Review: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X vs Ryzen 5 7600X – 8 Cores vs 6 Cores, Which Is Better For Gaming? (Updated)

The Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X are two of AMD‘s latest generation processors based on the new Zen 4 architecture. Both are (somewhat) positioned in the middle of AMD’s CPU lineup. The Ryzen 7 7700X is a fairly powerful CPU with 8 cores and 16 threads. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5 7600X has 6 cores and 12 threads and can be considered a mid-range CPU. Today, let’s review and compare both CPUs, specifically their gaming performance. Some of you might be wondering or in the process of building a new gaming PC. And if you are torn between the Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X, this review comparison might help you decide which AMD Zen 4 CPU is best for your build. Please continue reading our review below.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X vs Ryzen 7 7700X – Which Is Better For Gaming? 8 Cores or 6 Cores?

To start off, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X features 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock speed of 4.5GHz and a boost clock speed of up to 5.4GHz. It also has a total of 32MB L3 cache and a default TDP of 105W. Like all of AMD’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs, the 7700X is unlocked, meaning it is overclockable. Although, I don’t bother overclocking these CPUs as they ran fine at stock.

The Ryzen 7 7700X also has integrated graphics, a 2-core Radeon Graphics with a base frequency of 400MHz and can boost up to 2,200MHz. It’s nice AMD included an iGPU. However, it’s not really useful when it comes to gaming. It is useful when your primary GPU fails, and you need to troubleshoot the system.

Price-wise, the Ryzen 7 7700X has a launch price of $399. However, at the time of publishing this review, you can find the 7700X selling for as low as $299 (excluding tax).

On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 7600X only has 6 cores and 12 threads, but with a higher base clock speed of 4.7GHz and a slightly slower boost clock speed of up to 5.3GHz. It also has 32MB of L3 cache and the same default TDP of 105W.

The Ryzen 5 7600X is also unlocked and has the same iGPU. Both CPUs are made from TSMC’s 5nm FinFET fabrication process. Both CPUs are based on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture and are designed for socket AM5 motherboards. When it comes to compatibility, the Ryzen 7700X and 7600X are compatible with X670E, X670, B650E, and B650 motherboards.

AMD Ryzen 7700X vs 7600X Specifications

Test Setup for This Comparison

I’m using an X670E motherboard in testing the Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 7 7700X processors. I also used DDR5-6000MHz memory with an AMD EXPO profile enabled. Resizable BAR was also enabled from the BIOS settings. Below are the rest of the specifications of the system:

Ryzen 7 7700X vs Ryzen 5 7600X Game Benchmarks

For this review comparison, I tested ten games in three different resolutions – 1080p, 1440, and 2160p. I know it’s not a massive list of game titles, but I think adding more games will not change the result. Below are the results that I got:

In the first five games I tested, the Ryzen 5 7600X performed similarly to the Ryzen 7 7700X. There are a few fps differences, especially on the 1% lows, but generally speaking, the performance difference is negligible, and I consider it similar.

It was only in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II that the Ryzen 7 7700X performed “slightly faster” than the Ryzen 5 7600X. And when I said “slightly faster”, it meant only a 5-10fps difference. That’s not really noticeable while gaming.

Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5 7600X actually performed “slightly faster” than the Ryzen 7 7700X in Deus Ex Mankind Divided. Again, the performance difference is only 10fps and below. Nothing significant at all, totally unnoticeable while gaming.

On the remaining five game titles, the results didn’t change much, or at all. The Ryzen 7 7700X still performed similarly to the Ryzen 5 7600X in gaming. It doesn’t matter if you are gaming at 1080p, 1440p, or 4K UHD; the results show that both CPUs will perform similarly in gaming.

Let’s talk about their price difference and conclude this review comparison.

Pricing and Availability

AMD announced its Ryzen 7000 CPUs in August 2022, last year. The Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X, together with the Ryzen 9 CPUs, went on sale towards the end of September. The Ryzen 7 7700X has a launch price of $399, while the Ryzen 5 7600X was priced at $299 MSRP. There’s around a 29% price difference between both CPUs. Or it is approximately a 33% increase from the 7600X to 7700X.

UPDATE: Q2 2023 quick update, the 7700X and 7600X CPUs are now discounted. Both CPUs are currently selling for about $50 less than their launch price. You can also get a STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor game when you buy select AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors. However, the free game is a limited promotion and is available at the time. I don’t know when the free game bundle promo will last. For the latest pricing and availability, kindly check them below. (#ad)

Latest pricing and availability:
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is available on Amazon.com here.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is available on Amazon.com here.

Ryzen 7 7700X vs Ryzen 5 7600X Review Conclusion: So, Which One?

With both CPUs performing very similarly in gaming, this makes our decision-making a lot easier. The Ryzen 5 7600X is cheaper than the Ryzen 7 7700X, and if you want to save a few bucks, the 7600X is a no-brainer. That is, if gaming is your priority and you want to save some cash.

However, looking at the current market, the price difference between the two CPUs is only around $50-$55 USD (depending on the retailer). So, depending on the purpose of your machine, you might want to consider other things aside from gaming.

UPDATE: Q2 2023 quick update, the price difference between the two CPUs are now around $100 USD. AMD also recently released the most anticipated Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It’s the new best and fastest gaming CPU; great for 1080p or 1440p desktop PC where gaming is the primary focus. Unfortunately, it’s $450 CPU, and some (third-party) retailers are jacking up the price, taking advantage of its popularity and demand. However, outside of gaming, the 7700X performs a bit faster than the 7800X3D. The X3D CPUs are only good for gaming.

Things To Consider, Aside from Gaming

The Ryzen 7 7700X has two more cores and four more threads than the Ryzen 5 7600X. Those extra cores and threads help a lot with productivity, content creation, and other CPU-intensive workloads. Personally, I would spend those extra dollars since I also consider other activities other than gaming.

For example, in V-Ray, the Ryzen 7 7700X is more or less 30% faster than the Ryzen 5 7600X. I got a score of 15034 for the 7700X, while my 7600X only got 10897. The same can be said in Blender, where the 7700X is around 33% to 38% faster than the 7600X.

By the way, there are also non-X variants of these CPUs. But oddly, the Ryzen 7 7700X ends up being cheaper than the 7700 after a coupon. I don’t have a Ryzen 7 7700 to test, but I’m positive its gaming performance is similar to the 7700X. So get whichever CPU is cheaper at the time you buy.

At the end of the day, the Ryzen 7 7700X is a no-brainer for me. Great for gaming and productivity workload. But if you want to save some cash, the Ryzen 5 7600X is also an excellent CPU for gaming, though it trails behind in productivity.