AMD has been creating a real hype with its Ryzen range of processors, and with our reviews of the Ryzen 7 1800X and 1700X we found out that these are indeed a boon for content creators who want to use their PCs for more than just gaming. For anyone who’s been living under a rock, here’s a small refresher: The Ryzen CPUs are based on the new AMD Zen architecture and the AM4 socket, the direct successor to AMD’s Piledriver based FX processors with the AM3 & AM3+ sockets released over five years ago.
The Ryzen 7 is the high-end range of the Ryzen series with 8 cores and 16 threads, and the Ryzen 7 1700 is just next to the Ryzen 7 1700 and a little under the 1800X. Unlike its more expensive counterparts, this one does come with a Wraith Cooler, so that’s always a plus.
Tech Specs
| CPU | 1700X |
| Cores | 8 |
| Threads | 16 |
| Socket | AM4 |
| Base Clock | 3.0 GHz |
| Boost Clock | 3.7 GHz |
| TDP | 65W |
The Ryzen 7 1700 boasts of a base clock speed of 3 GHz with a boost clock of up to 3.7 GHz. The new Zen architecture makes use of the 14nm FinFET Technology, which is much more powerful than its predecessor’s 32nm SOI manufacturing process.
The AM4 socket will feature about six chipset options, including the X370, B350 and X300 which will allow for unlocked overclocking of any Ryzen CPU. With a price tag of about INR 26K, it is much cheaper than Intel’s eight-core i7-6900K, and a little less than the i7-7700K as well. Additionally, Ryzen will finally bring DDR4 support for AMD CPUs, which remain to be dual-channel.
Test Setup and Benchmarks
Our test setup for benchmarking the Ryzen 7 1700X consisted of the following components:
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair VI Hero AM4 AMD X370
- Memory: EVO X Hardcore Gaming Memory DDR4 3200MHz
- CPU Cooler: Wraith Spire
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti Founder’s Edition
- SSD: Samsung EVO 250 GB
The X370 is the most high-end chipset for the Ryzen processors, where the X stands for Xtreme. It supports multi-GPU rendering (Crossfire and SLI) with two PCI-E slots (Gen 3.0). It supports overlocking as well and is basically the chipset that corresponds to Z170, Z270 and X99 for corresponding Intel counterparts. The mainstream version, the B350 chipset is a little more generalized, offering full performance, but less tweaking options. However, both of these offer support for the following, making sure both regular users and enthusiasts get the best out of their motherboards:
- NVMe
- Dual-channel DDR4 memory
- M.2 SATA devices
- PCIe 3.0 capability
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2
CineBench R15 Single-Core
CineBench is a cross-platform benchmarking suite based on Maxon’s animation software Cinema 4D. It’s a comprehensive test that evaluates your PC’s performance capability. The test uses of all of your processing power to render a photo-realistic 3D scene, making use of different algorithms to stress all available processor cores. It consists of tests for both single-core and multi-core performance, and gives the final answer in the form of points, the higher the better.
In the single core tests, the Intel i7 7700K sits comfortably at the top, way ahead of the Ryzen 1700. But its impressive how the Ryzen 1700 sits at par with the i7 5960X in terms of single-core performance, which is a testament to the enormous improvement made by AMD Ryzen processors.
CineBench R15 Multi-Core
The multi-threaded performance test is where the Ryzen 7 1700 shines. Taking a clear leap over both the i7 6700K and the i7 7700K, it comes close to the 6900K, beating the 5960X as well. However, as most games do not make effective use of multiple CPU cores right now, gaming performance is still largely determined by the per core performance where the 1700 lags behind.
CPU-Z Single-Core Performance
CPU-Z is a simple and incredible tool that offers you information about your system and processor. Recently, it was updated with a benchmark tool, which is incredibly easy-to-use and tests RAW CPU performance, for both single-threaded and multi-threaded core performance. It’s quick and and offers an easy way to view your processor’s performance. The single core performance implications from the previous Cinebench results are reflected here, though the Ryzen 7 1700 gives better numbers, leaving the i7 6900K behind.
CPU-Z Multi-Core Performance
In the multi-core performance tests by CPU-Z, the Ryzen 7 1700 goes miles ahead of its intel counterparts, beaten only by the Ryzen 7 1800X and 1700X.
3DMark Vantage CPU Score
3DMark Vantage is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that focuses on two components most critical for gamers – CPU and GPU. It has a standalone CPU test that supports multi-core and multi-threading setup and provides an overall result of how your system performs by giving separate scores for CPU, GPU and a combined score as well.
In-game Benchmarks
The following titles were chosen to test the processor’s gaming prowess:
- Far Cry Primal
- Watch Dogs 2
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
All the games were tested at the highest preset (Ultra/Very High) with AA and VSync off. The following benchmarks were obtained at 1080p. More titles and results for higher resolutions will be added in the future, so make sure you stay tuned.
XFR and Overclocking
The Ryzen processors come with nifty tricks up their sleeves that help you get the maximum performance out of your CPU. One such trick is the Extended Frequency Range, known as XFR in short. It allows the processor to automatically exceed the boost clock speed if the thermal solution is good enough. Another way of putting it could be that your Ryzen processor is capable of overclocking itself. XFR is fully enabled only on the ‘X’ versions of Ryzen processors (like the 1700X and the 1800X). Non-X chips like the 1700 have a limited 50 MHz boost.
The catch, however, is that XFR is completely disabled should you choose to overclock your system manually. AMD has added a new software to its database to facilitate overclocking for users, called as AMD Ryzen Master. It’s similar to the WattMan software for AMD graphics cards, with a set of sliders that allow for per-core clock speed, voltage, and memory timing adjustments, as well as the ability to disable cores entirely. Using the Ryzen Master software also disables the XFR.
The Verdict
While the numbers are impressive, gaming performance of Ryzen processors still leaves a lot to be desired. Not to mention that games are yet to be optimized for the Ryzen processors and DX 12, which can lead to better utilization of multiple CPU cores. The multi-threaded scores make the Ryzen 7 1700 an ideal choice for people who can’t afford the 1700X with a separate cooler, but still want great performance for video editing, rendering and production.
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