The Six Skulls Update for World War Z is a MAJOR update with a large number of changes and fixes. There was, however, no mention of any performance boost.
But we can now confirm that the World War Z Six Skulls Update will give everyone a nice boost in performance!
The World War Z Six Skulls Update
On 3 July 2019, Saber Interactive released the big Six Skulls Update for World War Z.
It features a new Extreme (Six Skulls) difficulty level, with the Wakizashi sword and a unique Sniper Rifle as rewards for beating back the hordes of Zeds.
Saber Interactive also introduced a huge list of changes, but it conspicuously did not mention anything about improving performance…
New Features
Added new 6 skulls difficulty mode.
Added Wakizashi melee weapon for completing any level on the new difficulty mode.
Added unique Sniper Rifle variant for completing all levels on the new difficulty mode.
Ammo crates now have limited ammo available based on difficulty level. The amount of ammunition drained from the ammo crate depends on the weapon and how much ammo the player has left. On average, the distribution is:
Easy – unlimited refills.
Normal – unlimited refills.
Hard – 12 full refills.
Insane – 6 full refills.
Extreme – 6 full refills.
AI
Slightly reduced the number of special zombies that can spawn in idle state.
Reduced the total number of special zombies that can be present simultaneously from 6 to 4 on all difficulties except Extreme difficulty, which will have 5.
Slightly increased cooldown between special zombie spawns.
Very slightly reduced the total number of zombies that can spawn during non-swarm waves.
Increased AI bots’ efficiency on Insane difficulty.
Improved balance of zombie waves when playing without AI bots.
Improved friendly auto turrets on higher difficulties (previously their damage did not scale).
Enemy auto turrets will deal slightly less damage on higher difficulties, but will have more health.
Fixed issue that was preventing AI bots from attacking zombies when they were under masking effect.
Special zombies will no longer be able to grab player through thin walls.
Improved Lurker jump behavior; he will be able to spot and jump on players from above more efficiently.
Greengold and Svetlana friendly NPCs will use silenced pistols and will no longer undermine stealth for players.
Quality of Life
AI bots will no longer explode barrels and mines by accidental shooting.
Added HUD icon when teammates are carrying car parts on Jerusalem 2.
Added HUD icon when teammates are carrying explosive charges on Tokyo 2.
Added sound notification when zombie is approaching or attacking from behind.
Added a 6 second masking effect for players that respawn or join the game in progress (without screen effect).
Added a 2 second masking effect for players that are revived (without screen effect).
Added an indicator for remaining mortar shots.
UI
Added weapon perks display on Weapon Customization screen.
Minor UI and localization fixes.
Weapons
Added missing laser sight beam effect for Assault Carbine and Assault Rifle.
MAG5 Machine Gun’s damage increased by 50% (in PvE only).
Chainsaw will now generate noise in all of its attack modes.
Fixed issue that was causing the Chainsaw to not stagger zombies in some cases.
Perks
Gunslinger
Sleight of hand. Weapon switch speed increased from 50% to 100%.
Last Resort. When both primary and secondary weapon magazines are dry you can perform 4 (was 2) more melee strikes without fatigue and damage 2 (was 1) more targets with each melee strike.
Desperado. Pistol damage increased from 25% to 50%.
Free Refill. Primary weapon ammo restored 2% (was 1%) for each kill made with equipment.
Executioner. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
Switcheroo. Switching between primary and secondary weapons increases firearm damage by 50% (was 25%) for 3 seconds.
Thrifty. Reloading a weapon with less than 25% ammo in the magazine provides a 35% firearm damage boost (was 25%) for 5 seconds.
Gun Fanatic. Fixed perk conditions triggering early in some cases.
Hellraiser
Unshakeable. Self inflicted explosive damage is reduced by 90% (was 60%).
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
I’ll Take That. Killing a special zombie gives 100% (was 25%) chance to restore one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10).
Deep Pockets. Heavy weapon ammo capacity increased by 35% (was 25%).
Predator. Killing special zombies boosts firearm damage by 100% (was 50%) for 10 seconds.
Medic
Combat Medic. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 50% (was 10%) chance to receive a Medkit (cooldown 180 seconds, was 10).
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 30 seconds, was 10 seconds).
I’ll Take That. Killing a special zombie gives 100% (was 25%) chance to restore one equipment charge (cooldown 30 seconds, was 10).
Patch Up. Fixed issue that was causing the perk to not trigger correctly in some cases.
Lobotomy. Fixed issue that was causing the perk to trigger with non-SMG weapons in some cases.
Fixer
Armory. Using a Supply Bag gives a 25% (was 15%) chance to restore one equipment charge.
Stand By Me. Increase firearm damage by 100% (was 50%) for 10 seconds when reviving or unpinning a teammate.
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 90 seconds, was 10 seconds).
I’ll Take That. Killing a special zombie gives 100% (was 25%) chance to restore one equipment charge (cooldown 90 seconds, was 10).
Go Get ‘Em. Reviving a teammate will restore 25% (was 15%) of primary weapon’s ammunition for you and your teammate.
Efficiency. Supply Bag contains 25% more explosive ammo. Masking Grenade effect duration increased by 2 (was 5) seconds.
Darkness Falls. Masking Grenade gas cloud duration is increased by 5 seconds (was 3 seconds).
Slasher
Bullet-dodger – Take 100% (was 90%) less friendly fire from bullets while performing melee attacks.
With My Last Breath – Melee strikes damage 2 (was 1) more targets when health is below 25%.
Third Hand – Killing 5 (was 10) zombies with melee attacks in rapid succession instantly reloads your primary weapon.
Bloodlust – Killing special zombies with a melee weapon will increase firearm damage by 100% (was 50%) for 10 seconds.
Pickpocket – Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
Heavy Metal I. Fixed issue that was causing improved Chainsaw not to receive proper 50% damage increase.
Exterminator
Dragon Hide. Fire resistance increased by 100% (was 90%).
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
Thrifty. 25% (was 15%) chance of using the Claymore or Molotov without depleting an equipment charge.
Stability
Fixed several gameplay crashes.
Levels
Fixed some gameplay bugs that were causing inability to progress in levels.
Improved navigation on NY 1 level.
Reduced the number of crates player has to deliver on NY 1 when playing solo.
Prevented several options to farm XP by suicide rushing Moscow 1, NY 3 and Tokyo 1.
General fixes
Fixed issue with item pickup progress not showing up in some cases.
Fixed issue with player overhead marker not showing up upon respawn in PvP in some cases.
Fixed issue with receiving party lead privileges causing soft lock in menus in some cases.
Fixed soft lock in menus when entering game settings while respawning in PvP.
Fixed Infector effect staying on screen in outro cinematics.
Fixed voice chat not being output to connected headset in some cases.
Fixed issue that was moving player over large distances when grabbed by a zombie swarm.
Fixed issue causing AI bots trying to shoot through walls.
Fixed issue causing scoreboard to stay on screen in outro cinematics.
Fixed issue causing Medkit progress bar to appear briefly upon respawn.
Fixed issue causing zombies to not receive melee damage in certain doorways.
Fixed issue causing Medkit healing to constantly interrupt in certain locations.
Fixed issue with a certain combination of perks causing Slasher to heal when receiving friendly fire.
Fixed issue causing player to receive another player’s melee weapon when joining a game in progress.
Added sound for receiving medals in PvP.
Sho is no longer wearing 2 helmets at the same time like a true badass.
PC Specific Fixes
Increased bleed out timer on Insane difficulty from 20 to 30 seconds (PC only).
Fixed issue with DLC weapons selection reset upon game restart.
Halfway through, we realised that we should have preserved the old data for a performance comparison. Fortunately, we still had some old data based on the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, so here was what we found…
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When AMD launched the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G desktop APUs, they also announced price cuts for their existing Threadripper, Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 processors. In June 2018, they announced even lower prices. Check out the AMD Ryzen price cut details below!
Updated @ 2018-06-20 :Added the new AMD Ryzen price cut list, after the abolition of the 6% GST.
Updated @ 2018-03-23 :Added the AMD Ryzen price cut list in the US, and a comparison of that price list against the price cuts in Malaysia.
Originally posted @ 2018-02-13
The 2018 AMD Ryzen Price Cut Details
The original Ryzen price cut list was sparse, so we added prices in USD (after conversion), the price difference, and even the prices of the new Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G desktop APUs.
In the latest version, we added the new Ryzen price list after the abolition of the 6% GST.We also added the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor prices. Some have called this a price cut, but it’s not. The prices are just lower because there’s no longer a 6% tax,
The 2018 AMD Ryzen price cut list showed price cuts across every Ryzen model. The biggest discount was a massive RM 900 / ~$228 discount on the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X. The least was a paltry RM 20 / ~$5 discount on the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X.
If you read our AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Review, you may have noticed that it is supposed to be $10 / ~RM 39 cheaper than the Ryzen 3 1200. Yet, AMD is pricing it ABOVE the Ryzen 3 1200 here in Malaysia.
Unfortunately, there was no further price cuts after the launch of the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors.
The 2018 AMD Ryzen Price Cut In The US
Here was the AMD Ryzen price cut list announced for the United States. If you compare how the Ryzen price cut list in Malaysia compares to the Ryzen price cut list in the US, you can see some differences.
Also, AMD positioned (and priced) the Ryzen 3 1300X CPU above Ryzen 3 2200G in the US, while the opposite is true in Malaysia. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 2400G is slightly more expensive than the Ryzen 5 1400 CPU in Malaysia.
The latest June 2018 AMD Ryzen price list also show that the Ryzen 5 1400 and Ryzen 3 1200 have not been phased out. They were supposed to be replaced by the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G desktop APUs. But it looks like, AMD will continue to sell them, alongside the new Ryzen desktop APUs.
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AMD launched the Ryzen 7 processors in March 2017. Just over a year later, they finally launched the 2nd Gen Ryzen desktop processors, codenamed Pinnacle Ridge, and popularly known as Ryzen 2.
Here is everything you need to know about 2nd Gen Ryzen processors – key features, specifications, price and performance! As always, we will keep updating the article when new information comes to light.
Colloquially known as Ryzen 2, the 2nd Gen Ryzen desktop processors promise even to deliver even better price-performance value than their award-winning Ryzen brethren. But calling the actual models Ryzen 2 is confusing, because the Ryzen family is split into three numerically-named lines – Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3.
Officially, they should be known as the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors, or the AMD Ryzen 2000 Series, like so :
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AMD Ryzen 7 2000 Series
AMD Ryzen 5 2000 Series
AMD Ryzen 3 2000 Series
Even so, many people still insist on calling them the Ryzen 2 processors…
AMD Raven Ridge
The first AMD Ryzen 2 processors already hit the market on 12 February 2018. The AMD Ryzen 2000G Series, codenamed Raven Ridge, is considered to be part of the Ryzen 2000 series, even though they are based on the original Zen microarchitecture.
They are Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) – essentially Ryzen CPUs with integrated Vega graphics. You can read more about them in our articles :
The true 2nd Gen Ryzen desktop processors are codenamed Pinnacle Ridge. They are based on the Zen+ microarchitecture, and fabricated using the 12LP process technology. Here are the first four 2nd Gen Ryzen processors :
Existing AMD 300-series motherboards will support the new 2nd Gen Ryzen “Pinnacle Ridge” processors with a BIOS update, which should be available starting March 2018.
The AMD Ryzen 2000 Series Stack
According to the current AMD Ryzen 2000 Series Stack, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X replaces both the Ryzen 7 1700X and Ryzen 7 1800X.
2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Specifications
Here are the specifications of the six AMD Ryzen 2000 series processors – four 2nd Gen Ryzen “Pinnacle Ridge” processors, and two Raven Ridge APUs.
Specifications
Ryzen 7 2700X
Ryzen 7 2700
Ryzen 5 2600X
Ryzen 5 2600
Ryzen 5 2400G
Ryzen 3 2200G
Code Name
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Raven Ridge
Raven Ridge
Socket
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
Process Technology
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
8 / 16
6 / 12
6 / 12
4 / 8
4 / 4
Base Clock
3.7 GHz
3.2 GHz
3.6 GHz
3.4 GHz
3.60 GHz
3.50 GHz
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
4.1 GHz
4.2 GHz
3.9 GHz
3.90 GHz
3.70 GHz
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
3 MB
3 MB
2 MB
2 MB
L3 Cache
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
4 MB
4 MB
Integrated GPU
None
None
None
None
Radeon RX Vega 11
Radeon Vega 8
PCIe Lanes
16
16
16
16
8
8
Max. DDR4 Speed
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
TDP
105 W
65 W
95 W
65 W
65 W
65 W
Bundled Cooler
Wraith Prism
Wraith Spire (LED)
Wraith Spire
Wraith Stealth
Wraith Stealth
Wraith Stealth
Launch Price
US$ 329
US$ 299
US$ 229
US$ 199
US$ 169
US$ 99
2nd Gen Ryzen Price & Availability
The 2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 processors are available for sale beginning 19 April 2018, at the following price points :
Will the first generation Ryzen (Summit Ridge) processors get a price cut when the 2nd Gen Ryzen begins shipping? Find out in our article – Cheaper Ryzen CPUs When Ryzen 2 Launches?
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2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Key Features Part 1
The AMD Ryzen 2 processors are based on an improved Zen microarchitecture, what AMD calls the Zen+ microarchitecture. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new with the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors!
2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Tech Briefings
This time, we have not one, but TWO, tech briefings on the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors. This one was recorded at the March preview event in Bangkok, featuring Kevin Lensing (AMD Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Client Business Unit) and James Prior (AMD Senior Product Manager).
And here is an online tech briefing by Robert Hallock, AMD Head of Global Technical Marketing.
AMD Zen+ Microarchitecture
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are based on the improved AMD Zen+ microarchitecture, which delivers slightly better performance, with lower cache and memory latencies :
3% more 1T IPC (instructions per second)
13% lower L1 cache latency
34% lower L2 cache latency
16% lower L3 cache latency
11% lower memory latency
Official support for JEDEC DDR4-2933
12LP Process Technology
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are fabricated using the 12LP (12 nm Leading Performance) process technology from GlobalFoundries.
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This is really a 14 nm process, with improvements and a tighter pitch, so the die size and transistor count remain the same. However, the improved process allows for these improvements :
top clock speed increased by 250 MHz
“all core” now overclock around 4.2 GHz
CPU voltage is reduced by about 50 mV at all clock speeds
up to 11% lower power consumption, compared to 14 nm
up to 16% better performance per watt, compared to 14 nm
Precision Boost 2
Precision Boost 2 is one of the biggest improvements in AMD SenseMI. It replaces the old 2-core boost model, with a linear boost model. This allows for much greater performance for games and applications that use more than 2 cores.
Precision Boost Overdrive
James Prior revealed that AMD will introduce a feature called Precision Boost Overdrive in the future. The motherboard will be able to communicate its actual capabilities to the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor, allowing for better boost profiles and a relaxed vcore limiter with better motherboards.
Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR 2)
XFR 2 boosts the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor’s performance by 4-7%, depending on the performance of the installed CPU cooler.
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2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Key Features Part 2
Soldered IHS
All 2nd Gen Ryzen processors will feature soldered heatspreaders, using premium indium alloy solder. This allows die temperatures to be reduced by 10°C.
Multiplier Unlocked
Like its predecessor, the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are all multiplier unlocked, so you have full flexibility in overclocking them. Fun fact : The entry-level A320 chipset, which doesn’t allow CPU overclocking, will still allow you to overclock the DDR4 memory.
New Wraith Prism Cooler
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) now comes with the new Wraith Prism cooler, which is basically the Wraith Max with a “swirling vortex of colour“. The heatsink fin profile was reshaped to allow for better compatibility with smaller motherboards.
The heatsink was also improved with direct contact heat pipes. The fan is also quieter at just 37 dBA, although there is a switch that allows the fan to be overclocked.
AMD 400-Series Chipsets
AMD announced the AMD X470 chipset to complement the new 2nd Gen Ryzen processors. Eventually, they will also release the B450 chipset in mid-2018. However, this does not mean you need to pair the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors with an AMD X470 motherboard.
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are drop-in compatible with AMD 300-Series motherboards, with one caveat – they must have an updated BIOS. To help you with that, motherboards that have the updated BIOS will come with an AMD Ryzen Desktop 2000 Ready sticker.
The AMD X470 is very similar to the previous-generation X370 chipset. It is an evolutionary upgrade that improves idle power draw, and introduces an improved power infrastructure to help 2nd Gen Ryzen processors achieve higher boost speeds.
The AMD 400-Series chipsets boast better memory routing, better VRM and power layouts, and a lower idle power of less than 2 watts. While the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors will run on the existing AMD 300-series motherboards, an AMD 400-Series motherboard will allow for better overclocking, and a free AMD StoreMI licence.
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AMD StoreMI Technology
AMD StoreMI is an OEM version of the Enmotus FuzeDrive Basic. It combines all of your storage drives into a single virtual storage drive. It can even add up to 2 GB of DDR4 memory as a very fast cache to the combined drive.
The software than automatically assigns frequently used data blocks to the fastest storage devices, optimising your storage devices to deliver the best performance possible. This allows you to leverage your much faster SSD and system memory to boost the performance of your HDD drives.
According to AMD’s tests, StoreMI will let you load your games faster by 2.8X, and applications by 9.8X.
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2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Demos
We had an early preview of the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors in Bangkok. Here are videos of the previews and demos :
First Look At The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
This was our first look at the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check). AMD ran it on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WIFI) motherboard, with G.SKILL Sniper X DDR4 memory. It was also our first look at the new AMD Wraith Prism cooler, with its RGB LED ring, and illuminated fan blades.
Extreme overclocker Sami Mäkinen from AMD’s Technical Marketing team showed us how to overclock the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor using the new AMD Ryzen Master 1.3 utility.
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The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Up Close!
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) processor is the top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 model. It has eight Ryzen processor cores, with a 3.7 GHz base clock, and a 4.3 GHz boost clock. It supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), and can therefore handle 16 threads simultaneously.
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) processor is the top-of-the-line Ryzen 5 model. It has six Ryzen processor cores, with a 3.6 GHz base clock, and a 4.2 GHz boost clock. It supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), and can therefore handle 12 threads simultaneously.
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A detailed performance analysis of the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 2600 processors was leaked before the launch. It compared their performance against the Ryzen 7 1700X and Intel Core i7-6700K processors. For your convenience, here are the leaked performance charts :
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The Complete 2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Presentation Slides
Here are the fifty (50) 2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 presentation slides for your perusal!
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AMD is almost ready to launch the Ryzen 2 desktop processors, leading to speculation that it would herald the availability of cheaper Ryzen processors. Like everyone else, we love a good deal. Let’s see if the launch of Ryzen 2 will result in cheaper Ryzen processors!
No : AMD Just Gave Us Cheaper Ryzen CPUs!
AMD just announced a major Ryzen price cut on 1 February 2018. The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X, for example, received a $100 (22%) price cut, although in some countries (like here in Malaysia), it received a massive $228 (35%) price cut!
It is very likely that the Ryzen 7 1800X, Ryzen 7 1700X and Ryzen 7 1700 will be priced lower after Ryzen 2 hits the market. The Ryzen 5 1600X, though, will probably continue to be sold at $219.
The Ryzen 5 1400 and Ryzen 3 1200 are no longer mentioned in the leaked slide, because they’re being replaced by the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G desktop APUs. However, we don’t see them being discounted, as they offer better CPU and memory performance than the APUs for those who don’t need the integrated Vega graphics.
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The AMD Ryzen 7 may have upended the CPU industry and wowed the socks of reviewers and fans alike, but not everyone can afford them. Not everyone needs eight processor cores either. Ordinary users and gamers only need quad-core processors, after all. That’s where the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X processor comes in.
The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) is a quad-core processor that supports up to four simultaneous threads, and boasts a 2 MB L2 cache as well as an 8 MB L3 cache. Priced at just US$ 129, it also comes with a bundled AMD cooler. Let’s take a closer look at Ryzen 3 1300X processor and check out how well it performs!
Updated @ 2017-10-09 : Replaced all of the original charts with newer, better charts. Added a video on the Ryzen 3 1300X running CINEBENCH. Numerous other small updates.
Originally posted @ 2017-08-07
Introducing The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
The AMD Ryzen 3 family has some common features – 4 processor cores, a 2 MB L2 cache and a large 8 MB L3 cache. The Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) is the top-of-the-line model, with a base clock of 3.5 GHz, a boost clock of 3.7 GHz and an XFR clock of 3.9 GHz. Here is a comparison of the first two Ryzen 3 processors to hit the market :
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
AMD Ryzen 3 1200
TDP
65 W
65 W
Socket
AM4
AM4
Process Technology
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
Processor Cores
4
4
Number of Simultaneous Threads
4
4
L2 Cache Size
2 MB
2 MB
L3 Cache Size
8 MB
8 MB
Base Clock Speed
3.5 GHz
3.1 GHz
Boost Clock Speed
3.7 GHz
3.4 GHz
XFR Speed
3.9 GHz
3.45 GHz
Bundled CPU Cooler
AMD Wraith Stealth
AMD Wraith Stealth
Launch Price (2017-07-27)
US$ 129
US$ 109
The AMD Ryzen 3 processors lack SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading) capability, which allows each core to handle two simultaneous threads, as if they are two virtual processor cores. It is only available in the higher-end Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 processors.
Unboxing The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) processor comes bundled with a low-profile AMD Wraith Stealth cooler, which adds to its value proposition. Let’s unbox it!
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A Closer Look At The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
Let’s take a closer look at the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) processor, which looks exactly the same as the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) processor. It uses the same 1331-pin AM4 socket as its more powerful brothers. In fact, processors from all three Ryzen families can be used interchangeably on any AM4 motherboard.
Benchmarking The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
In this article, we will take a look at the work and gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X processor. We will it to the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check), the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check), and the Intel Core i7-6700K processor. Here is a table comparing their key specifications.
Now, we would be the first to admit that this is a completely unfair comparison, but let’s see how this “underdog” performs against such a formidable field!
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3D Rendering Speed – CINEBENCH R15
CINEBENCH R15 is a real-world 3D rendering benchmark based on the MAXON Cinema 4D animation software. This is a great way to accurately determine the actual performance of a processor in 3D content creation.
CINEBENCH R15 Single Core
This Single Core test is not reflective of real world performance, but it is useful to find out the performance of the individual core.
The Single Core test shows that the individual processor core of the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) is about 13.4% slower than the processor core of the Core i7-6700K. Of course, the Core i7-6700K has a 5% higher boost clock speed. If we adjust the results to account for that, the Intel Skylake core is about 10% faster than the AMD Ryzen core, clock for clock.
After correcting for the lower clock speed of the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) and Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check), we can determine that the smaller L3 cache size of the Ryzen 3 1300 reduced the core performance by 4%.
CINEBENCH R15 Multi Core
This shows the real-world 3D rendering performance of four processors. Even though the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) appears to be slower than the Intel Core i7-6700K, it is actually equivalent in performanceat the same clock speed.
Even though they both have the same clock speeds, the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) is 31% slower than the Ryzen 5 1500X, because it has half the L3 cache and does not support SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading).
CINEBENCH R15 MP Ratio
The analysis of the Multi-Processing Ratio is useful in checking the efficiency of the SMT implementation. The MP Ratio is independent of the processor’s clock speed.
As we pointed out in the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) review, AMD’s SMT implementation is 5.8% more efficient than Intel Skylake’s Hyper-Threading in CINEBENCH.
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoding utility. Video transcoding basically converts a video file from one resolution / format to another. As you can imagine, it’s very compute-intensive. In our test, we converted a 4K video of 1.3 GB in size into a 1080p video (HQ1080p30).
The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) transcoded the 1.3 GB video in just over 11 minutes – 2.5X slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check). That’s surprisingly good performance, considering it has half the cores and caches and does not support SMT. In fact, the Ryzen 3 1300X was just 21% slower than the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check).
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Radial Blur Speed – Photoshop CC 14
The radial blur filter adds the perception of motion to a picture. This is a compute-intensive operation that benefits from multiple processing cores. This radial blur test was performed on a single 13.5 megapixel photo, with a filesize of 4,910,867 bytes.
The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) applied the radial blur filter in 17.5 seconds – just under 3 seconds slower than the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check). In other words, its lack of SMT support and smaller L3 cache size only sapped its performance by 18%.
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3DMark – Time Spy (DirectX 12)
In the Time Spy DirectX 12 benchmark, the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) was 18% slower than the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) in the CPU test. However, that only translates into a small 3.4% drop in overall gaming performance.
Ashes of the Singularity (1080p)
In the RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity, we can see that the frame rates were significantly impacted by CPU performance. The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) delivered 14.7% lower frame rates than the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) at the common gaming resolution of 1920 x 1080.
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But when we increased the resolution to 4K, all four processors delivered practically the same average frame rates. Naturally, at this high resolution, the graphics card was the most important factor in delivering high frame rates.
When we bumped up the resolution to 4K though, all four processors were virtually equivalent in performance. That’s not to say that they are equally fast, just that the graphics card mattered far, far more at such a high resolution.
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Unlike its higher-performance Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 brethren, the Ryzen 3 1300X only has four physical cores and half the cache and no SMT support. Even so, it delivered astonishingly good performance – it was just 31% slower than the Ryzen 5 1500X in 3D rendering and 21% slower in video transcoding. Even in the Photoshop radial blur test, it was just 18% slower.
Based on its performance in work applications alone, it offers roughly a 12% better price-performance ratio than the Ryzen 5 1500X, which itself offers incredible value for money. But what about games, you say?
Depending on the game, the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) delivered between 1.3% and 14.7% lower average frame rates than theRyzen 5 1500X (Price Check).
Increasing the resolution to 4K may wipe out the difference, but that’s because the games were now GPU-limited on the AMD Radeon RX 480 we used.
If you are using a suitably-powerful graphics card like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, you should see similar drops in frame rates. Obviously, if you intend to game at 4K, you will need a suitably fast processor like the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) to complement such a fast graphics card.
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Here is our takeaway from the gaming test results…
If you want to maximise the gaming performance of the Radeon RX 480 /Radeon RX 580-class graphics card, you should pair it with a faster processor like theAMD Ryzen 5 1500X.
If you don’t mind a small 8% (average) drop in gaming frame rates, the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) offers unbeatable value – 35% better price-performance ratio than the Ryzen 5 1500X!
If that’s not enough value for your money, AMD even bundles the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) with a low-profile AMD Wraith Stealth CPU cooler!
Because it offers such great value for money, we think the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) deserves nothing less than our Editor’s Choice Award! Congratulations, AMD!
Where To Buy
Here are direct links to the AMD Ryzen CPU and bundles on sale on Amazon :
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The 8th Generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Coffee Lake, are the first Intel processor family to garner so much interest in recent history. Thanks to the Ryzen Effect, Intel is finally increasing the number of processor cores across the board. FINALLY. In this review, we are going to take a close look at the new Intel Core i7-8700K processor that boasts 6 cores capable of handling 12 simultaneous threads.
The 8th Generation Intel Core Processors
The Intel Core i7-8700K headlines the new 8th Generation Intel Core processor family. Here is a table comparing their key specifications :
Specifications
Core i7-8700K
Core i7-8700
Core i5-8600K
Core i5-8400
Core i3-8350K
Core i3-8300
Core i3-8100
Cores
6
6
6
6
4
4
4
Threads
12
12
6
6
4
4
4
Base Clock
3.7 GHz
3.2 GHz
3.5 GHz
2.8 GHz
4.0 GHz
4.0 GHz
3.6 GHz
Boost Clock
4.7 GHz
4.6 GHz
4.4 GHz
3.9 GHz
None
None
None
L1 Cache
384 KB
384 KB
384 KB
384 KB
256 KB
256 KB
256 KB
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
1.5 MB
1.5 MB
1.5 MB
1 MB
1 MB
1 MB
L3 Cache
12 MB
12 MB
9 MB
9 MB
8 MB
6 MB
6 MB
Multiplier Unlocked
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
TDP
95 W
65 W
95 W
65 W
91 W
65 W
65 W
The Intel Core i7-8700K Hexa-Core CPU
The Intel Coffee Lake (8th Gen) processors are built on the same 14 nm process technology as the Intel Skylake and Kaby Lake processors, albeit refined. In addition to the two extra processor cores, it packs a 50% larger L3 cache and support for faster DDR4-2666 memory.
Even with the two additional cores and a larger L3 cache, the Intel Core i7-8700K looks like any other LGA 1151 processor that have come out of Intel’s factories in years past. However, it cannot be used in older Intel 100-series or 200-series motherboards. Even though it uses the same LGA 1151 socket, its pin configuration has changed. It must be installed in an Intel 300-series motherboard.
The Intel Core i7-8700K has 2 extra cores and handles 50% more threads than the Intel Core i7-6700K, but has a slightly lower base clock speed. However its boost clock goes all the way to 4.7 GHz, if a single core is used. Let’s see how it performs against the field!
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3D Rendering Speed – CINEBENCH R15
CINEBENCH R15 is a real-world 3D rendering benchmark based on the MAXON Cinema 4D animation software. This is a great way to accurately determine the actual performance of a processor in 3D content creation.
CINEBENCH R15 Single Core
This Single Core test is not reflective of real world performance, but it is useful to find out the performance of the individual core.
We already knew from our Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) and Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) reviews that the Intel Skylake core is about 8% faster than the AMD Ryzen core. Intel made improvements to the Coffee Lake core but do not let the results fool you – most of it is due to the higher clock speed.
When it runs with a single core, the Intel Core i7-8700K has a turbo boost clock of 4.7 GHz – a full GHz over its base clock speed. If we adjust the results to account for the higher clock speed, the Intel Coffee Lake core is about 9.4% faster than the AMD Ryzen core.
CINEBENCH R15 Multi Core
This shows the real-world 3D rendering performance of the five processors. Impressively, the 6-core Intel Core i7-8700K came within 5% of the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check), which is an 8-core, 16-thread processor!
Even more impressive is the fact that the Intel Core i7-8700K was 72% faster than the Core i7-6700K in this test. That is a double-digit improvement worth crowing about!
CINEBENCH R15 MP Ratio
The analysis of the Multi-Processing Ratio is useful in checking the efficiency of the SMT implementation. The MP Ratio is independent of the processor’s clock speed.
After adjusting for their clock speed differences, we estimate that the SMT implementation in the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) is about 12% more efficient than Hyper-Threading in the Intel Core i7-8700K.
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Video Transcoding Speed – HandBrake
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoding utility. Video transcoding basically converts a video file from one resolution / format to another. As you can imagine, it’s very compute-intensive. In our test, we converted a 4K video of 1.3 GB in size into a 1080p video (HQ1080p30).
The Intel Core i7-8700K transcoded the 1.3 GB video in just over 5 minutes – about 13.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) and 46% faster than the Core i7-6700K. Very nice!
Radial Blur Speed – Photoshop CC 14
The radial blur filter adds the perception of motion to a picture. This is a compute-intensive operation that benefits from multiple processing cores. This radial blur test was performed on a single 13.5 megapixel photo, with a filesize of 4,910,867 bytes.
The Intel Core i7-8700K did very well in this test, applying the radial blur filter in just 8 seconds – less than a second (9%) slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check)! It was 57% faster in this test than the Core i7-6700K. Very impressive!
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3DMark – Time Spy (DirectX 12)
In the Time Spy CPU test, the Intel Core i7-8700K was 19% slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) and 30% faster than the Core i7-6700K. However, its overall score was actually a tad higher than that of the Ryzen 7 1800X .
Ashes of the Singularity (1080p)
In the RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity, the single core CPU performance has a significant effect on the actual frame rate.
The performance of the Intel Core i7-8700K in this game perplexed us. Despite reinstalling the drivers and benchmarking over and over again, we kept getting the same results. For some reason, the Core i7-8700K was actually 4% slower than the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check), 14% slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check), and 18% slower than the Core i7-6700K.
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Ashes of the Singularity (4K)
When we bumped up the resolution to 4K, the performance difference was greatly reduced. Even so, the Intel Core i7-8700K continued to underperform, basically matching the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) in performance.
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Total War: Warhammer (1080p)
Like Ashes of the Singularity, the single core performance appears to be crucial in Total War: Warhammer.
Again, the Intel Core i7-8700K perplexed us by underperforming in Total War: Warhammer. In fact, it was even slower than the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X (Lowest Price)!
Let’s remember that these are the actual frame rates, not the actual CPU performance.
Total War: Warhammer (4K)
When we increased the resolution to 4K, all other four processors delivered practically the same average frame rates. Naturally, at this high resolution, the graphics card was the most important factor in delivering high frame rates.
However, the Intel Core i7-8700K continued to buck the trend by delivering noticeably lower frame rates. Its average frame rate was 9% lower than the other four processors.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (1080p)
The CPU performance has a smaller effect with FPS games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. On the other hand, it supports multi-core processors. In any case, the Intel Core i7-8700K continued its trend of underperforming with games. Its average frame rate was roughly on par with the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check).
The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt (4K)
When we bumped up the resolution to 4K though, all five processors were virtually equivalent in performance. That’s not to say that they are equally fast, just that the graphics card mattered far, far more at such a high resolution.
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Summary & Verdict On The Intel Core i7-8700K
The Intel Core i7-8700K is a breath of fresh air. Finally, Intel has a new processor worth boasting about. Thanks to the two additional cores, and the consequently larger L2 and L3 caches, it is significantly faster than its predecessor, even those built on the same microarchitecture and process technology.
The multi-core applications we tested just lapped up the extra cores and deliver significantly better performance. Even its single-core performance was improved, mostly due to the higher clock speed.
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 72% faster than the Core i7-6700K in 3D rendering
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 46% faster than the Core i7-6700K in video transcoding
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 57% faster than the Core i7-6700K in applying the radial blur filter
The Intel Core i7-8700K was just 4.8% slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X in 3D rendering
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 13.3% slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X in video transcoding
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 8.8% slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X in applying the radial blur filter
But when it came to games, everything turned on its head. Perplexingly, it performed poorly in all of our game tests, delivering frame rates that were slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check), and even the Ryzen 3 1300X (Lowest Price)!
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 18% slower than the Core i7-6700K in Ashes of the Singularity
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 19% slower than the Core i7-6700K in Total War: Warhammer
The Intel Core i7-8700K was 3.4% slower than the Core i7-6700K in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
As those frame rates are heavily influenced by the graphics card, we think it is likely an issue with the motherboard. We will need to take more time to figure out what’s wrong. We will retest and update this review as soon as we can.
But based on the raw performance of the processor in the applications we tested, we feel safe to say that the Intel Core i7-8700K is definitely the Core i7 processor that Intel fans have been waiting for.
Reading Suggestions
Don’t forget to also read our other Intel Coffee Lake and AMD Ryzen-related articles :
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The AMD Ryzen is, no doubt, the most anticipated CPU to be introduced in 2017. It is the processor that AMD fans have always wanted, but AMD did not quite deliver… until now. The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X literally blew away the competition, with its 8 cores, large 16 MB cache and highly competitive price.
Even so, not everyone can afford it. That’s where the AMD Ryzen 5 family comes in. It offers a more affordable selection of AMD Ryzen processors with 4 to 6 cores. In this review, we will take an in-depth look at the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X – their top-of-the-line quad-core processor, and show you why we awarded it our Editor’s Choice Award!
The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
The AMD Ryzen 5 family is divided into two main lines – the lower-end quad-core processors and the higher-end hexa-core processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) is the top-of-the-line quad-core Ryzen 5 model. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a 3.5 GHz base clock and a 3.7 GHz boost clock.
How does it compare against the other Ryzen 5 processors? Find out in this specification comparison of the current AMD Ryzen 5 processors.
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
AMD Ryzen 5 1400
TDP
95 W
65 W
65 W
65 W
Socket
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
Process Technology
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
Processor Cores
6
6
4
4
Number of Simultaneous Threads
12
12
8
8
L2 Cache Size
3 MB
3 MB
2 MB
2 MB
L3 Cache Size
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
8 MB
Base Clock Speed
3.6 GHz
3.2 GHz
3.5 GHz
3.2 GHz
Boost Clock Speed
4.0 GHz
3.6 GHz
3.7 GHz
3.4 GHz
Bundled CPU Cooler
None
AMD Wraith Spire
AMD Wraith Spire
AMD Wraith Stealth
Launch Price (2017-03-02)
US$ 249
US$ 219
US$ 189
US$ 169
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Unboxing The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) comes with a bundled CPU cooler – the AMD Wraith Spire. Hence it comes in a much larger box. Let’s take a look inside!
A Closer Look At The Ryzen 5 1500X & Wraith Spire Cooler
Let’s take a closer look at the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) CPU and the bundled Wraith Spire cooler.
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Benchmarking The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
In this review, we will take a look at the work and gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X processor. We will compare it to the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check), the Intel Core i7-6700K, and the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) processors. Here is a table comparing their key specifications.
On paper, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) is a quad-core processor that handles up to 8 simultaneous threads like the Intel Core i7-6700K. The Ryzen 5 1500X has a 12% lower clock speed, but boasts L2 and L3 caches that are twice as large. Let’s see how it performs in real life!
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3D Rendering Speed – CINEBENCH R15
CINEBENCH R15 is a real-world 3D rendering benchmark based on the MAXON Cinema 4D animation software. This is a great way to accurately determine the actual performance of a processor in 3D content creation.
CINEBENCH R15 Single Core
This Single Core test is not reflective of real world performance, but it is useful to find out the performance of the individual core.
The Single Core test shows that the individual processor core of the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) is about 6.2% slower than that of the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check), and 18.8% slower than the Core i7-6700K.
The Intel Core i7-6700K has a 14% higher clock speed than the Ryzen 5 1500X. If we adjust the results to account for that, the Intel Skylake core is about 8% faster than the AMD Ryzen core, clock for clock.
Since both the Ryzen 5 1500X and Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) have the same clock speeds, we can determine that the Ryzen 5 1500X’s larger L3 cache size improved its core performance by 4%.
CINEBENCH R15 Multi Core
This shows the real-world 3D rendering performance of the four processors. Even though the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) appears to be 12% slower than the Intel Core i7-6700K, it is actually equal in performance at the same clock speed.
Even though they both have the same clock speeds, the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) is 31% slower than the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check), because it has half the L3 cache and does not support SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading).
CINEBENCH R15 MP Ratio
The analysis of the Multi-Processing Ratio is useful in checking the efficiency of the SMT implementation. The MP Ratio is independent of the processor’s clock speed.
After adjusting for their clock speed difference, we calculated that the SMT implementation in the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) was 7% more efficient than Hyper-Threading in the Intel Core i7-6700K.
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Video Transcoding Speed – HandBrake
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoding utility. Video transcoding basically converts a video file from one resolution / format to another. As you can imagine, it’s very compute-intensive. In our test, we converted a 4K video of 1.3 GB in size into a 1080p video (HQ1080p30).
The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) transcoded the 1.3 GB video in under 8 minutes and 48 seconds – just 14.7% slower than the Intel Core i7-6700K. After adjusting for the difference in clock speed, the Core i7-6700K is just 3% faster than Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check), clock for clock.
The Ryzen 5 1500X was 26.4% faster at transcoding the video than the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check). Since they have the same clock speeds, that performance advantage is entirely due to its ability to process twice as many threads simultaneously – SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading).
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Radial Blur Speed – Photoshop CC 14
The radial blur filter adds the perception of motion to a picture. This is a compute-intensive operation that benefits from multiple processing cores. This radial blur test was performed on a single 13.5 megapixel photo, with a filesize of 4,910,867 bytes.
The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) applied the radial blur filter in 14.7 seconds – just 2 seconds slower than the Intel Core i7-6700K. On a clock-for-clock basis, the Core i7-6700K is 2.4% faster than the Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check).
The Ryzen 5 1500X was 21.6% faster at performing radial blur than the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check). Since they have the same clock speeds, that performance advantage is entirely due to its ability to process twice as many threads simultaneously – SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading).
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3DMark – Time Spy (DirectX 12)
In the Time Spy DirectX 12 benchmark, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) was 22% slower than the Intel Core i7-6700K in the CPU test. That’s 7.5% slower on a clock-to-clock basis, and only translates into a small 2.4% drop in overall gaming performance.
Ashes of the Singularity (1080p)
In the RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity, the single core CPU performance has a significant effect on the actual frame rate.
The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X was 17% faster than the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check). As they both have the same clock speeds, the performance difference was due to the Ryzen 5’s SMT capability and larger L3 cache.
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Ashes of the Singularity (4K)
When we bumped up the resolution to 4K, the performance difference was greatly reduced. The Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check), Core i7-6700K and Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) were essentially equal in performance. Even the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check) was now just 2% slower than the other 3 processors.
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Total War: Warhammer (1080p)
Like Ashes of the Singularity, the single core performance appeared to be crucial in Total War: Warhammer.
The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) was 10% faster than the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check). As they both have the same clock speeds, the performance difference was due to the Ryzen 5’s SMT capability and larger L3 cache.
Total War: Warhammer (4K)
But when we increased the resolution to 4K, all four processors delivered practically the same average frame rates. Naturally, at this high resolution, the graphics card was the most important factor in delivering high frame rates.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (1080p)
The CPU performance has a smaller effect with FPS games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. On the other hand, it appears support multi-core processors. Hence, the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) came out on top, albeit by a very small margin over the Intel Core i7-6700K.
When we bumped up the resolution to 4K though, all four processors were virtually equivalent in performance. That’s not to say that they are equally fast, just that the graphics card mattered far, far more at such a high resolution.
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Like the Ryzen 3 1300X (Price Check), it has four physical cores, a large 2 MB L2 cache, and clock speeds of 3.5 GHz to 3.7 GHz. However, its support for SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading) allows you to handle twice as many threads, and it has twice as much L3 cache – a whopping 8 MB!
All that allowed the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) to come close (~14%) to the performance of the Intel Core i7-6700K. In fact, on a clock-to-clock basis, they’re basically equal in performance! In other words, if you overclock the Ryzen 5 1500X to 4.0 GHz (base clock), it performs like the Core i7-6700K.
The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X performs like the Intel Core i7-6700K on a clock-to-clock basis
Now, its big brother, the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) is king when it comes to video transcoding and 3D rendering. However, if you are only interested in gaming performance, the Ryzen 5 1500X is a much better choice. It performs almost as well in games, but is much, much cheaper!
In RTS games, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X is just 2-10% slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X at 1080p.
In FPS games, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X is just 2-3% slower than the Ryzen 7 1800X at 1080p.
Increasing the resolution to 4K totally wipe out the difference, but that’s because the games were GPU-limited on the AMD Radeon RX 480 we used. If you are using a suitably-powerful graphics card like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, you should see similar minor drops in frame rates.
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The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X‘s gaming performance makes it great value for money. Let’s not forget – AMD bundles it with a Wraith Spire cooler! That’s why the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (Price Check) deserves nothing less than our Editor’s Choice Award! Congratulations, AMD!
Where To Buy
Here are direct links to the AMD Ryzen CPU and bundles on sale on Amazon :
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The AMD Ryzen 7 processors still use the same AM4 socket, but the mount holes are placed further out. This may mean your existing AM4 cooler may not mount properly on the new Ryzen 7 motherboards. So let’s check out what AMD’s CPU cooler partners have in store to pair with the AMD Ryzen 7 processors!
Updated @ 2017-08-08 : Added more links. Made other minor improvements.
Let’s start with the new line of AMD Wraith coolers, which AMD has designed for the Ryzen 7 processors. They are all quieter than the original AMD Wraith cooler (39 dBa), feature a new spring-screw clamping system and RGB LED lighting.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Swiftech Ryzen 7 CPU Coolers
Swiftech H240 X2
This is the Swiftech H240 X2 watercooler, with the following features :
Apogee XL2 waterblock with chrome-plated copper base plate and clear acrylic housing.
Two 140 mm Helix PWM fans (max. 28.8 dBA) with airflow of 35-90 CFM each.
Maintenance-free Mayhem ultra-clear tubing with red, blue and green Mayhem colour dyes.
Swiftech H320 X2
This is the Swiftech H320 X2 watercooler, with the following features :
Apogee XL2 waterblock with chrome-plated copper base plate and clear acrylic housing.
Three 120 mm Helix PWM fans (max. 33 dBA) with airflow of 24-55 CFM each.
Maintenance-free Mayhem ultra-clear tubing with red, blue and green Mayhem colour dyes.
Swiftech H220 X2
This is the Swiftech H220 X2 watercooler, with the following features :
Apogee XL2 waterblock with chrome-plated copper base plate and clear acrylic housing.
Two 120 mm Helix PWM fans (max. 33 dBA) with airflow of 24-55 CFM each.
Maintenance-free Mayhem ultra-clear tubing with red, blue and green Mayhem colour dyes.
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The AMD Ryzen 7 is, no doubt, the most anticipated processor to be introduced in 2017. This is the 8-core processor that AMD fans always wanted, but AMD did not quite deliver… until now. That changes with the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor.
Based on current benchmarks, the AMD Ryzen 7 processors give even the latest 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processors a run for their money. And with AMD pricing them so competitively, they will make you wonder – why opt for a quad-core processor when you can have an 8-core processor?
Introducing The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
The AMD Ryzen 7 family has some common features – 8 cores that can handle 16 threads simultaneously, a 4 MB L2 cache and a large 16 MB L3 cache. The 1800X is the top-of-the-line model, with a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.0 GHz. Here is a specification comparison of the three AMD Ryzen 7 processors :
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
TDP
95 W
95 W
65 W
Socket
AM4
AM4
AM4
Process Technology
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
Processor Cores
8
8
8
Number of Simultaneous Threads
16
16
16
L2 Cache Size
4 MB
4 MB
4 MB
L3 Cache Size
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
Base Clock Speed
3.6 GHz
3.4 GHz
3.0 GHz
Boost Clock Speed
4.0 GHz
3.8 GHz
3.7 GHz
Bundled CPU Cooler
None
None
AMD Wraith Spire
Launch Price (2017-03-02)
US$ 499
US$ 399
US$ 349
The AMD Ryzen 7 processors do not just boast 8 cores, they are also the first AMD processors to support SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading). SMT allows each core to handle two simultaneous threads, as if they are two virtual processor cores.
Unboxing The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor does not come with a bundled CPU cooler, so you will need a Ryzen 7-compatible cooler. It comes in a rather large but light cardboard box. Let’s unbox it!
A Closer Look At The Ryzen 7 1800X
Let’s take a closer look at the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor. After all, AMD took the effort to laser-etch the RYZEN logo into the heatspreader! 😀
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Benchmarking The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
In this article, we will take a look at the work and gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor. We will compare the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X to the Intel Core i7-6700K processor. Here is a table comparing their key specifications.
Now, we will be the first to admit that this is a rather “unfair” comparison because the Core i7-6700K is a quad-core processor that costs only as much as the Ryzen 7 1700. However, this is the fastest Intel processor we have on hand, so let’s just roll with it, and see what we find…
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3D Rendering Speed – CINEBENCH R15
CINEBENCH R15 is a real-world 3D rendering benchmark based on the MAXON Cinema 4D animation software. This is a great way to accurately determine the actual performance of a processor in 3D content creation.
CINEBENCH R15 Single Core
This Single Core test is not reflective of real world performance, but it is useful to find out the performance of the individual core.
The Single Core test shows that the individual processor core of the Ryzen 7 1800X is about 13.4% slower than the processor core of the Core i7-6700K. Of course, the Core i7-6700K has a 5% higher boost clock speed. If we adjust the results to account for that, the Intel Skylake core is about 10% faster than the AMD Ryzen core, clock for clock.
CINEBENCH R15 Multi Core
This shows the real-world performance of both processors. Having twice the number of cores allowed the Ryzen 7 1800X to beat the Core i7-6700K by 81%. Adjusting for the average 7.5% difference in base and boost clock speeds, the Ryzen 7 1800X would deliver 94% better performance than the Core i7-6700K at the same clock speeds.
CINEBENCH R15 MP Ratio
The analysis of the Multi-Processing Ratio is useful in checking the efficiency of the SMT implementation. The MP Ratio is independent of the processor’s clock speed.
The multi-threading capability of the Intel Core i7-6700K delivered a 22% boost to its Multi-Core processing speed. The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X, on the other hand, recorded a 27.4% boost to its Multi-Core processing speed. This means the AMD Ryzen’s SMT implementation is 5.8% more efficient than the Intel Skylake’s Hyper-Threading.
Video Transcoding Speed – HandBrake
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoding utility. Video transcoding basically converts a video file from one resolution / format to another. As you can imagine, it’s very compute-intensive. In our test, we converted a 4K video of 1.3 GB in size into a 1080p video (HQ1080p30).
If we adjust for the average 7.5% difference in base and boost clock speeds, the Ryzen 7 1800X would deliver 81% better performance than the Core i7-6700K at the same clock speeds.
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Radial Blur Speed – Photoshop CC 14
The radial blur filter adds the perception of motion to a picture. This is a compute-intensive operation that benefits from multiple processing cores. This radial blur test was performed on a single 13.5 megapixel photo, with a filesize of 4,910,867 bytes.
If we adjust for the average 7.5% difference in base and boost clock speeds, the Ryzen 7 1800X would deliver 85.5% better performance than the Core i7-6700K at the same clock speeds.
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3DMark – Time Spy (DirectX 12)
In the Time Spy DirectX 12 benchmark, the Ryzen 7 1800X was 60% faster than the Core i7-6700K in the CPU test. Obviously, not all of its 8 cores were being used.
But when it came to the two graphics tests, all that extra boost in CPU performance only gave it a small 0.6% to 1.25% boost in frame rates. The overall DirectX 12 performance improved by 5.7%.
3DMark – Fire Strike (1080p)
We ran the Fire Strike benchmark in the 1080p resolution, because this is the most common resolution gamers use today. The CPU is used exclusively to process Physics, and the Ryzen 7 1800X was 48% faster than the Core i7-6700K.
Surprisingly, the Graphics Score was 1.5% lower with the Ryzen 7 1800X, than it was for the Core i7-6700K. The Overall Score though was 3% better with the Ryzen 7 1800X.
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Ashes of the Singularity (1080p)
In the RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity, we can see that the frame rates were consistently lower with the Ryzen 7 1800X, albeit only by by 2-7% (4% on average).
Ashes of the Singularity (4K)
When we bumped up the resolution to 4K, the results were flipped. The Ryzen 7 1800X was slightly faster in the Normal and Medium batches. Overall, the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X was identical in performance to the Intel Core i7-6700K.
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Total War: Warhammer (1080p)
When we tested Warhammer at 1080p, it ran about 5% slower with the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X.
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Our Verdict
The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X is definitely a far more powerful processor than the Intel Core i7-6700K. It has twice as many cores, and far more memory bandwidth. It was fantastic in 3D rendering and video transcoding, delivering 70-85% better performance. Sadly, most games are unable to make use of all those cores.
Games that run in the lower, mainstream resolution of 1920 x 1080 will be slightly slower with the Ryzen 7 1800X. It’s not much slower though – just 5% on average.
But that performance deficit is completely erased at the higher resolution of 3840 x 2160. The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X is virtually identical in performance to the Intel Core i7-6700K.
Obviously, at the 4K resolution, the graphics card is far, far more important than the CPU. But as the Warhammer and The Witcher 3 results show, the Ryzen 7 1800X actually helped to push up the minimum frame rate.
If you are going to buy the Ryzen 7 1800X for gaming, you are not going to worry about the small 5% deficit in 1080p frame rates, because you will most likely be playing in 1440p or 2160p resolutions.
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What is our takeaway from the test results? Simple.
If you plan on building a gaming machine, you might want to go for the cheaper Ryzen 7 1700 CPU (US$ 329 with a Wraith Spire LED cooler), or the Core i7-6700K.
But if you are building a workstation for 3D rendering or video transcoding, you can’t do wrong with the Ryzen 7 1800X. Especially if you want the best computing performance for under US$ 500. For that reason, we think the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X deserves no less than our Reviewer’s Choice Award! Congratulations, AMD!
Where To Buy
Here are direct links to the AMD Ryzen CPU and bundles on sale on Amazon :
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You read our AMD Ryzen Tech Briefing, and saw how it matched and even beat the performance of the Intel Core i7-6900K processor, with lower power consumption! Well, the AMD Ryzen is here, and the first AMD Ryzen family will be known as AMD Ryzen 7.
In this article, we will look at the key specifications, performance and value proposition of the new AMD Ryzen 7 processors – the Ryzen 7 1800X, the Ryzen 7 1700X and the Ryzen 7 1700.
Originally Posted @ 2017-02-23
Updated @ 2017-05-06 : Added a new “The Balance Of Power Has Shifted” section, and updated other sections of the article.
Introducing The AMD Ryzen 7
It has been a long journey for AMD. As Dr. Lisa Su shared at the 2016 AMD Tech Summit, they spent 4 years and over two million engineering hours on the AMD Zen program. When they started AMD Zen with a clean slate, they set an ambitious goal of achieving 40% more instructions per clock over the previous generation Excavator core.
With AMD Ryzen, they not only achieved that goal, they actually beat it by a significant percentage. Instead of a 40% performance advantage over Excavator, the final AMD Zen silicon delivered more than 52% more instructions per clock.
If you read our AMD Ryzen Tech Briefing, you already know why AMD chose the name Ryzen, and that it is an 8-core, 16 thread processor. But now, the final AMD Ryzen silicon is revealed, together with the first Ryzen family of processors – the AMD Ryzen 7.
The new AMD Ryzen 7 family of processors consists of three models – the Ryzen 7 1800X, the Ryzen 7 1700X and the Ryzen 7 1700. Let’s take a closer look at the three AMD Ryzen 7 CPUs.
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The Ryzen 7 1800X Processor
At the 2016 AMD Tech Summit, AMD showed off an AMD Ryzen running at 3.4 GHz without boost, and promised that the final AMD Ryzen CPU would do better than that. They delivered on that with the Ryzen 7 1800X. This top-of-the-line 95W Ryzen CPU boasts a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.0 GHz.
In the Cinebench R15 benchmark, the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X actually beat the Intel Core i7-6900K by 9% in the multi-threaded test. This dovetails with the recent AMD Ryzen performance demo. This may not seem like much, but we should point out that the same AMD Ryzen demo showed that the 3.4 GHz Ryzen consumed less power than the Core i7-6900K.
But we think the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X‘s main advantage is its value proposition. It now offers the same performance of the Intel Core i7-6900K processor at less than half the price!
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The Ryzen 7 1700X Processor
Right below the Ryzen 7 1800X is the AMD Ryzen 7 1700X. This is a 95 W processor with a 3.4 GHz base clock, and a 3.8 GHz boost clock. According to AMD’s tests, it is just a tad slower than the Intel Core i7-6900K, and 39% faster than the Intel Core i7-6800K.
The performance pwnage is not surprising since the Intel Core i7-6800K is a quad-core processor, while the Ryzen 7 1700X is an octa-core processor. So what the Ryzen 7 1700X offers you is twice the number of cores and threads with a large boost in performance for slightly less than what you pay for an Intel Core i7-6800K processor.
That is a really enticing value proposition!
The Balance Of Power Has Shifted With The Ryzen 7 1700X New!
AMD compared the performance of the Ryzen 7 1700X to the Intel Core i7-7700K in various PC usage scenarios, including 4K gaming, game streaming, content creation and video encoding. Here were their key findings :
Compared to the Ryzen 7 1700X, the Core i7-7700K achieved 67% the video encoding performance in Handbrake and 82% the performance in Adobe Premiere CC.
In simultaneous game streaming via OBS, the Ryzen 7 1700X dropped less than 1% of frames, while the Core i7-7700K dropped 18% of frames.
Compared to the Ryzen 7 1700X, the Core i7-7700K achieved 65% the performance in POVRay, 69% the performance in Blender, and 63% the performance in Cinebench, for an average content creation performance of 66% relative to the Ryzen 7 1700X.
They even created this radar chart (also known as a spider chart) of their findings.
The Ryzen 7 1700 Processor
If you want even better power efficiency, the AMD Ryzen 7 1700 might be the answer. With a TDP of only 65 W, the Ryzen 7 1700 is an octa-core processor with a base clock of 3.0 GHz, and a boost clock of 3.7 GHz. According to AMD, the Ryzen 7 1700 is 46% faster than the new Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake processor!
Again, the performance pwnage is due to the fact the Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake processor is a quad-core processor, while the Ryzen 7 1700 is an octa-core processor. So you get twice as many cores and threads, with a large boost in performance, for a slightly lower price. Not bad at all.
Okay, that was arguably the understatement of the year, especially since it comes with a free Wraith Spire LED cooler! 😀
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Market Adoption
One of the worries about the success of the AMD Ryzen is support from motherboard manufacturers. AMD has declared that there will be over 82 motherboard options when the AMD Ryzen 7 series hits the market. We will show you the current AMD motherboards that are already available for pre-order with the AMD Ryzen 7 processors in an upcoming article.
Right now, you can pre-order AMD Ryzen desktops from 19 smaller PC builders and 185 retailers and boutique OEMs. AMD expects another 200 expected to offer similar desktops in Q1, 2017. The major brands though will only start offering AMD Ryzen desktops later in the first half of this year.
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However, you can now pre-order your AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and systems from 185 retailers, online stores and boutique OEMs right now! Here are direct links to the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and bundles on sale at Amazon :
For those of you who want to peruse Dr. Lisa Su’s full presentation slides for the AMD Ryzen 7 processors, here they are :
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Sunnyvale, California — Starting March 2, 2017, there are three 8-core Ryzen 7 models available. Beginning in Q2 AMD expects to launch 6- and 4-core Ryzen 5 processors followed later this year by Ryzen 3, which is designed to bring more performance to mainstream applications. All Ryzen processors support the new AM4 infrastructure, with motherboard designs available from top ODMs.
“Ryzen processors incorporate intelligent, performance-boosting technology that provides PC gamers, prosumers, and enthusiasts with incredible responsiveness, outstanding performance, and more immersive experiences, all in an extremely efficient package,” said Jim Anderson, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Group, AMD. “In the near future we will bring to market additional lines of Ryzen processors, scaling from Ryzen 7 in the enthusiast segment, through high performance users with Ryzen 5, and then mainstream users with Ryzen 3. This CPU portfolio represents disruptive price-to-performance and compelling top-to-bottom features like unlocked CPU multipliers and AMD SenseMI Technology.”
Alongside Ryzen 7 processors, AMD also announced the product specifications for two Ryzen 5 processors, and demonstrated the flagship Ryzen 5 1600X beating the flagship Intel Core i5 7600K by more than 60% in multi-threaded CPU testing.
In addition to being available to DIY builders and boutique PC vendors, in the coming months consumers will also be able to purchase Ryzen-based systems from top PC vendors.
“As the eSports and virtual reality markets continue to grow, Dell is committed to offering cutting-edge technology to enable the best gaming and immersive experiences. We are excited to bring AMD’s new high-performance Ryzen processor to select desktop and All-in-One products in the coming months,” said Ray Wah, SVP, Consumer Product Group, Dell.
“Experiences like gaming, eSports, and virtual reality push the performance limits of devices,” said Mike Nash, chief technologist, vice president of customer experience and portfolio strategy, HP Inc. “We believe there are a set of customers who will benefit from the new AMD technology and HP is excited to offer those customers devices powered by Ryzen.”
“Lenovo is always exploring and creating new solutions to bring our customers innovative PCs that provide the most immersive computing experiences,” said Johnson Jia, senior vice president, Lenovo’s PCs and Smart Device Business Group. “We’re excited to take our partnership to the next level with the revolutionary new Ryzen processor.”
Multiplier Unlocked
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During an event in front of global press, industry analysts, and partners last week, Ryzen CPUs were put through their paces and have already broken world records.
ASUS overclocking expert Jon “Elmor” Sandstrom, veteran overclocker Petri “SF3D” Korhonen and the AMD Ryzen OC team managed to push the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X CPU to over 5.35GHz with record breaking performance in the 8-core CPU category. The liquid nitrogen-cooled Ryzen CPU completed the industry standard Cinebench R15 and R11.5 tests with scores of 2454 and 27.40.
The freely available Ryzen Master Software utility gives broad control of CPU settings allowing users to squeeze every drop of performance from their CPU. AMD Ryzen processors are available starting today at select etailers.
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We have already showed you how fast the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X is in 3D rendering and video transcoding. It incinerated the Intel Core i7-6700K in multi-core processing, but proved to be slightly slower in single core processing. Today, we will examine the AMD Ryzen 7 gaming performance in this article!
3DMark – Time Spy (DirectX 12)
In the Time Spy DirectX 12 benchmark, the Ryzen 7 1800X was 60% faster than the Core i7-6700K in the CPU test. Obviously, not all of its 8 cores were being used.
But when it came to the two graphics tests, all that extra boost in CPU performance only gave it a small 0.6% to 1.25% boost in frame rates. The overall DirectX 12 performance improved by 5.7%.
3DMark – Fire Strike (1080p)
We ran the Fire Strike benchmark in the 1080p resolution, because this is the most common resolution gamers use today. The CPU is used exclusively to process Physics, and the Ryzen 7 1800X was 48% faster than the Core i7-6700K.
Surprisingly, the Graphics Score was 1.5% lower with the Ryzen 7 1800X, than it was for the Core i7-6700K. The Overall Score though was 3% better with the Ryzen 7 1800X.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Ashes of the Singularity (1080p)
In the RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity, we can see that the frame rates were consistently lower with the Ryzen 7 1800X, albeit only by by 2-7% (4% on average).
Ashes of the Singularity (4K)
When we bumped up the resolution to 4K, the results were flipped. The Ryzen 7 1800X was slightly faster in the Normal and Medium batches. Overall, the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X was identical in performance to the Intel Core i7-6700K.
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Total War: Warhammer (1080p)
When we tested Warhammer at 1080p, it ran about 5% slower with the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt (1080p)
At 1080p, The Witcher 3 was about 1.5% slower with the Ryzen 7 1800X on average.
The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X is definitely a far more powerful processor than the Intel Core i7-6700K. It has twice as many cores, and far more memory bandwidth. But it is obvious that most games are unable to make use of all that.
Games that run in the lower, mainstream resolution of 1920 x 1080 will be slightly slower with the Ryzen 7 1800X. It’s not much slower though – about 5% on average.
But that performance deficit is completely erased at the higher resolution of 3840 x 2160. The AMD Ryzen 7 1800X is virtually identical in performance to the Intel Core i7-6700K.
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Obviously, at the 4K resolution, the graphics card is far, far more important than the CPU. But as the Warhammer and The Witcher 3 results show, the Ryzen 7 1800X actually helped to push up the minimum frame rate.
If you are going to buy the Ryzen 7 1800X for gaming, you are not going to worry about the small 5% deficit in 1080p frame rates, because you will most likely be playing in 1440p or 2160p resolutions.
Support Tech ARP!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!