AMD Ryzen 5 1600 vs Intel Core i7-8700 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two six-core, twelve-thread desktop processors into clearly different usage profiles. The Intel Core i7-8700 takes 15 of the 17 head-to-head benchmark wins, while the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 wins only 2. That asymmetry tells a straightforward story: the Intel part dominates across most measured workloads, with the AMD chip carving out narrow niches where its architecture excels.

Looking at the win pattern, the Core i7-8700 claims every single-core victory and every rendering, compression, and math workload except one. Its wins range from a modest 4% margin in Cinebench R15 single-core to a massive 67.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The Ryzen 5 1600, by contrast, wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 3.4% and data encryption by 61.6%. That encryption result is the outlier, a workload where AMD's design clearly holds an advantage.

For general productivity, the Core i7-8700 leads in Geekbench multi-core by 17.3% and single-core by 41.8%. In PassMark's suite, the Intel chip wins multithread by 4%, integer math by 8.2%, floating point math by 30.1%, and extended instructions by 86.5%. The Ryzen 5 1600's only other notable result is a tie in prime number finding, where both score 35.

The use-case split is practical. If the workload involves encryption, the Ryzen 5 1600 is the pick. If the workload involves nearly anything else measured here, including rendering, compression, sorting, physics simulation, or single-threaded tasks, the Core i7-8700 has the edge. The breadth of Intel's wins suggests a more balanced processor, while AMD's two victories point to specialization.

Architecture Differences

Both chips use a 14 nm process, but they come from different foundries and different design philosophies. Intel builds the Core i7-8700 on its own 14 nm process under the Coffee Lake architecture, while AMD fabricates the Ryzen 5 1600 at GlobalFoundries using the Zen microarchitecture, codenamed Summit Ridge.

The core configurations match at six cores and twelve threads, but the cache hierarchies differ substantially. Intel allocates 64 KB of L1 cache and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD gives each core 96 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2, plus a larger 16 MB shared L3 pool. The Ryzen chip also packs 4,800 million transistors into a 213 mm² die, while Intel's die measures 154 mm².

Clock speeds tell a different story. Both start at 3.20 GHz base, but the Core i7-8700 boosts to 4.60 GHz compared to the Ryzen 5 1600's 3.60 GHz. That 1.0 GHz boost advantage explains much of Intel's single-core dominance. The Intel chip also includes UHD Graphics 630 integrated graphics, while the AMD part has none, requiring a discrete GPU.

Memory support is identical in bandwidth and bus width: both use DDR4 over a dual-channel interface at 42.7 GB/s. The Ryzen 5 1600 supports ECC memory, which the Core i7-8700 does not. Both use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. The sockets differ as expected: Intel uses LGA 1151, AMD uses AM4. The Ryzen 5 1600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, while the Core i7-8700 does not.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win belongs to the Core i7-8700 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it scores 10,829 against AMD's 6,468, a 67.4% advantage. That gap is remarkable for two processors with identical core and thread counts. The single-core version of the same test shows a 67% lead, with Intel at 1,528 and AMD at 915. These Cinebench R23 results dwarf the margins seen in older benchmarks, suggesting the Intel architecture scales significantly better with modern rendering workloads.

Geekbench results reinforce the pattern. The Core i7-8700 scores 6,519 multi-core and 1,538 single-core, versus 5,558 and 1,085 for the Ryzen 5 1600. The 41.8% single-core gap is particularly telling, as it reflects the raw clock speed and IPC advantages of Coffee Lake over first-generation Zen.

In PassMark's suite, the Core i7-8700 wins extended instructions by 86.5% (12,432 vs 6,667), floating point math by 30.1% (27,839 vs 21,402), and single-thread performance by 27.3% (2,629 vs 2,066). The Intel chip also leads in random string sorting by 18.4%, physics by 13.8%, data compression by 8.7%, and integer math by 8.2%. The multithread score is closer, with Intel at 12,756 versus AMD's 12,270, a 4% margin.

The Ryzen 5 1600's wins are narrower in one case and dramatic in the other. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 1,129 against Intel's 1,091, a 3.4% lead. But in data encryption, AMD posts 11,683 against Intel's 4,488, a 61.6% advantage. That encryption result is the single most lopsided win for either side, and it suggests AMD's Zen architecture has a dedicated advantage in cryptographic operations. The prime number test ties at 35 for both.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge on several specification fields. The Core i7-8700 has a boost clock of 4.60 GHz versus 3.60 GHz for the Ryzen 5 1600, though both share a 3.20 GHz base clock. L1 cache per core is 64 KB for Intel versus 96 KB for AMD. L2 cache per core is 256 KB for Intel versus 512 KB for AMD. Shared L3 cache is 12 MB for Intel versus 16 MB for AMD.

The Ryzen 5 1600 supports ECC memory; the Core i7-8700 does not. The Intel chip includes UHD Graphics 630; the AMD chip has no integrated graphics. The multiplier is unlocked on the AMD part but locked on the Intel part. Transistor count is 4,800 million for AMD, while no figure is recorded for Intel. Die size is 213 mm² for AMD versus 154 mm² for Intel.

The release dates differ by about six months: the Ryzen 5 1600 launched on 2017-04-10, and the Core i7-8700 on 2017-10-04. The production status also differs, with the Intel part marked end-of-life and the AMD part active. Sockets and architectures are naturally different, with Intel using Coffee Lake on LGA 1151 and AMD using Zen on AM4.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-8700 boosts to 4.60 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 boosts to 3.60 GHz. Both have a 3.20 GHz base clock.

Q: Does either processor support ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 1600 supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i7-8700 does not.

Q: Which processor wins in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-8700 wins every single-core benchmark recorded. It leads by 4.1% in Cinebench R15 single-core, 67% in Cinebench R23 single-core, 41.8% in Geekbench single-core, and 27.3% in PassMark single-thread.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest gap is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Core i7-8700 leads by 67.4%. The second largest is in PassMark data encryption, where the Ryzen 5 1600 leads by 61.6%.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 6 cores and 12 threads. They also share the same 65 W TDP and the same dual-channel DDR4 memory interface at 42.7 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 1600 has 16 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to 12 MB on the Intel Core i7-8700. The AMD chip also has larger L1 and L2 caches per core.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to the Intel Core i7-8700 as the stronger processor for the vast majority of workloads. Its 15 wins out of 17 tests, combined with an average benchmark score of 18,223 versus 17,994 for the Ryzen 5 1600, make it the safer choice for general use. The Intel chip's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 5 2600E with a 0% delta and the Intel Core i7-9700 at 0.2%, placing it in solid company.

The Core i7-8700 is the pick for rendering, as shown by its 67.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also the pick for single-threaded applications, where its 4.60 GHz boost clock delivers leads of 41.8% in Geekbench and 27.3% in PassMark. For math-heavy workloads, the Intel chip wins both integer and floating point tests. For compression, sorting, and physics, it leads by margins from 4% to 18.4%.

The AMD Ryzen 5 1600 has two specific strengths. Data encryption is its standout domain, with a 61.6% lead that suggests a hardware-level advantage in cryptographic operations. It also edges out the Intel chip in Cinebench R15 multi-core by 3.4%, though that older benchmark may not reflect modern workloads as accurately as the R23 version. The AMD chip's larger L3 cache and per-core L2 cache do not translate into general performance wins, but they may help in specific scenarios not captured by these tests.

For users who need ECC memory support or plan to overclock, the Ryzen 5 1600 has clear specification advantages. The unlocked multiplier allows tuning that the locked Core i7-8700 cannot offer. The active production status also means the AMD chip remains available, while the Intel part is end-of-life.

The verdict from the data is straightforward: the Intel Core i7-8700 is the higher-performing processor across nearly every measured category, with the Ryzen 5 1600 appealing primarily to encryption-focused workloads, ECC memory requirements, or overclocking enthusiasts. Both sit at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, but the Core i7-8700's average score of 18,223 edges out the Ryzen 5 1600's 17,994, and its benchmark win count of 15 to 2 leaves little ambiguity about which chip delivers more performance in standard applications.