AMD Ryzen 7 1700X vs Intel Pentium Gold 4417U

AMD Ryzen 7 1700X

The AMD Ryzen 7 1700X is a fast desktop processor with 8 cores and SMT (16 threads) that was introduced in early 2017. It is based on the new Zen architecture and it is the second fastest model at the time of announcement.

The CPU cores clock from 3.4 base speed up to 3.9 GHz (XFR). The 2-core Turbo is specified at 3.8 GHz and using all 8 cores, the CPU can reach up to 3.5 GHz. Therefore, the CPU offers 200 MHz less than the Ryzen 7 1800X at the same TDP.

The performance in applications that can make use of all 8 cores is very competitive to high end Intel CPUs at a very good price point. However, non optimized apps like many games can't make full use of the new architecture.

A detailed look at the new Ryzen 7 1800X, 1700X and 1700 can be found in our review (upcoming).

Intel Pentium Gold 4417U

The Intel Pentium Gold Processor 4417U is a power efficient dual-core SoC for entry level laptops based on the Kaby Lake Refresh generation (not Coffee Lake). It was announced in February 2019 and integrates two "big" cores (similar to the Core i3, i5 and i7 CPUs) clocked at 2.3 GHz (fixed, no Turbo Boost). The integrated graphics card is named Intel HD Graphics 610 and offers 12 EUs clocked at 300 - 950 MHz. The integrated memory controller supports slower memory speeds than the faster i3 and i5 models (DDR4-2133 / LPDDR3-1866 / DDR3L-1600) and dual channel memory.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Skylake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

With a fixed clock speed of 2.3 GHz, the dual core CPU is clearly slower than models with Turbo Boost and high clock speeds for single thread performance. The multi thread performance however is also limited due to the two cores. The faster Core i5-8250U offers four processor cores and  fast Turbo Boost speeds therefore offers a much better performance. Still, the Pentium 4417U offers enough performance for daily tasks and non demanding applications.

Power Consumption

The chip is most likely manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors (14nm+), the same as the 7th Gen Kaby Lake processors. Intel still specifies the TDP with 15 Watts, which is typical for ULV chips. According to Intel it can be configured to 12.5 Watt at 800 MHz (cTDP-down) with a clearly reduced performance.