AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X vs Intel Core i7-9700KF Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split is unusually clean: AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X wins every Cinebench test, while Intel Core i7-9700KF wins both Geekbench tests. That is 6 wins for AMD and 2 for Intel, but the margin story is more important than the win count.

The AMD chip dominates heavily in Cinebench across all three versions (R15, R20, R23). In every Cinebench test, the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X leads by 8.5% to 8.6%. That consistency is striking: whether single-core or multi-core, whether an older or newer Cinebench version, the delta barely moves. The scores range from 1,219 vs 1,333 in R15 multi-core to 12,100 vs 13,227 in R23 multi-core. This indicates a fundamental per-thread advantage in that workload family, not a scaling quirk.

Intel's wins are much larger in percentage terms. The Core i7-9700KF beats the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X by 42.3% in Geekbench multi-core (7,620 vs 5,355) and by 56.2% in Geekbench single-core (1,681 vs 1,076). Those are enormous gaps, and they flip the overall verdict depending on which benchmark family you trust for your use case. The Geekbench scores suggest the Intel part has a major advantage in workloads modeled by that suite, which tends to emphasize memory latency sensitivity and branch prediction behavior.

The average benchmark score also favors Intel: 3,787 vs 3,673, a 3.1% advantage. Both sit at the 56th percentile against all CPUs in the database. The Intel part's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 (avg score 3,777, delta 0.3%) and Intel Core i7-8086K (avg score 3,800, delta -0.3%). The AMD part's nearest rivals are server chips like the EPYC 7251 (avg score 3,671, delta 0%) and EPYC 7301 (avg score 3,685, delta -0.3%). This shows the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X is competing with enterprise silicon in its average score tier, while Intel sits with high-clock desktop parts.

Architecture Differences

Both processors use the same 14 nm process node, but the underlying designs diverge sharply. Intel's Coffee Lake die measures 180.3 mm², while AMD's Zen (Summit Ridge) die is 213 mm². AMD lists 4,800 million transistors; Intel does not report a transistor count in the database.

Core and thread counts: the Core i7-9700KF has 8 cores and 8 threads, meaning no hyper-threading. The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X also has 8 cores but carries 16 threads through SMT. That thread advantage should help the AMD part in heavily parallel rendering, and the Cinebench multi-core results confirm it. The Intel chip compensates with a much higher boost clock: 4.90 GHz vs 3.80 GHz. Base clocks are 3.60 GHz vs 3.40 GHz.

Cache layouts are different in both size and organization. Intel uses 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. AMD uses 96 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. The AMD part has more cache at every level, which helps in repeated data access patterns.

Both run DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with identical 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. However, the AMD chip supports ECC memory while the Intel chip does not. That is a meaningful feature for workstation or server use cases where data integrity matters more than raw speed.

Platforms differ: Intel uses Socket 1151, AMD uses Socket AM4. Both provide PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. Neither has integrated graphics. Both have unlocked multipliers, so overclocking is possible on either platform.

The production statuses diverge: the Intel part is end-of-life while the AMD part is listed as active. The Intel chip released in January 2019, and the AMD chip released in June 2017. The AMD part belongs to the 1000 series (Zen, Summit Ridge), while Intel's is Coffee Lake Refresh.

The Verdict

The data points to a workload-specific choice, not a universal winner. If your primary applications are Cinebench-style rendering tasks, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X is the better pick. It wins every Cinebench test by roughly 8.5%, and it does so in both single-threaded and multi-threaded variants. The 16 threads clearly help in multi-core rendering, but the fact that it also wins single-core Cinebench by the same margin suggests the Zen architecture handles that specific workload more efficiently.

If your applications resemble Geekbench, especially its single-core test, the Intel Core i7-9700KF is decisively better. The 56.2% single-core Geekbench lead is enormous and would translate to snappier response in lightly threaded software. The 42.3% multi-core Geekbench lead is equally large and suggests that the Intel chip's higher clocks and newer architecture win out in that suite's workload model, despite having half the threads.

The average benchmark score slightly favors Intel (3,787 vs 3,673), and both are at the 56th percentile. The Intel chip's closest rivals are consumer desktop parts and a mobile chip (Core i5-1245U), while the AMD chip's closest rivals are dual-socket server processors. That positioning suggests Intel's part is the stronger general-purpose desktop performer in the database's overall metric.

For a system dedicated to Cinebench or similar render workloads, choose the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X. For a general desktop machine with mixed use, the data favors the Core i7-9700KF, especially if single-threaded Geekbench performance matters. The Intel part is end-of-life, so availability may be limited; the AMD part remains active in production.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmark tests?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X wins 6 of 8 head-to-head tests. The Intel Core i7-9700KF wins the remaining 2.

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

A: The Core i7-9700KF scores 1,681 versus 1,076 for the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X, a 56.2% lead.

Q: Does the AMD chip have more threads?

A: Yes. The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i7-9700KF has 8 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which CPU has higher clock speeds?

A: The Intel chip has a 3.60 GHz base clock and 4.90 GHz boost clock. The AMD chip has a 3.40 GHz base clock and 3.80 GHz boost clock.

Q: Do both CPUs support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i7-9700KF does not.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i7-9700KF averages 3,787, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X averages 3,673. Both rank at the 56th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most one-sided results come from Geekbench. In multi-core, the Intel chip scores 7,620 against 5,355 for AMD, a 42.3% advantage. In single-core, the gap widens to 56.2%: 1,681 vs 1,076. These are the kind of margins that separate a responsive everyday desktop from a sluggish one in latency-sensitive tasks.

Cinebench tells the opposite story. The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X leads by 8.6% in R15 multi-core (1,333 vs 1,219) and by 8.5% in R15 single-core (188 vs 172). R20 shows the same pattern: 5,555 vs 5,082 multi-core and 784 vs 717 single-core, both 8.5% deltas. R23 continues it: 13,227 vs 12,100 multi-core and 1,867 vs 1,708 single-core, again 8.5%.

The consistency of the 8.5% delta across six Cinebench tests is noteworthy. It suggests the AMD architecture has a stable efficiency advantage in that rendering workload, independent of thread count or clock speed. The Intel chip's higher boost clock (4.90 GHz vs 3.80 GHz) does not translate into a Cinebench win, even in single-core tests.

Conversely, the Geekbench results show that the Intel chip's clock advantage matters enormously in that suite. The 56.2% single-core lead is more than six times larger than the AMD chip's Cinebench lead. This is not a close contest in Geekbench; the Intel part thoroughly outclasses the AMD part there.

When considering the average benchmark score, the Intel chip leads 3,787 to 3,673. The closest rivals for Intel are the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 (3,777, 0.3% behind) and Core i7-8086K (3,800, 0.3% ahead). For AMD, the closest rivals are the EPYC 7251 (3,671, 0% delta) and EPYC 7301 (3,685, 0.3% ahead). This places the Intel chip in a cluster of high-end consumer parts, while the AMD chip sits with server-class silicon.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in several key specifications. The Intel Core i7-9700KF uses 8 threads total, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X uses 16 threads. Base clocks are 3.60 GHz for Intel and 3.40 GHz for AMD. Boost clocks are 4.90 GHz for Intel and 3.80 GHz for AMD.

Cache configurations differ: Intel has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. AMD has 96 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. Die sizes are 180.3 mm² for Intel and 213 mm² for AMD. AMD reports 4,800 million transistors; Intel does not provide that figure.

Sockets differ: Intel uses Socket 1151, AMD uses Socket AM4. ECC memory support is present only on the AMD chip. The Intel part is end-of-life, while the AMD part is active in production. Release dates differ: January 2019 for Intel, June 2017 for AMD. The Intel launch MSRP was $374; the AMD chip has no recorded launch MSRP.

Both share several specifications: 8 cores, 95 W TDP, 14 nm process, DDR4 memory support, dual-channel memory bus, 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, no integrated graphics, desktop market segment, and unlocked multipliers.