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Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 7700X: Our Recommendation

Let's see if the Ryzen 7 9700X is something to upgrade from compared to the Ryzen 7 7700X!

Expert Verified By

Ryzen 7 9700X

Rated: 8/10

Ryzen 7 7700X

Rated: 7.8/10


Pros And Cons 

CPUProsCons
Ryzen 7 9700X✅ Supports up to 192 GB DDR5-5600 RAM
✅ 14% faster in a single-core
❌ More expensive
❌Higher TDP
Ryzen 7 7700X✅ Much cheaper
✅ Lower TDP
❌ Slightly worse in terms of performance

Key Takeaways

  • The overall average we extrapolated from our testing showed the Ryzen 7 9700X as giving 7.5% better framerates than the Ryzen 7 7700X.
  • The Ryzen 7 9700X had around 9% lower power consumption, while the temperatures were around 11.6% higher than the 7700X.
  • As of late August 2024, the 9700X is around 48% more expensive compared to the older Ryzen 7 7700X.
  • The Ryzen 7 9700X is a good upgrade but not good enough to constitute an immediate upgrade from the older but reliable 7700X.


Comparison Table

FeatureRyzen 7 9700XRyzen 7 7700X
CodenameZen 5 (Granite Ridge)Zen 4 (Raphael)
Integrated GPURadeon GraphicsRadeon Graphics (Ryzen 7000)
SocketAM5AM5
Shading Units-128
Memory Size192 GB128 GB
Memory TypesDDR5-5600DDR5-5200
Best MotherboardsBest Motherboards For Ryzen 7 9700X Best Motherboards For Ryzen 7 7700X
Best CPU CoolersBest CPU Coolers For Ryzen 7 9700XBest CPU Coolers For Ryzen 7 7700X
Best RAM-Best RAM For Ryzen 7 7700X

Architectural Differences

  1. Core Count: Both the Ryzen 7 9700X and the Ryzen 7 7700X have 8 cores, for a total of 16 threads. AMD’s lineup lacks the efficiency cores the rest of the market has swerved to.
  2. Clock Speed: The 7700X had a higher boase clock of 4.5GHz over the 9700X’s 3.8GHz base clock, while the 9700X has a higher boost clock of 5.5GHz compared to the 7700X’s 5.4GHz boost.
  3. Process Node: The Ryzen 7 9700X has a 4nm manufacturing process, down from the 5nm process of the Ryzen 7 7700X. This boosts efficiency.
  4. TDP: Very surprisingly, the PL2 TDP of the Ryzen 7 9700X is 88 watts, down from 142 watts of the 7700X, promising much better power management.
  5. Platform: Both processors use the same AM5 platform, allowing for a drop-in upgrade to go from a 7700X to a 9700X.

Editor`s Note
Image

The reason why we’ve seen smaller and smaller reductions in process nodes is that transistors can’t get much smaller than what they are already while having the ability to stop electrons from flowing through them in an off-state!

– Shehryar Khan


AMD recently released its much-anticipated Zen 5 processors, which offer a lot of power in an efficient manner. To see if this increase in performance is more gradual or monumental, we pinned the Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 7700X to see just how much AMD has improved!


Gaming Benchmarks – 1080p

To keep to the namesake of our website, we have to get to the gaming after talking about the tech, but first, a brief overview of the components we used to test these processors with:

Test Bench

God Of War

God Of War
God Of War @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Starting with GoW, the Zen 5, our processors managed an impressive 8% leap in performance with an average performance of 271 FPS, while the 7700X had an average framerate of around 251 FPS.
  • The 1% lows were in stronger competition, with the newer processor being only 5% faster, with its lows of 168 FPS against the 7700X’s 160 FPS.

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • We saw only one frame of difference in Forza, with the 9700X having an average of 285 FPS, while the 7700X got, you guessed it, 284 FPS.
  • The lows showed a bit larger of a difference, with the 9700X hovering around 191 FPS, while the 7700X was around 1.6% behind with a framerate of 188 FPS.

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • SoTR also ran flawlessly on both chips, though the Ryzen 7 9700X had a framerate of around 266 FPS3.9% higher than the 256 FPS average of the 7700X.
  • Coming to the minimum framerates, the 9700X hung around 150 FPS, while the 7700X was only 1.3% behind with a framerate of 148 FPS, according to our tests.

Rainbow Six Seige

 Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Rainbow Six Seige performed well on both these chips, with the 9700X achieving an average framerate of 645 FPS, around 15% higher than the 7700X’s 560 FPS.
  • The Zen 5 processor had a 14% lead in its 1% lows in our tests, with minimums of around 371 FPS, whereas the 7700X had lows closer to 326 FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

 Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Finally, Cyberpunk showed a small difference in framerate, with the 9700X hovering around 216 FPS on average, while the 7700X hung closer to around 214 FPS.
  • The minimum framerates showed a difference of around 3.7%, with the 9700X hovering around 139 FPS, while the 7700X managed around 134 FPS in the tests.

Overall Gaming Performance

ProcessorAverage FPS1% Lows
Ryzen 7 9700X210.75📈127.75📈
Ryzen 7 7700X196📉119.875📉
Winner: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

Average Framerate

The Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 7700X comparison was neck and neck at points between these two CPUs, but the Zen 5 processor came out victorious with a 7.5% lead in average framerates across the five games that we tested.

1% Lows

The dips in performance were a tad bit closer than the difference in the average framerates, with the 9700X being in the lead by around 6.6%. These chips could play all the games we threw at them flawlessly at 1080p, so the slightly lower lows were not very noticeable.

Though this difference is not groundbreaking, it is not insignificant either. AMD has made significant improvements to its processors to reach this point.


Power

GameRyzen 7 9700XRyzen 7 7700X
God Of War565612
Forza Horizon 5552608
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider560609
Rainbow Six Siege559605
Cyberpunk 2077561610
Average Power Draw559.4608.8
Winner: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

We saw a 9% power reduction in the total system power, going from the Ryzen 7 7700X to the 9700X. This figure, coupled with the 7.5% higher performance on average, makes the 9700X around 13% more efficient than the 7700X.


Temperature

GameRyzen 7 9700XRyzen 7 7700X
God Of War6562
Forza Horizon 56963
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider6859
Rainbow Six Siege6762
Cyberpunk 20776659
Average Temperature67🌡️60🌡️
Winner: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X

The 9700X pumped out 11.6% more heat in our testing, which is kind of weird considering its lower power consumption. Even though the temperatures on this chip were considerably higher, they were nowhere near concerning.


Price And Availability 

CPULaunch MSRPCurrent Price
Ryzen 7 9700X💲359💲359
Ryzen 7 7700X💲399💲219
Price Difference10.55%48.44%

The 9700X launched at a lower price than its last-gen counterpart. Still, the 7700X’s price degradation makes it quite a bit cheaper than the 9700X. If you’re getting both new, the 9700X seems harder to sell.


What We Recommend

Ryzen 7 9700X: With the slightly lower power consumption coupled with the slightly higher performance of this chip, the 9000 series from Ryzen has shaped up to be a decent upgrade from last gen. 

Ryzen 7 7700X: The older chip held up great in our testing, with it being more or less neck and neck in terms of performance. That and its lower price tag make it a great deal for mid-range gaming.

Overall, the Ryzen 7 9700X is a good upgrade from its last generation counterpart, but the improvement in performance does not justify an immediate upgrade, at least not at the time of writing this article.


FAQs

Is the 9700X a drop-in upgrade from the 7700X?

Yes, the 9700X uses the same AM5 platform that the 7700X uses, which AMD has promised to continue supporting well into the future. 


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