AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X vs Intel Core i7-8086K Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results for these two desktop processors tell a surprisingly split story. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X wins six of the eight recorded head-to-head comparisons, while the Intel Core i7-8086K takes the remaining two. However, the magnitude of those wins is not evenly distributed.

In the Cinebench suite, the AMD chip dominates across every version. In Cinebench R15, the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X scores 1333 in multi-core versus 1206 for the Intel, a 9.5% advantage. The single-core result follows the same pattern: 188 versus 170, a 9.6% lead. Moving to Cinebench R20, the margins remain nearly identical. The AMD part posts 5555 multi-core against 5029 for the i7-8086K, again a 9.5% gap, while single-core shows 784 versus 709, a 9.6% difference. Cinebench R23 continues the trend with 13227 versus 11975 in multi-core and 1867 versus 1690 in single-core, both favoring AMD by 9.5%.

The story reverses dramatically in Geekbench. The Intel Core i7-8086K scores 7920 in multi-core, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X manages only 5355. That is a 47.9% lead for Intel. The single-core Geekbench result is even more lopsided: 1697 versus 1076, a 57.7% advantage for the Intel part. These are enormous margins, far larger than the consistent single-digit leads AMD holds in Cinebench.

What is noteworthy here is the consistency within each benchmark family. The Cinebench deltas hover tightly between 9.5% and 9.6% across all three versions, which suggests a stable architectural advantage for AMD in that particular workload. The Geekbench deltas are similarly consistent in their direction, though far larger in magnitude. The database shows two processors that each have a clear home turf, and the head-to-head results are not close in either direction.

Looking at average benchmark scores, the Intel i7-8086K sits at 3800, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X averages 3673. Both processors land in the 56th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Intel chip's nearest rivals include the Core i7-9700KF at 3787 (0.3% behind), the Ryzen 9 4900H at 3820 (0.5% ahead), and the Xeon E-2286M at 3822 (0.6% ahead). The AMD part's nearest competition includes the EPYC 7251 at 3671 (exactly even), the Core i3-13100E at 3668 (0.1% behind), and the EPYC 7301 at 3685 (0.3% ahead). Both chips are clustered tightly with their direct competitors, indicating that neither is an outlier within its own performance tier.

Where Each One Wins

The use-case split is defined less by the number of wins and more by workload type. The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X claims every Cinebench test, which renders it the stronger choice for rendering tasks that scale with thread count and sustained multi-core load. Its 8 cores and 16 threads give it a structural edge in heavily threaded content creation workloads. The consistent 9.5% multi-core lead across R15, R20, and R23 indicates that the advantage holds as the workload length and complexity increase.

The single-core Cinebench results are more surprising. The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X leads by 9.6% in R15 and 9.5% in both R20 and R23, despite having a lower boost clock of 3.80 GHz compared to 5.00 GHz for the Intel part. The database shows that clock speed alone does not predict single-threaded Cinebench performance here. AMD's single-core wins in this suite were not marginal, they were consistent across all three versions.

The Intel Core i7-8086K, by contrast, dominates Geekbench with margins of 47.9% and 57.7%. That makes it the better option for applications whose behavior aligns with Geekbench's measurement methodology, which often emphasizes memory latency, branch prediction, and integer and floating point throughput in ways that differ from Cinebench's rendering pipeline. Users running general productivity software, office suites, or lightly threaded applications that resemble Geekbench's workload mix would see a substantial advantage on the Intel platform.

The average benchmark scores tell a different story than the head-to-head wins. Despite losing six of eight direct comparisons, the Intel chip has a higher average score of 3800 versus 3673 for AMD. This is because the Geekbench margins are so large that they outweigh the consistent but smaller Cinebench deltas. The data suggests that the Intel part is the more balanced performer overall, while the AMD part is specialized toward Cinebench-style rendering workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core i7-8086K uses the Coffee Lake architecture on a 14 nm process node fabricated by Intel. It packs 6 cores and 12 threads. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X uses the Zen architecture, also on a 14 nm node, but fabricated by GlobalFoundries. It offers 8 cores and 16 threads. Both chips are unlocked for overclocking, but their underlying designs diverge sharply.

Cache configurations reveal a key structural difference. The Intel part has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part has 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ryzen processor carries more cache at every level, which contributes to its Cinebench performance despite lower clock speeds.

The AMD chip includes 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die. The Intel processor has no transistor count or die size recorded in the database. The AMD die is a monolithic Zen design with a memory controller and I/O integrated on the same piece of silicon. The Intel Coffee Lake die similarly integrates memory controller and PCIe, but the database does not list physical dimensions for comparison.

Integrated graphics are another differentiator. The Intel Core i7-8086K includes UHD Graphics 630, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X has no integrated graphics at all. Systems built around the AMD chip require a discrete GPU for display output, whereas the Intel part can drive a display on its own. This makes the Intel chip more flexible for basic builds or troubleshooting scenarios, though both are desktop processors aimed at performance-oriented systems.

Both CPUs support DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. Both use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes available from the CPU. The AMD part supports ECC memory, while the Intel part does not. That ECC support is a meaningful distinction for workstation use cases where data integrity is prioritized over raw speed.

Specification Differences

The socket is a primary difference. The Intel Core i7-8086K uses Intel Socket 1151, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X uses AMD Socket AM4. These are not interchangeable, and they dictate entirely different motherboard ecosystems.

Core and thread counts differ. The Intel chip has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD chip has 8 cores and 16 threads. Clock speeds also differ significantly. The Intel part runs at a 4.00 GHz base clock and boosts to 5.00 GHz. The AMD part runs at 3.40 GHz base and boosts to 3.80 GHz. The Intel chip has a 1.20 GHz higher boost clock.

The AMD processor has a larger cache at every level: 96 KB L1 per core versus 64 KB, 512 KB L2 per core versus 256 KB, and 16 MB shared L3 versus 12 MB. The memory bandwidth is identical at 42.7 GB/s, as is the dual-channel memory bus. ECC memory support is exclusive to the AMD part. Integrated graphics are exclusive to the Intel part.

The Intel processor has a recorded launch MSRP of $425. The AMD processor has no launch MSRP recorded in the database. Production status also differs: the Intel chip is end-of-life, while the AMD chip remains active. The release dates are roughly one year apart, with Intel launching in June 2018 and AMD in June 2017. The transistor count of 4,800 million and die size of 213 mm² are listed only for the AMD part.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X scores 13227 versus 11975 for the Intel Core i7-8086K, a 9.5% advantage for AMD.

Q: How large is the Intel chip's lead in Geekbench single-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-8086K scores 1697 versus 1076 for the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X, a 57.7% lead.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i7-8086K does not.

Q: Which CPU has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i7-8086K includes UHD Graphics 630. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X has no integrated graphics.

Q: What are the core counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i7-8086K has 6 cores and 12 threads. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-8086K averages 3800, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X averages 3673. Both sit in the 56th percentile of all CPUs in the database.