaming performance. Most games aren't built to utilize most modern CPUs' multiple cores. Hence, you won't gain much by opting for the costlier Intel processor.

Given below is a list of the performance metrics of the two chips in some of the most popular CPU benchmark software. The data has been sourced from the benchmark aggregator Nanoreview.

	Intel Core i7-14700K	AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
Cinebench R23 single-core	2,069	2,022
Cinebench R23 multi-core	34,818	20,166
Geekbench 5 single-core	2,882	2,981
Geekbench 5 multi-core	20,596	15,930

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The Core i7-14700K and the Ryzen 7 7700X are insanely powerful CPUs. While the 7700X loses to the Intel offering in terms of multi-core performance, do note that it is $50 cheaper.

We recommend opting for the Intel CPU if you have the extra budget. However, if you want to save some money, the 7700X is a fantastic option that can handle all workloads without breaking a sweat.

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Check out Sportskeeda's other CPU comparisons:

Intel Core i9-14900K vs Ryzen 9 7900X || Intel Core i5-14600K vs Ryzen 5 7600X || Intel Core i9-14900K vs Ryzen 9 7950X || Intel Core i7-14700K vs AMD Ryzen 9 7900X