Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X worth buying over the Core i7 12700K and 13700K in 2023?

Core i7 13700K and Ryzen 7 7700X on blue and red background
The Core i7 13700K and Ryzen 7 7700X are high-performance chips (Image via @OptimumTech/YouTube)

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a high-end octa-core processor in the Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000 lineup. This particular chip is the successor to the fairly competent Ryzen 7 5800X and 5800X3D chips.

Early reviews of the 7700X have pointed to solid performance and value from the processor. Following AMD's price cuts to stay competitive against Intel's 13th gen Raptor Lake offerings, the chip has become more lucrative than ever.

However, this doesn't alter the fact that the 13700K takes a slight performance lead in almost every workload. In this article, we'll dissect the chip and its competitors — the Core i7 12700K and the 13700K — and find out which of these is the best offering.

This article reflects the personal views of the author.


The Ryzen 7 7700X represents solid value in the mid-range

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In general, the 7700X is a solid chip that pairs well with the highest-end GPUs on the market, including the RTX 4090 and the RX 7900 XTX. As a result, gamers who opt for the CPU won't be disappointed with what it offers. A brief glance at the specs reveals a lot about this mid-range chip from Team Red.


Specs

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The Ryzen 7 7700X is based on the latest Zen 4 architecture. It utilizes the AM5 socket and exclusively supports DDR5 memory. The chip packs high operating clock speeds that's typical of any Ryzen 7000 CPU.

The specs of this processor don't look too shabby in comparison to the latest offerings from Intel. Although the Intel chips pack a higher core count, which might end up offering higher performance, both processors share similar operating frequencies and power draws.

Intel's advertised TDP can be slightly misleading as the Team Blue chips end up drawing as much as is allowed by the cooler and motherboard.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3DAMD Ryzen 7 7700XIntel Core i7 12700KIntel Core i7 13700K
ArchitectureZen 3Zen 412th gen Alder Lake13th gen Raptor Lake
Core count8812 (8P+4E)16 (8P+8E)
Thread count16162024
Base clock3.4 GHz4.5 GHz2.7 GHz (E-core)
3.6 GHz (P-core)
2.5 GHz (E-core)
3.4 GHz (P-core)
Boost clock4.5 GHz5.4 GHz3.8 GHz (E-core)
5.0 GHz (P-core)
4.2 GHz (E-core)
5.4 GHz (P-core)
Cache4 MB L2
96 MB L3
8 MB L2
32 MB L3
12 MB L2
25 MB Intel Smart Cache
24 MB L2
30 MB Intel Smart Cache
TDP105W105W125W base power
190W max draw
125W base power
253W max draw
Price$310$348$318 (12700K)
$294 (12700KF)
$395 (13700K)
$384 (13700KF)

Overall, both the last-gen and latest Team Blue and AMD chips in the $300 bracket look fairly promising.


Performance differences

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Gamers can expect high performances from both the Ryzen 7 7700X and its competitors. The mid-range Ryzen 7 and Core i7 processors are essentially designed while keeping gamers in mind. Their performance class makes them a solid option for high-end gaming.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3DAMD Ryzen 7 7700XIntel Core i7 12700KIntel Core i7 13700K
Cinebench R23 single-core1,4912,0101,9392,126
Cinebench R23 multi-core15,00320,39922,81231,026
Geekbench 6 single-core2,1092,8982,5282,787
Geekbench 6 multi-core11,64615,13714,12917,208

In synthetic benchmarks, we see that the Ryzen 7 7700X completely obliterates the last-gen Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the Core i7 12700K. The improved single-core performance of the Zen 4 lineup makes this possible. However, the story is slightly different when tested in some of the latest AAA games on the market.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3DAMD Ryzen 7 7700XIntel Core i7 12700KIntel Core i7 13700K
Far Cry 6168155139175
Microsoft Flight Simulator16112097123
Cyberpunk 2077198201187223
Hitman III174165158202

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is surprisingly capable of delivering high performance in video games. It thoroughly humiliates the Core i7 12700K in multiple games and even gets ahead of the latest Ryzen 7 7700X from Team Red.

The 13700K takes a solid lead in some titles, but it's also a costlier option. Thus, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D continues to be the better option even almost a year after its release.


Conclusion

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3D V-caching works like a charm for the AMD offering. Across the board, the 5800X is a far weaker chip than the 7700X. However, when it's bundled with a unique style of cache arrangement, it beats the latest Ryzen 7 that packs several performance and efficiency improvement technologies.

In addition, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D will help gamers save some bucks on the motherboard and memory prices. A decent B450 board is sufficient for the chip, while all the AM5 options, which support the Ryzen 7 7700X, cost a ton. The older AM4 chip supports DDR4 memory as well, which is available at dirt cheap prices nowadays.

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Edited by Atul S
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