Intel Core i7-7700k versus AMD Ryzen 1700X 14 Game CPU Showdown

AMD & Intel Test Systems

As we begin testing the system, we will allow both systems a 24-hour burn-in. In order to keep the test systems as similar as possible, the same hardware will be used on both systems where possible. The only differences will come in the form of the processor, motherboard and drivers. The Intel i7-7700k test system will use the built-in Windows 10 Balanced power plan, while the AMD Ryzen 1700x system will utilize the new AMD Ryzen Balanced plan.

AMD Ryzen Test Platform
Processor	AMD Ryzen 1700X	Click Here
Motherboard	Gigabyte AX370-Gaming 5	Click Here
Memory	HyperX Predator DDR4 16GB	Click Here
Video Card	EVGA GTX 970 SC	Click Here
Hard Drive	Intel Pro 2500 180GB SSD	Click Here
Game Drive	Sandisk Ultra II 480GB SSD	Click Here
Game Drive	Kingston Predator 240GB M.2	Click Here
Cooler	Thermaltake Contac Silent 12	Click Here
Power Supply	Corsair CX 750M	Click Here
Operating System	Windows 10 64-bit Pro v1607	Click Here

The HyperX Predator DDR4 memory kit has some incompatibilities on the Gigabyte AX370-Gaming 5 motherboard. We attempted to use the various UEFI updates provided by Gigabyte including several unreleased revisions. This memory kit is capable of running 3200MHz with the XMP 1 profile, unfortunately we were not able to boot the system running XMP 1. Using the XMP 2 profile, we were able to run at 2933MHz. Attempting to manually configure the memory to run at anything above 2933MHz, the system was unusable. While the HyperX Predator DDR4 memory kit is capable of running 3200MHz, we will be using the XMP 2 profile for all testing. We ended up using the F3N UEFI as that was the most stable at the time for the memory.

In addition, while we would normally use a liquid cooler for testing the AMD Ryzen system, currently the Corsair H105 is incompatible with Ryzen, until Corsair gets the brackets in for release. While we won’t be looking at the temperatures during this evaluation, we will keep an eye on them to make sure the AMD Ryzen doesn’t get over 70C.

Intel i7 Z270 Test Platform
Processor	Intel i7-7700k 4.2GHz	Click Here
Motherboard	ASUS ROG STRIX Z270G Gaming	Click Here
Memory	HyperX Predator DDR4 16GB	Click Here
Video Card	EVGA GTX 970 SC	Click Here
Hard Drive	Intel Pro 2500 180GB SSD	Click Here
Game Drive	Sandisk Ultra II 480GB SSD	Click Here
Game Drive	Kingston Predator 240GB M.2	Click Here
Cooler	Corsair H105/td>	Click Here
Power Supply	Corsair CX 750M	Click Here
Operating System	Windows 10 64-bit Pro v1607	Click Here

We have selected 14 popular games for our testing. Some of these games have integrated benchmarks, which we will use as it provides the best possible comparison. Others do not include an integrated benchmark, so we will use FRAPS or AMD OCAT where necessary. In addition, while DirectX 11 is the most commonly used API, DirectX 12 is starting to gain traction. In addition, there is the OpenGL and Vulkan API’s which we will take a look at as well.

Let’s get started by taking a look at some DirectX 11 gaming performance between these two processors.