PC HARDWARE | Review: Ryzen 7 2700 performance and overclocking

0

For this part of the 2nd gen Ryzen reviews, we have the Ryzen 7 2700 and we’ll put it up head to head against the first generation Ryzen 7 1700.

Ryzen 7 2700

MD Ryzen processor

For this part of the 2nd gen Ryzen reviews, we have the Ryzen 7 2700 and we’ll put it up head to head against the first generation Ryzen 7 1700.

Just like it’s predecessor, the Ryzen 7 2700 is an 8-core/16-thread CPU but only with higher base clock of 3.2GHz and a boost clock of 4.1GHz. It also has the same amount of L1, L2, and L3 cache, and also same TDP (thermal design power) of 65w.

Just like with the other 2nd Generation Ryzen processors, this uses the much refined 12nm CMOS die technology which allows it to have higher clock frequencies out of the box.

And just like the Ryzen 7 1700, the Ryzen 7 2700 also comes with the same 95w TDP Wraith Spire with RGB LED. That box cooler is actually beefy enough for a decent overclock but ofcourse, getting an aftermarket cooling solution is recommented for better overclocking headroom.

IMG_2866

Testing Rig

For overclocking and benchmark tests, we will be using the following components:

  • CPU: Ryzen 7 2700, Ryzen 7 1700;
  • CPU cooler: Noctua NH-D15S;
  • Memory: two sticks of 8GB G.Skill Sniper X 3400Mhz memory modules;
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte X470 Gaming 7 Wifi;
  • GPU: MSI RX 570 Armor 8G OC;
  • Powersupply: ULTRA X3 650w modular PSU.

Overclocking

The Ryzen 7 2700 has a higher clock speed than the Ryzen 5 1700 out of the box and we were able to push it up to a stable 4.1GHz with 1.395v on the CPU core voltage using the latest version of the Ryzen Master Software.

The Ryzen 7 1700 on the other hand can only go up to 3.9GHz on 1.42v on the CPU core voltage.

Benchmarking

For the benchmarks, we will do a series of tests with different applications to see what has improved with the Ryzen 7 2700.

First results shown are the results with Cinebench R15 on both single core and multi-core test runs.

Ryzen 7 2700 review slides
Cinebench R15 scores. (Higher is better)

As you can see with the single core tests:

  • There is a difference of 27.69% between the Ryzen 7 1700 and 2700;
  • and when both are overclocked to their maximum stable clock speeds, there is a 6% difference between both processors;
  • The difference between a stock Ryzen 7 1700 between the Ryzen 7 2700 at 4.1GHz is around 30%.
Ryzen 7 2700 review slides 1
Cinebench R15 scores. (Higher is better)

Same goes with the multi-core test:

  • There is an  8% difference the two processors on stock;
  • but there is a 32% difference between a stock Ryzen 5 1600 and the Ryzen 5 2600 at 4.1GHz.

Next we used 3DMark’s Time Spy and Fire Strike benchmarks and there is a significant difference in CPU scores between both processors.

Ryzen 7 2700 review slides 2
3DMark CPU scores. (Higher is better)
Ryzen 7 2700 review slides 3
3DMark CPU scores. (Higher is better)

Both CPU scores show that there is at least an 6.5% difference in performance between the two processors.

Now let’s take a look at the memory latency between the two processors. This is an important factor because Ryzen processors gain a significant performance increase and efficiency with better memory latency that mainly results in snappier CPU performance thanks to the interaction of the CPU Complex (CCX) with DDR4 memory that leads to faster Infinity Fabric and hence faster communication between each CPU cores and the L3 cache.

Ryzen 7 2700 review slides 5
Memory latency test. (Lower is better)

In real world scenarios like rendering and gaming, users might not notice a significant increase in performance just as shown in the charts below but this doesn’t mean that the Ryzen 5 2600 doesn’t have it’s value.

Ryzen 7 2700 review slides 4
Rendering time with Blender (Lower is better)
Ryzen 7 2700 review slides 6
Average CPU framerate with Ashes of The Singularity (Higher is better)

With the second generation Ryzen 7 2700 and it’s improved memory compatibility, we were able to utilize up to 3600Mhz of dual channel memory without flashing a single new bios on both X470 motherboards that we have on hand. Everything is refined out of the box unlike when the first generation of Ryzen processors was released.

There is a lot of performance benefits in gaming and creative workloads with lower memory latency and cache latency, allowing much more smoother performance in any  tasks given.

The Ryzen 7 2700 is a worthy successor to the 8-core processor line up of Ryzen CPUs in terms of performance and value: the performance and stability gains in gaming and productivity with the Zen+ architecture is made more affordable is the key takeaway.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *