Core i7-8700 vs Ryzen 5 4680U

Core i7-8700 vs Ryzen 5 4680U Performance Spectrum

Core i7-8700

6 / 12

12,747

0.0%

12,959

+1.7%

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

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 i7-8700 vs Ryzen 5 4680U 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 i7-8700 vs Ryzen 5 4680U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-8700

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 5 4680U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Ryzen 5 4680U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,747 vs 12,959).
❌Launch MSRP is still $303 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 4680U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 4680U

2021

Why buy it

✅+1.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-8700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-8700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-8700.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 4680U better than Core i7-8700?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-8700 is ahead with a 23.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4680U pulls ahead with 1.7% better PassMark. Core i7-8700 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4680U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 4680U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Ryzen 5 4680U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $303 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.7% better PassMark. Core i7-8700 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (42.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Ryzen 5 4680U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 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 i7-8700 vs Ryzen 5 4680U Technical Specifications

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

Core i7-8700

The Core i7-8700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12288 kB. L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,747 points. Launch price was $303.

Ryzen 5 4680U

The Ryzen 5 4680U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 April 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 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: 12,959 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-8700 and Ryzen 5 4680U share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-8700 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4680U — a 14% clock advantage for the Core i7-8700 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i7-8700 uses the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4680U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-8700 scores 12,747 against the Ryzen 5 4680U's 12,959 — a 1.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 4680U. L3 cache: 12288 kB on the Core i7-8700 vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4680U.

Feature	Core i7-8700	Ryzen 5 4680U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+15%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+45%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12288 kB+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	12,747	12,959+2%
Cinebench R23 Multi	7,969	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,535	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,200	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-8700 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 4680U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-8700	Ryzen 5 4680U
Socket	LGA1151	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-8700) / not specified (Ryzen 5 4680U). The Core i7-8700 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 5 4680U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-8700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-8700 rivals Ryzen 5 2600.