Semiconductor giant AMD has introduced the Ryzen 7 9700X as part of the Ryzen 9000 Series of processors. This new processor features more cores than Ryzen 5 9600X, while remaining affordable.
Here are the specifications for the 9700X:
- Cores: 8
- Threads: 16
- Socket Platform: AM5
- Architecture: Zen 5
- Max Boost: 5.5GHz
- Base Clock: 3.8GHz
- L2 Cache: 8x1MB
- L3 Cache: 32MB
- Thermal Design Power (TDP): 65W
- Default Package Power Tracking (PPT): 88W
- Max Electrical Design Current (EDC): 150A
- Max Thermal Design Current (TDC): 75A
- Maximum Junction Temperature (TJMax): 95°C
- Typical Loaded Temperatures: 70-90°C
- Max Memory Speed (Non-OC): DDR5-5600 (2x16GB)
The 9700X shares similar specs with the 9600X, particularly in terms of power and temperature loads. However, it is built on the Zen 5 architecture, offering improved performance at lower energy consumption and enhanced AI workload processing.
The 9700X is compatible with a mid-frame tower cooler, unlike the higher Ryzen 9 models that require liquid coolers.
It also operates within a specified TJMax of 95°C, indicating that it can function at this temperature for extended periods of time without risk of damage or performance degradation. Beyond this temperature, the processor initiates safety measures by lowering power and clock speeds to cool down.
During testing, the 9700X was paired with a tower cooler as the default option. However, liquid cooling can further extend overclocking headroom.
The test setup included the Gigabyte X670E Aorus Master motherboard, Radeon RX 7600X 8GB GPU, and 16GB RAM.
In the Unigine Superposition benchmark at 1080p resolution, the 9700X achieved an average of 137 frames per second (FPS). In the “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands” (TTW) benchmark with high graphics settings, it scored an average of 65 FPS.
In AMD’s performance data, TTW gameplay reached 286 FPS with the Radeon 7900 XTX 24GB GPU, compared to the Core i7-14700K that scored 283 FPS with the same GPU.
On “High” graphic setting at 20% CPU usage, TTW gameplay averaged 60 FPS but dropped to 35 FPS on “Ultra” settings.
“Burnout Paradise Remastered” ran at 17% CPU usage and averaged 59 to 60 FPS with the highest in-game graphic setting and at 4K resolution.
The “Very High” graphic setting of “Mortal Kombat 11” ran more smoothly on the 9700X than the 9600X, though not as smooth as running on “High” settings.
On “High” settings, it achieved a 5% CPU usage and 60 FPS average. Throughout the tests, the temperature never exceeded 55°C.
Both the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X offer good performance at their respective price points. If you have a slightly higher budget for a processor, the 9700X’s energy efficiency and high performance make it a solid mid-tier option at the price of P23,500 compared to other processors in its capability range.
