Intel Core i7-6700K vs AMD Ryzen 7 7700X vs AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Intel Core i7-6700K

The Intel Core i7-6700K is a high-end quad-core desktop processor based on the Skylake architecture, which was announced in August 2015. The CPU, which is manufactured in a 14 nm process, runs at 4.0 up to 4.2 GHz (2 cores: 4.0 GHz, 3 cores: 4.0 GHz, 4 cores: 4.0 GHz) and can execute up to 8 threads simultaneously thanks to Hyperthreading. Being a so called "K"-model, the Core i7-6700K has a free multiplier and can be easily overclocked. 

Performance

Even though the Core i7-6700K has a slightly lower clock than the old i7-4790K (4.0 GHz - 4.4 GHz), the performance is slightly better compared to the Haswell predecessor. Depending on the application, the per-MHz performance was increased by roughly 5-10 %. Even the most demanding applications and games are no problem for the high-end CPU.

Graphics

Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel HD Graphics 530 with 24 EUs (Execution Units), which is clocked at 350 - 1150 MHz. Compared to the HD Graphics 4600 (Haswell, 20 EUs), the performance is increased by around 25 percent. The overall GPU performance is still low-end, so modern games can, if at all, only be played smoothly with low settings. 

Power Consumption

The TDP was slightly raised from 88 to 91 Watts compared to the predecessor.

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a fast high-end desktop processor of the Raphael series. It offers 8 cores based on the Zen 4 architecture that supports hyperthreading (16 threads). The cores clock from 4.5 (base) up to 5.4 GHz (single core boost). Compared to the faster Ryzen 9 CPUs (like the 7900X), the R7 offers less cores and slightly lower clock speeds.

The performance of the R7 7700X is clearly better than the old Ryzen 7 of the 5000 generation thanks to the improved architecture and modern 5nm process. Compared to Intels Alder Lake Core i7-12900K the performance is quite similar but stays behind the newer Rocket Lake i5-13600K (multi-threaded).

The Raphael series still uses a chiplet design with two CCD-clusters (each with 8 possible cores, so only one used for the 7700X) in 5nm and an IO-die (including the memory controller and the Radeon Graphics iGPU) in 6nm.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a high-end desktop processor from the Raphael series with 8 Zen 4 cores and SMT (Simultaneous Multithreading), allowing it to handle up to 16 threads simultaneously. After its announcement in January 2023 at CES in Las Vegas, it was launched in April 2023. Following the launch of the two top models, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the third model was introduced, which offers significantly more gaming performance with the 3D V-Cache.

The CPU cores have a base clock of 4.2 GHz and can be boosted up to 5 GHz (single-core turbo). The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D features a CCD with 8 cores, which includes the fast 3D V-Cache. This differs significantly from the two Ryzen 9 models, as they have two CCDs, but only one of them can utilize the 3D V-Cache.

The performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is consistently good, although its multi-threaded performance suffers a bit due to the eight native compute cores. However, the real strength of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D lies in gaming performance, where it excels. In tests, we see consistently high gaming performance, even surpassing that of an Intel Core i9-13900K.

In terms of power consumption, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D aligns with the other two models featuring 3D V-Cache, making the 8-core processor extremely power-efficient. In numbers, this means that the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is specified with a TDP of up to 120 watts. The PPT (Package Power Tracking) is also rated up to 162 watts. For comparison, an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is specified with 170 watts (TDP) or 230 watts (PPT).