AMD Ryzen 7 vs. Intel Core i7 - The best processors in 2021 compared

Since we are comparing processors that are representatives of two approximately equal product lines, we should not be surprised that they are all equipped with eight cores and sixteen threads. At the moment, this can be considered the standard. And three out of four chips can boast a free multiplier. What does this mean? It's simple: the user is given the opportunity to overclock.

If the processors are not overclocked, then a computer based on one or another chip from Intel will work slower. This is due to the fact that the base clock frequency of AMD products is still higher. But the numbers do not differ too much, so you can only notice the difference in a direct comparison, and it will not be very impressive. As for the so-called turbo mode, the Intel Core i7-11700K, released in 2021, is the best in it. The second chip we chose from this American company is very close to it. Alas, the processors from the Ryzen 7 series in this regard act as catching up.

Ratings: i7-11700K - 4.8, Ryzen 7 5800X - 4.7, i7-10700F - 4.6, Ryzen 7 3700X - 4.5

In modern PCs, the speed of information processing also depends on how much cache memory the chip installed in the motherboard socket received. AMD understands this. It is her processors from the Ryzen 7 series that can boast the largest amount of cache. Even more impressive figures are observed only for chips from the top line, but their purchase is not available to all of our readers.

As can be clearly seen from the table above, Intel products are exactly two times inferior to the competitor. Of course, in some game it will be completely invisible. But in resource-intensive applications, the difference can play some role.

Ratings: Ryzen 7 5800X - 4.6, Ryzen 7 3700X – 4.6, i7-11700K – 4.5, i7-10700F – 4.4

As you might guess, all processors are designed to work with DDR4 RAM. This allows you to upgrade from an old chip without buying new RAM sticks. Also noteworthy is the support for 128-gigabyte volume. This means that for the most part everything depends solely on the capabilities of your motherboard.

Initially, it may seem that the models we have chosen do not have any serious differences in the controllers they use. However, it is not. Manufacturers have declared different maximum frequency of RAM. However, the 2933 MHz of the Core i7-10700F will be enough for the vast majority of buyers of this chip.

As for the PCI Express controller, everything is not so clear-cut here. Everyone who is going to purchase a top-end motherboard will have to seriously think about the choice of processor. The fact is that the aforementioned Core i7-10700F only supports PCI-E 3.0, while three of its competitors are able to work with the fourth version of this interface (and the number of corresponding lines has been increased to 20). It remains for you to understand whether your future video card will be able to use the capabilities of PCI-E 4.0.

Ratings: i7-11700K – 4.8, Ryzen 7 5800X – 4.8, Ryzen 7 3700X – 4.8, i7-10700F – 4.6

If we talk about the declared characteristics, then the latest Intel Core i7-11700K is a very hot chip. The American manufacturer declared heat dissipation at the level of 125 W! AMD products in this regard seem to be the best choice for anyone who is not going to purchase a particularly powerful power supply. The fact is that the chips of this company were created using a 7-nanometer process technology. This means that at the same clock frequency, they consume less electricity, and at the same time they emit less heat.Therefore, they are less demanding on the cooling system, which allows the buyer to save a little. As for Intel, it has been exploiting the 14 nm process technology for many years, in connection with which it is scolded by many experts and advanced computer users.

Oddly enough, the Core i7-10700F shows itself well. Theoretically, this chip can be used even in tandem with a bundled cooler. A more serious cooling system is needed only when overclocking the processor. However, someone will say that this is indispensable, because the nominal frequency of the computing cores used here is far from the record.

Ratings: Ryzen 7 3700X – 4.8, i7-10700F – 4.6, Ryzen 7 5800X – 4.6, i7-11700K – 4.5

It is difficult to imagine a person who will install such a chip in a PC without a video card. These processors cannot be called cheap, and therefore the "stuffing" of the computer must be appropriate. If you are not going to use it for playing or video editing, then you can choose a less productive solution. For example, relatively recently we compared Core i5 and Ryzen 5. Why are we? Yes, it's just that now there is not much point in embedding a graphics core in such chips. It is not surprising that it is not in three of the four processors. Only the Core i7-11700K received UHD Graphics 750.

Perhaps, it is in the direction of the above-mentioned processor that you should look when choosing a laptop, especially if you are looking for the most compact model.Such a laptop will perform well in games, even despite the absence of a discrete graphics card. At least in all sorts of shareware games - for example, in World of Tanks. As for the other three chips, the game should be launched with them only if you have a full-fledged video card from AMD or NVIDIA. Or from the same Intel (its graphics adapters should be born in 2022).

Ratings: i7-11700K – 4.8, i7-10700F – 4.5, Ryzen 7 5800X – 4.5, Ryzen 7 3700X – 4.5

Do the processors we have chosen show themselves in games? And when working with professional software? Tests show that a chip from the Rocket Lake family can provide the best result. The problem is that the new microarchitecture is implemented on the old process technology. However, heating up to 75 ° C is still an acceptable value. What can not be said about 90°C. Namely, it was heated up to this temperature with the same AMD Ryzen 7 5800X cooling system. You can fight this only by buying an even more massive cooler or even a dropsy. But then the whole point of saving is lost! By the way, the Intel chip is also capable of heating up to 85-87°C, but this does not happen in games, but when performing particularly complex tasks - for example, when editing video.

Gamers are interested, of course, in concrete results. Well, we note that they cannot but rejoice. If you still play in Full HD resolution, then you can safely buy any of the processors. Here it all depends on the video card.If, for example, it belongs to the 30th series of NVIDIA, then you are waiting for 150-300 frames / s, depending on the specific game. And this is with ultra-graphics settings! We conclude: the chip is sharpened for a much higher resolution. And even with his choice, you can count on an excellent result. Only in Cyberpunk 2077 does the counter drop to an unacceptable 40-50 fps. And if not the top-end video card is installed, then you have to lower the graphics settings altogether (for example, refuse ray tracing).

And how do the other three processors perform? The Core i7-10700F is expected to produce slightly worse results. At 1080p resolution, it is usually 5-10 frames / s less. And it's definitely not the best choice for someone with a 4K monitor. What can not be said about products from the Ryzen 7 series - they are practically not inferior to their main competitor. Not surprisingly, this chip is often found in powerful ultrabooks.

In general, tests show that all processors have the least number of flaws. Especially if you compare them with their predecessors, released two or three years before them. There is progress. At the same time, these chips cannot be called the ideal choice for a gamer - they show themselves best in creative applications.

Ratings: i7-11700K – 4.8, i7-10700F – 4.6, Ryzen 7 3700X – 4.6, Ryzen 7 5800X – 4.4

The price tag of any chip is becoming more affordable every year. Fortunately, this rule still applies. That is why the cost of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is not too scary, because this model was born in 2019.At the same time, we indicate the price of the model that comes with a cooler and thermal paste, because most buyers simply do not need a more massive cooling system. It is also impossible not to note the fact that the processor is designed for socket AM4, and far from the most expensive motherboards are also equipped with it.

Intel products have always been expensive. But recently there has been a wild shortage in the market for computer components. Yes, and AMD realized that they can arouse the interest of buyers not only due to the low price tag. In this regard, the Ryzen 7 5800X is the most expensive in our comparison. And you still have to spend money on the cooling system. Against this background, the purchase of a competitor from Intel, released in 2021, seems much more interesting.

Ratings: Ryzen 7 3700X – 4.7, i7-10700F – 4.6, i7-11700K – 4.5, Ryzen 7 5800X – 4.3

The new processor from Intel, as expected, won a higher average score. It's really hard to make any claims against him. You can only complain about the high power consumption. But there is nothing to worry about, and even a relatively inexpensive cooler successfully fights heat dissipation.

Curiously, the main competitor of the Core i7-11700K, judging by our comparison, is the Ryzen 7 3700X, released two years ago. Yes, this is a less powerful solution, but it is extremely difficult to notice the difference. At the same time, they ask for a smaller amount for the chip.If you do not need integrated graphics, then we recommend paying attention to this particular processor. Or on a laptop created on its basis.