Core i7-7800X vs Ryzen 5 4600U

Core i7-7800X vs Ryzen 5 4600U Performance Spectrum

Core i7-7800X

6 / 12

12,963

0.0%

13,043

+0.6%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i7-7800X vs Ryzen 5 4600U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-7800X vs Ryzen 5 4600U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-7800X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,963 vs 13,043).
❌Launch MSRP is still $383 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 4600U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌833.3% higher power demand at 140W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 4600U

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 140W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-7800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 4600U better than Core i7-7800X?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-7800X is ahead with a 3.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4600U pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4600U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 4600U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Ryzen 5 4600U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $383 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.6% better PassMark. Core i7-7800X only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (33.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2066.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 4600U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-7800X vs Ryzen 5 4600U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i7-7800X

The Core i7-7800X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 12,963 points. Launch price was $383.

Ryzen 5 4600U

The Ryzen 5 4600U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,043 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-7800X and Ryzen 5 4600U share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i7-7800X versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4600U — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-7800X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4600U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-7800X scores 12,963 against the Ryzen 5 4600U's 13,043 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 4600U. L3 cache: 8.25 MB (total) on the Core i7-7800X vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4600U.

Feature	Core i7-7800X	Ryzen 5 4600U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+67%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	8.25 MB (total)+3%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	12,963	13,043
Cinebench R23 Multi	6,897	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,114	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,951	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-7800X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 4600U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.