Ryzen 7 7700X Vs Intel i7-12700K [Gaming Benchmarks]

With the release of the Ryzen 7000 series line-up, you might be thinking of upgrading to Team Red. After all, the chipsets look quite impressive, offering good value for money. However, the main question is, how well do they compare against their Intel rivals? Well, in this guide, we will be doing the ultimate Ryzen 7 7700X vs. i7-12700K showdown.

Previously, we put the all-new Ryzen 9 7900X against the ultimate i9-12900K and found that the R9 7900X leads in gaming performance. Additionally, our Ryzen 5 7600X vs. Intel i5-12600K comparison also yielded the same results, where Team Red stayed ahead of Team Blue in sheer gaming performance.

So, will the R7 7700X live up to its peers? And will it give its rival chipset, the Core i7-12700K, a run for its money? To find out the answer to this question, we will be doing an in-depth comparison of the Ryzen 7 7700X and the Core i7-12700K. However, before we dive into their architectural differences and gaming benchmarks, let’s look at their fundamentals first.

Key Takeaways

• If you go over the two chipsets on paper, the Ryzen 7 7700X has higher clock speeds, lower power consumption, and a bigger L3 cache size. On the other hand, the i7-12700K has more physical cores.
• In the 10 games we analyzed, the R7 7700X performed about 6.2% better than the i7-12700K in terms of sheer gaming performance. On top of that, the AMD chip also consumed about 17% less power. However, it ran about 10.5% hotter than the Intel Core i7-12700K.
• Currently, you can get an R7 7700X for $399 and an i7-12700K for about $358.

Specifications Difference

Let’s go over the detailed specifications to get a better understanding of the two chipsets.

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Specifications

• Socket: AM5
• Cores: 8
• Threads: 16
• Base Frequency:  4.5 GHz
• Turbo Boost Frequency: 5.4 GHz
• Bus Frequency: 100 MHz
• Multiplier: 45x
• L1 Cache: 64K (per core)
• L2 Cache: 1MB (per core)
• L3 Cache: 40MB (shared)
• TDP: 105W
• Max. Temperature: 95°C
• Fabrication Process: 5nm
• Memory Types: DDR5
• Memory Transfer Rates: 5200 MT/s
• Number of Memory Channels: 2 (dual channel)
• Max Memory Size: 128GB
• Maximum Number of PCI Express Lanes: 24
• Integrated Graphics: AMD Radeon™ Graphics
• GPU Boost Clock: 2200 MHz

Intel i7-12700K Specifications

• Socket: LGA-1700
• Cores: 12
• Threads: 20
• Base Frequency: 3.6 GHz
• Turbo Boost Frequency: 5 GHz
• Bus Frequency: 100MHz
• Multiplier: 36x
• L1 Cache: 80K (per core)
• L2 Cache: 12MB (shared)
• L3 Cache: 25MB (shared)
• TDP: 125W
• Max. Temperature: 100°C
• Fabrication Process: 10nm
• Memory Types: DDR4 and DDR5
• Memory Transfer Rates: DDR5-4800MT/s, DDR4-3200MT/s
  
• Number of Memory Channels: 2 (dual-channel)
• Max Memory Size: 128 GB
• Maximum Number of PCI Express Lanes: 20
• Integrated Graphics: Intel® UHD Graphics 770
  
• GPU Boost Clock: 1500 MHz

Right off the bat, it’s very clear that the Core i7-12700K packs a bunch more cores and threads. It’s a combination of 8 Performance and 4 Efficient cores, a hybrid architectural design that Intel introduced in their Alder Lake chipsets.

However, it’s also quite evident that AMD’s new 5nm fabrication process, which makes their chipsets 50% smaller than Intel’s Alder lake line-up, has allowed them to achieve higher clock speeds while staying more power efficient.

From the looks of it, it is apparent that the i7-12700K should outperform the Ryzen 7 7700X in multi-core and multi-threading tasks. However, due to high clock speeds, the R7 7700X should stay ahead of the i7-12700K in single-core performance.

After all, these speculations are based on just their specifications, and the real result lies with the gaming benchmarks.

Ryzen 7 7700X Vs. i7-12700K: Architectures

It is important to understand which new features and technologies the different architectures of the Ryzen 7000 series and the Intel 12th-generation line-up bring.

The Zen 4 Architecture

The Zen 4 architecture is equipped with many new features that Zen 3 chipsets lacked. To start off, the AMD chipsets have finally ditched the PGA socket and moved to LGA with the all-new AM5 socket.

On top of that, the 5nm fabrication process has also allowed AMD to pack a bunch of technological advancements into their chipsets. For instance, the Ryzen 7 7700X has base and boost clock speeds of 4.5 and 5.4 GHz, which is a lot when put next to its rival, the Core i7-12700K.

Not only that, but the smaller chipset size also means more efficiency, so the chipset can achieve such high clock speeds with a baseline TDP of just 105W.

Additionally, the Zen 4 architecture has also brought many long-awaited features like DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5.0 support to the AMD line-up.

DDR5 Support

The DDR5 memory comes with many upgrades over the DDR4. For instance, a single DDR5 module can support all the way up to 64GB of RAM, whereas a single DDR4 stick can only support up to 16GB of RAM. 

The base frequency has also been increased from 2133 MHz to 4800 MHz in DDR5 memory. Other advantages of DDR5 memory include lower power, better scalability and power efficiency, lower latency, and much more.

When talking about Zen 4’s DDR5 support, one thing to keep in mind is that the architecture is not backward-compatible with DDR4 memory, which might be bad news if you aren’t looking to spend a lot on DDR5 memory just yet.

AMD EXPO

AMD EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking) is a long-awaited memory overclocking technology that AMD has finally introduced with Zen 4 architecture. In a nutshell, AMD EXPO allows its users to overclock their DDR5 memory easily with just a click.

If you think AMD EXPO sounds a lot like Intel XMP (Extreme Memory Profile), then you’re right because the two are essentially the same thing.

Currently, as many as 15 DDR5 kits come with EXPO support from brands like ADATA, CORSAIR, Kingston, and G.Skill. With an AMD EXPO kit paired with your Ryzen 7000 series chipset, you can just go to the BIOS, enable the EXPO profile, and achieve speeds of up to 6400 MT/s.

According to AMD, the overclocked DDR5 RAMs should enhance 1080p gaming performance by up to 11% and bring down the latency to about 63 nanoseconds.

PCIe Gen 5.0 And Integrated Graphics

There’s no doubt that AMD is aiming to make their chips as future-proof as possible, especially with the support of DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5.0. While some gamers might spend extra for DDR5 memory, there’s no need for PCIe Gen 5.0 support.

Another big change that Zen 4 architecture has brought to AMD chipsets is the support of integrated graphics in their non-G-series CPUs. So, the Ryzen 7 7700X has a built-in AMD Radeon™ with base and boost frequencies of 400 MHz and 2200 MHz, respectively.

While you’ll still be using a dedicated graphics card for most of your needs, the RDNA 2 architecture with its two cores should be enough to handle the light day-to-day tasks.

The Alder Lake Architecture

Its hybrid architectural design brought the Alder Lake architecture the most attention and spotlight. Unlike traditional CPUs, where the chipset is packed with as many raw performance cores as possible, the Alder Lake architecture featured cores from two different microarchitectures.

The two microarchitectures are the Gracemont microarchitecture and the Golden Cove microarchitecture. Such a revolutionary approach allowed Intel to incorporate a mix of Performance (P) and Efficient (E) cores into their chipsets.

The two different cores were optimized in their own way to provide optimal performance. While the Performance (P) cores worked on heavy single-threaded tasks like gaming and rendering, the Efficient (E) cores processed light but multi-threaded tasks like browsing and other background processes.

The hybrid architectural design was never seen before in such CPUs, and its introduction catapulted Intel’s success in terms of raw power and efficiency.

Key Difference Between The P And E Cores

Here’s a table of the key differences between the Performance (P) and Efficient (E) cores of the Alder Lake architecture.

Intel’s Thread Director

Since the Alder Lake CPUs contain two different types of cores, Intel needed a technology that can automatically assign the different cores to the tasks which they are most optimized for.

Well, the Alder Lake CPUs were built with Windows 11 in mind, so Microsoft and Intel worked together to bring the Thread Director technology to Windows 11.

With Task Scheduler downloaded and launched, Windows 11 will use AI to determine which task needs power from the P core and which task needs to be processed with E Cores.

In Windows 11 by default, the entire boot-up sequence is processed on E cores along with one thread of P cores.

Multicore Enhancement

The chipset will be working at peak turbo frequency with Multicore Enhancement (which is enabled by default in Intel’s unlocked Alder lake CPUs). 

Meaning that, instead of running on Stock TDP or PL1 (Power Limit 1), that is, 125W for i7-7700K, the processor will be running on Power Limit 2, which is 150W. Basically, with Multicore Enhancement enabled, Power Limit 1 becomes Power Limit 2, and the chipset runs at max clock speed.

Of course, it goes without saying that for Multicore Enhancement to work, your rig must be equipped with adequate CPU cooling and VRM thermals.

Other Improvements

The Alder Lake architecture also included support for DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E, and many other things.

One good thing about Alder Lake’s DDR5 support is that, unlike Zen 4, it is backward compatible with DDR4 memory. So, gamers will not have to spend extra on DDR5 memory unless they absolutely want the latest and greatest RAM.

However, while the Zen 4 architecture supports DDR5 memory transfer rates of up to 5200 MT/s out of the box, the Alder Lake CPUs only support memory transfer rates of up to 4800 MT/s. Since DDR5 memory does not matter a lot at the moment, the difference in transfer rates is mainly due to the fact that the Alder Lake CPUs were released almost a year ago.

Key Advantages

After going through the detailed specifications, you will notice that the i7-12700K has only one key advantage over the Ryzen 7 7700X, which is that it has 4 more physical cores.

On the other hand, the R7 7700X, on paper, has several key advantages over the i7-12700K, mainly:

• 25% more base clock speed (4.5 GHz vs. 3.6 GHz) and 8% more boost clock speed (5.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz).
• Up to 19% more power efficiency (105W vs. 125W).
• A much bigger L3 cache size (40MB vs. 25MB).

But, all of these comparisons and differences are measured on paper, and the real truth lies with the gaming benchmarks.

Gaming Performance

So, without further ado, we will be going through the most important part of our Ryzen 7 7700X vs. i7-12700K comparison, that is, gaming benchmarks. By analyzing the benchmark figures of the two chipsets on different games, we will better understand which processor is more powerful.

We’re in luck because Testing Games has put together the two chipsets in the following rigs to test them in 10 games:

Rig For The Ryzen 7 7700X

• CPU: Ryzen 7 7700X
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X670E AORUS MASTER
• RAM: G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5 6000MHz CL36
• GPU: GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24 GB
• CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 
• Power Supply: Corsair RM850i 850W
• Storage: Samsung 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB x2
• Resolution: 1080P

Rig For The Core i7-12700K

• CPU: Core i7-12700K
• Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 Force
• RAM: G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5 6000MHz CL36
• GPU: GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24 GB
• CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 
• Power Supply: Corsair RM850i 850W
• Storage: Samsung 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB x2
• Resolution: 1080P

The only difference between the two rigs is that of the motherboard because R7 7700X uses the AM5 socket and the i7-12700K uses the LGA-1700 socket.

In terms of graphics performance, RTX 3090 TI 24 GB is used, so we shouldn’t run into any bottleneck issues. Similarly, be quiet! ‘s Dark Rock Pro 4 should provide adequate cooling to eliminate thermal throttling.

Cyberpunk 2077

We will be starting off our benchmark analysis with Cyberpunk 2077. When looking at the figures, it’s quite clear that the i7-12700K is running the game at more FPS than the Ryzen 7 7700X.

On average, the i7-12700K is running Cyberpunk at 136 FPS. On the other hand, the R7 7700X stays just a smidge behind with 133 FPS. We can mark it as negligible because there’s only a ~2.25% difference between the two chipsets.

Since the AMD chip is running the game at slightly less FPS, one would expect it to also run cooler. But that’s not the case because the Ryzen 7 7700X is running at 80°C while the i7-12700K is running ~5.2% cooler at 76°C.

The power consumption of the two chipsets also varies just slightly. The Ryzen 7 7700X is consuming 137W, and the i7-12700K is consuming 148W, making Team Red about 8% more efficient.

Death Stranding

It might be a surprise that the AMD chipset did not perform as well as expected in the first game. However, that changes with Death Stranding.

The Ryzen 7 7700X is running the game at 201 average FPS, and the Core i7-12700K is running it at 185 average FPS. Overall, the R7 7700X leads the performance figures with ~8.6% more FPS.

While the AMD chipset performs better in sheer FPS, it does not hold up so well in terms of thermals. The Team Red chip is running at 78°C, whereas the i7-12700K is running at 71°C. Even though there is a difference of about 9.8% in the temperatures of the two chipsets, the 78°C figure of the R7 7700X is not too bad.

When going through the benchmarks, what’s most impressive is that the Ryzen 7 7700X performs ~8.6% better than the i7-12700K while consuming about 16.8% less power. Yes, that’s correct, the R7 7700X is consuming 107W, and the i7-12700K is consuming 125W. The power efficiency of the two chipsets really put into perspective how far AMD has come with its Zen 4 architecture.

Hitman 3

Next up in our Ryzen 7 7700X vs. i7-12700K guide, we have Hitman 3, another game where the Ryzen 7 7700X performs better than the i7-12700K in terms of FPS.

On average, the R7 7700X is running the game at 234 FPS while the i7-12700K stays right behind at 215 FPS. There is no doubt that a difference of 19 FPS does not matter much when both chipsets are running well above 200 FPS. But, a lead of about 8.8% speaks a lot about how well the AMD chipset performs against its rival.

Glancing over the temperatures, it is quite evident that the Ryzen 7 7700X yet again runs a bit hotter. However, this time, the difference is just ~4.4% as the R7 7700X is running at 70°C and the i7-12700K is running at 67°C.

One place where Team Red absolutely leaves Team Blue in the dust is power efficiency. While running Hitman 3, the R7 7700X is consuming 87W. On the other hand, the i7-12700K is consuming 107W. That’s a power consumption difference of about 22.9%, which is a lot given that the Ryzen chipset also runs the game with better FPS.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Similar to the above two games, the Ryzen chip retains its position in gaming performance while running Microsoft Flight Simulator.

While the R7 7700X runs the game at 81 average FPS, the i7-12700K does not stay much behind as it runs the game at 74 average FPS. Overall, that’s a win for the Ryzen chipset as it stays ahead with a ~9.4% margin.

In terms of temperatures, the i7-12700K manages to run cooler yet again at 60°C. In contrast, the R7 7700X runs just about 6.6% hotter at 64°C. After going through the temperature figures of just these five games, it is clear as day that the Ryzen 7 7700X runs hotter than the i7-12700K despite the FPS performance. However, the AMD chipset does not run extra hot so it shouldn’t be a huge concern.

Another pattern that we have noticed is that the Ryzen 7 7700X is more power efficient. That’s the case with Microsoft Flight Simulator as well because the processor is consuming 64W while the i7-12700K is consuming about 20.6% more at 76W.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

In PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the Ryzen 7 7700X yet again performs better than the i7-12700K in terms of sheer FPS.

While both chipsets perform quite well, running the game at over 200 FPS, the R7 7700X stays about 9.5% ahead at 263 average FPS. The i7-12700K is not too far behind either, as it runs the game at 240 average FPS.

Similarly, it comes as no surprise that the R7 7700X is running ~7.8% hotter than its rival. While the i7-12700K is running at 64°C, the AMD processor is running at 69°C. Both games not only perform well in FPS, but they also maintain good temperatures.

In terms of power efficiency, the Ryzen 7 7700X is consuming 71W, and the i7-12700K is consuming 85W. Overall, Team Red consumes about 19.7% less power than Team Blue.

Red Dead Redemption 2

While the Ryzen 7 7700X outperforms the i7-12700K with more FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2, the difference in FPS between the two chipsets is negligible.

On average, the R7 7700X is running the game at 167 FPS, and the i7-12700K is running it at 163 FPS. This gives the Ryzen 7 chipset only a ~2.4% lead which is not as impressive because the processor came out almost a year after its rival.

While the difference in FPS might be negligible, what’s not negligible is the difference in their thermals. That’s because the Ryzen 7 7700X runs about 11.9% hotter than the Core i7-12700K. The AMD chipset is running at 75°C, and the Intel chipset is running at 67°C.

Despite the minor lead in FPS and higher temperatures, the R7 7700X still consumes about 14.2% less power than the i7-12700k. So far, there has not been a single game where the i7-12700K stayed as power efficient as the R7 7700X, and the credit for this definitely goes to AMD’s new 5nm fabrication process. Overall, the i7-12700K is consuming 120W, and the R7 7700X is consuming 105W. 

Spider-Man

Going through the benchmark of Spider-Man, the R7 7700X does not perform as well as the i7-12700K.

The Ryzen 7 7700X is running the game at 147 average FPS. To top this off, the i7-12700K is running the game at 150 average FPS. The gaming performance of the R7 7700X is indeed a letdown when playing Spider-Man. But, the difference is just ~2%, which can be considered negligible.

Despite its slightly inferior FPS figures, the R7 7700X manages to run about 4.6% hotter at 67°C. In contrast, the i7-12700K is running at 64°C. Of the 7 games we have analyzed so far, Spider-Man is only the 2nd where the i7-12700K outperforms the R7 7700X.

Even though the R7 7700X not only runs the game at lower FPS but also has higher temperatures, it is still clearly the more power-efficient chip. In fact, when running Spider-Man, the R7 7700X is consuming 99W, which is about 7% less than the i7-12700K as it is consuming 106W.

Forza Horizon 5

In Forza Horizon 5, a game with beautiful graphics and fast cars, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X takes back its position as the better-performing chipset.

Throughout the gameplay, the R7 7700X is running the game at 222 average FPS. On the other hand, the i7-12700K does not stay much behind as it is running the game at 209 average FPS. Overall, that’s about a 6.2% FPS difference, and seeing that both chipsets are above the 200 FPS mark, they’re both performing quite well.

When going through the temperature figures, the R7 7700X seems to be firing up at all cylinders as the chipset is running at 75°C. Comparatively, the i7-12700K stays about 17.1% cooler running at 64°C. 

It should come as no surprise that the AMD chipset is consuming less power. The R7 7700X, yet again, is consuming about 9.6% less power than the i7-12700K as the former is consuming 93W and the latter is consuming 102W.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Coming up next is Horizon Zero Dawn, another game where the R7 7700X outperforms its Intel rival.

On average, the Ryzen 7 7700X is running the game at 211 FPS, and the i7-12700K is running it at 200 FPS. That’s about a 5.5% difference in the FPS of the two chipsets. Overall, both chipsets seem to go head-to-head in Horizon Zero Dawn, as the difference is not huge.

While the R7 7700X definitely runs the game better, it also stays on the higher end of the temperature range. The AMD chipset is running at 79°C, which is about 12.8% hotter than the Intel chipset, as the i7-12700K is running at 70°C.

So far, the Ryzen 7 7700X has built a reputation for consuming less power, and it does not let down in Horizon Zero Dawn either. The chip is consuming solid ~14.6% less power than the i7-12700K. One interesting thing to notice here is that while the Intel chipset is consuming more power, it is actually around 125W, which is its base TDP. On the other hand, the R7 7700X is hovering slightly higher than its base TDP at 109W.

The Witcher 3

Last but not least, we will end our detailed Ryzen 7 7700X vs. i7-12700K benchmark analysis with the Witcher 3 — another game where Team Red is running at more FPS.

When we say more FPS, we don’t mean that the R7 7700X has left the i7-12700K in the dust when running the Witcher 3. In fact, the difference between the FPS figures of the two chipsets is just ~3.8%. That’s because the R7 7700X is running the game at 244 average FPS while the i7-12700K is running it at 235 average FPS.

The two chipsets seem to be running head-to-head in every aspect when running the Witcher 3. While the R7 7700X is undoubtedly a hotter CPU, running at 70°C, the i7-12700K does not stay behind much as it is running at 67°C. Overall, that’s a ~4.4% difference in the temperature of the two CPUs.

The Witcher 3 is the only game where the i7-12700K comes close to consuming the same power as the R7 7700X. The AMD chipset is consuming about 99W, and the Intel chipset is consuming 101W. The difference of ~2% is the least we have seen in all of the gaming benchmarks we have analyzed.

Overall Gaming Performance

Now that we have analyzed the gaming benchmarks of Ryzen 7700X and the Core i7-12700K in 10 games, we can finally answer the question, “Does the R7 7700X live up to its peer and give the i7-12700K a solid battle?”

Well, in 8 of those 10 games, the R7 7700X outperformed the i7-12700K with exceptionally well FPS figures. Overall, the R7 7700X stayed about 6.2% ahead of the i7-12700K in terms of higher FPS. 

Even in the two games where the chipset could not perform as well as the i7-12700K, it was only behind by about 2%. Similarly, the best it performed was in PUBG, where Team Red stayed about 9.5% ahead of Team Blue in terms of sheer FPS performance.

To sum it all up, the Ryzen 7 7700X is undoubtedly a superior chipset. So, you will not be running into any performance issues if you go with it in your next build. The credit for such a performance boost goes entirely to the chipset’s new Zen 4 architecture, which has allowed it to achieve significantly higher clock speeds at low power consumption.

All things considered, the overall gaming performance win goes to Team Red. But, this does not mean that the i7-12700K is an inferior chipset. The chipset is equipped with almost a year-old technology, so it performed phenomenally well against its newly released AMD rival.

In almost all of the games, the i7-12700K was right behind the R7 7700X with no significant performance downgrade. Overall, the i7-12700K is still quite a powerful chipset, and its ability to go head-to-head against the R7 7700X is commendable.

Power Consumption And Thermal Efficiency

As mentioned earlier in our Ryzen 7 7700X vs. i7-12700K guide, the Ryzen 7 7700X has a baseline TDP of 105W, and the i7-12700K has a baseline TDP of 125W. Consequently, it should be no surprise that the R7 7700X was more power efficient than the i7-12700K in all the games we analyzed.

On average, the AMD chipset consumed about 17% less power than its Intel rival, another upgrade that comes with the new Zen 4 architecture. So, the Ryzen 7 7700X not only performed ~6.2% better in gaming performance but only stayed power efficient.

Well, the better performance and efficiency are due to the chipset’s high clock speeds and 5nm fabrication process, which comes at a cost. In all the games we analyzed, the Ryzen 7 7700X was, on average, about 10.5% hotter than the Core i7-12700K.

All things considered, even though the R7 7700X was hotter, its maximum temperature was not concerning. So, you should not worry about thermal throttling. All you have to do is equip the chipset with a good CPU cooler, so it gets adequate airflow and you will be good to go. Luckily, we have already compiled an in-depth guide for the best CPU coolers for Ryzen 7 7700X. 

Even though the Core i7-12700K is a thermally efficient chipset when put next to the R7 7700X, you still shouldn’t cheap out on the CPU cooler to avoid any thermal issues. We also have a detailed guide on the best CPU coolers for i7-12700K.

Pricing And Availability

Since the Ryzen 7 7700X is meant to be a direct rival of the Core i7-12700K, the two chipsets are priced in the same ballpark. The i7-12700K was launched with an MSRP of $409, but since the CPU has been out for quite some time, you can get it for about $358.

Being relatively new, you can get an R9 7700X for its MSRP, which is $399. Even though the prices of the two chipsets are quite similar, an AMD build might cost you a bit more.

That’s because since AMD has moved to the new AM5 socket with the Zen 4 architecture, a compatible motherboard might cost relatively more. Especially because it hasn’t been long since the chipset was released, making every compatible component the latest in its league. 

On top of that, since the Zen 4 CPUs are only compatible with the DDR5 memory, you will have to spend extra as DDR5 RAM costs more than DDR4. However, if you only want the DDR4 memory, then you won’t buy an AMD chipset anyway.

Overall, both the R7 7700X and i7-12700K cost roughly the same, and their prices are unlikely to affect your purchase decision.

Ryzen 7 7700X Vs. i7-12700K: Which One Should You Go For?

In this guide, we have put the Ryzen 7 7700X and the Core i7-12700K against each other across all categories. From their basic specifications to their architectural differences and gaming performance, we have covered every section that can make or break a processor. 

So, which chipset should you go for? Well, it is quite clear that the Ryzen 7 7700X has outperformed the i7-12700K in most of the categories. The chipset is better in gaming performance, consumes way less power, and does all of this at roughly the same price.

It’s true that the AMD processor also runs quite hot compared to the i7-12700K, but as we witnessed ourselves, the temperatures, despite being higher, were not as extreme as you would be concerned. In fact, with a good CPU cooler, you won’t have to worry about thermals at all.

If you currently have an old AMD processor and have been considering upgrading, then the new Ryzen 7000 series is a no-brainer. Every Ryzen 7000 chipset performed exceptionally well against their respective Intel rivals, and in a $400 CPU budget, the Ryzen 7 7700X is a definite bang for the buck.

Since the chipset supports DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5.0, you won’t have to worry about upgrading it in the near future.

On the other hand, you should not purchase the i7-12700K at the moment. Because its successor, the i7-13700K, costs about $410 and comes with 16 cores, 24 threads, and a 5.4 GHz max clock speed.

If you’re currently in the market for an Intel chipset, then you should go for the 13th gen Alder Lake chipset instead. However, if you really want the i7-12700K,  then you should hold on to it as the chipset will see a decrease in price when the i7-13700K hits the market. 

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