Ryzen 5 2600X vs. Ryzen 7 1700: Head to head CPU comparison

[Julio Franco]

When we recently updated our Best CPUs feature, we noticed that access to affordable first-gen Ryzen processors remains an attractive option for many. The Ryzen 7 1700 is a standout option for an 8-core/16-thread part selling for $160, meaning you can either buy the R7 1700 or the R5 2600 at the same price.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/review/1825-ryzen-2600x-vs-1700/

 

[Vulcanproject]

It's rather close to Zen 2 at this point, you would expect discounts on the Zen+ chips to get better and better. I built a machine recently for someone and opted for a discount 2600. Could budget for a better cooler then and slightly better memory for the cost of the 2600X. Then overclocked it to match the 2600X.

My thinking was that spending a lot on any of these chips was a mistake with Zen 2 so close, I would prefer the budget on a better cooler and memory because they will still be in the machine in a year. Then if needed, I could in 18 months just drop in a Zen 2 eight or twelve core perhaps. Get a core, clock and IPC upgrade.

Very impressed with the 2600, I didn't spend forever fine tuning the last percentage. Bunged it to 4GHz, kept the voltage modest. Ran happily along at ~60 degrees stress load and brings a lot more muscle to a person who was using a 4th gen i5.

 

[TehJumpingJawa]

No mention of cooler used, nor boost clock attained on each CPU.

Also incomparable memory, and ill matched motherboard for what's being compared.

If you're going to compare based upon price, then you need to compare the total system cost not just one component.

 

[Andrel]

Hi, I have a small issue with the testing methodology as r7 1700 happily supports DDR4 3333 at CL16.18.18.38 (G Skill 3600 CL18 down locked - Hynix) please update your records X470 Ultra Gaming on BIOS F6

 

[The Sea]

I chose to go w a used 1700 for $155cnd, it is paired to an Asrock B450 AC itx board and Team Dark 3200 Bdie ram at cas 14. I am able to run it at 3.9ghz all day long and 4 is doable as well. Running these clocks it's faster than 2600x and if I can eek 4.1 it's actually stronger than an 1800x in numerous tests which is odd. I will take the extra cores the chip should last a solid 2 years for my use and this is coming from a 2600 on a Asrock B450 matx. For a GPU I will use a modified bios RX480 performing equal to a 580, soon will add a Vega 56. Always stay a gen or two behind to do it all on the cheap!

 

[Evernessince]

I was recently deciding between a used 4770 and a Ryzen 5 1600 for a customer's build. Newegg had the 1600 on sale for $115 while the 4770 was $150. 8000 and 9000 series processor were off the table as the closest they had was the 4 core 4 thread i3 8100 for $140. Pretty much had no choice but the Ryzen in this case, 2 more cores and more then double the threads. Those Intel processors don't have a high enough clock speed to have a gaming advantage either. Also added a B450 motherboard in there and the cost was still well below $200.

 

[Stark]

No mention of cooler used, nor boost clock attained on each CPU.

Also incomparable memory, and ill matched motherboard for what's being compared.

If you're going to compare based upon price, then you need to compare the total system cost not just one component.

The amount of data presented in itself is huge. guess you are new to Techspot, and all the questions are valid in themselves, but knowing Techspot and Steve, they would certainly try to keep things equal.

 

[Adi6293]

In UK you can get the 1700X for £182 and the 2600X for £199, personally I would pick the 1700X because I game at 4K and I dont have 2080Ti to see the difference

 

[Someone8MyPosts]

These two processors aren't aimed at the same market.

 

[harm9963]

$ 149.00 1700x or $79.00 1600 ✔
https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294822457+4294819840&Ntt=1700x
https://www.microcenter.com/product...-am4-boxed-processor-with-wraith-spire-cooler

 

[Dave321]

So you used faster ram for one cpu that the average person will not pay for? We're they even clocked at the same speed?

 

[Mahone]

No mention of cooler used, nor boost clock attained on each CPU.

Also incomparable memory, and ill matched motherboard for what's being compared.

If you're going to compare based upon price, then you need to compare the total system cost not just one component.

Either way you look at it the bottlenecking shouldn't be happening in so many games!! We're talking here about cpu's that arent even 2 years old yet. People like to **** about Intel but I don't see anyone doing the same with Ryzen considering the performance in gaming is at times Ivy Bridge/Haswell level like.

 

[Mahone]

Is nobody even a tiny bit worried about bottlenecking going on in so many games? In 2 years time the same thing happening at 1080p might continue at 1440p with the latest gpu's.

 

[Jeff Harrison]

The Ryzen 7 base clock is only 3.0 GHz. I have mine overclocked to 3.85ghz on a crappy CoolerMaster 120 AIO. Also your MB must be crap if all u can do is 2933 on memory. After all the Aegesa updates. Are you using the latest bios? On my Asus Strix X370 using Ryzen DRAM calculator I have my B-die 16mb kit running at 3466 CL14 with very tight timings and sub timings. I doubt that 2600x is any faster than my 1700. I would have to say 1700 all the way, as long as your willing to spend a couple hours tinkering, and if your building your own PC I would assume you are.

 

[Lew Zealand]

$ 149.00 1700x or $79.00 1600 ✔
https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294822457+4294819840&Ntt=1700x
https://www.microcenter.com/product...-am4-boxed-processor-with-wraith-spire-cooler

$79 for the 1600 is practically throwaway money for 6C12T. Wow.

I've been looking at the 2600 vs. 1700 prices and trying to find if the 2 extra cores are of any use to me and this shows that for my uses, they're not. But if I was buying today, the $79 1600 would be my easy buy and then pick up a 3600 or 3700 at the end of the year on a decent sale if I find I need more CPU.

 

[Steve]

No mention of cooler used, nor boost clock attained on each CPU.

Also incomparable memory, and ill matched motherboard for what's being compared.

If you're going to compare based upon price, then you need to compare the total system cost not just one component.

"Both CPUs were tested on the Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi with the standard box coolers."

 

[bluetooth fairy]

Looks misleading when text is about 1700 vs 2600X but productivity diagrams have 1700 vs non-x 2600 highlighted.

 

[urbanman2004]

3700X FTW, nuff said

 

[Julio Franco]

Looks misleading when text is about 1700 vs 2600X but productivity diagrams have 1700 vs non-x 2600 highlighted.

That was an involuntary mistake, we've corrected those graphs. Thank you for the note.

 

[144hzGamer]

Is nobody even a tiny bit worried about bottlenecking going on in so many games? In 2 years time the same thing happening at 1080p might continue at 1440p with the latest gpu's.

Ikr? I been saying this since zen launch. Ryzen is POOPISH for anyone with a monitor that is not 60hz. The 0,1% lows are awful and it can t lock a good hugh refresh rate experience. Things are only getting worse and worse as people upgrade their gpu or tweak settings for max fps on some multiplayer shooter.

 

[bluetooth fairy]

Is nobody even a tiny bit worried about bottlenecking going on in so many games? In 2 years time the same thing happening at 1080p might continue at 1440p with the latest gpu's.

Ikr? I been saying this since zen launch. Ryzen is POOPISH for anyone with a monitor that is not 60hz. The 0,1% lows are awful and it can t lock a good hugh refresh rate experience. Things are only getting worse and worse as people upgrade their gpu or tweak settings for max fps on some multiplayer shooter.

No worries, absolutely. Just because the context of the article is different. The whole thing was to compare a Zen CPU against another one Zen+. If Ryzen itself was a trouble for someone, he just wouldn't read the article.

But the different DDR4 speed and latencies may be treated as biased comparison, even though one can say it reflects the reality. Wish I could see all Ryzens paired with 3200@14-14-14 DRAM.

 

[winjer]

This test was really unfair by not using the same memory on both systems.
There is no excuse to not using faster memory on the 1700. Especially considering that Ryzen's performance scales very well with memory speed.
I run my 1700 with 16 GB at 3400 Mhz and CL14.
There were some problems with high memory speeds when Ryzen was launched, but today these issues are solved and memory compatibility is much better.
Please retest and provided us with real results.

 

[msroadkill612]

This test was really unfair by not using the same memory on both systems.
There is no excuse to not using faster memory on the 1700. Especially considering that Ryzen's performance scales very well with memory speed.
I run my 1700 with 16 GB at 3400 Mhz and CL14.
There were some problems with high memory speeds when Ryzen was launched, but today these issues are solved and memory compatibility is much better.
Please retest and provided us with real results.

Thats good input for folks. Zen has been a moving target these years. Much has changed. A zen 1 buyer now is in a very different position to the early days.

Later versions of ram/mobo/processor are also inevitably better processed than 2 years ago. Makers dont publicise it, but of course they improve production methods for a given SKU with time.

Many reviewers seem stuck with opinions formed when zen1 was first reviewed.

 

[144hzGamer]

This test was really unfair by not using the same memory on both systems.
There is no excuse to not using faster memory on the 1700. Especially considering that Ryzen's performance scales very well with memory speed.
I run my 1700 with 16 GB at 3400 Mhz and CL14.
There were some problems with high memory speeds when Ryzen was launched, but today these issues are solved and memory compatibility is much better.
Please retest and provided us with real results.

Imagine needing to pair 200€-250€ ram with a 120€-160€ cpu to get the best out of it.

 

[winjer]

Imagine needing to pair 200€-250€ ram with a 120€-160€ cpu to get the best out of it.

The matter of this article is comparing 2 CPUs, but using different hardware and settings.
The 1700 used 2933Mhz ram and the 2600 used 3400Mhz.
They should have used either 3400 Mhz on both, or 2933Mhz.

The other thing to consider is that ram prices are dropping significantly, so there's no longer the issue of price.

And even with cheap ram you could get better speeds than 2933Mhz and CL15, on Ryzen 1.
I did have a cheap kit when Ryzen lauched, and managed to get it to 3200Mhz CL14.