Introduction
Ryzen has gotten off to a great start, and we’ve had a lot of fun testing the Ryzen R7 1800X, as well as the Ryzen R7 1700. Not only have we been putting them through their paces in CPU tests, but also pairing the 1800X up with the 1080 Ti to see how robust the chip can be while gaming. Now we’re back once again to take a look at the 1700X, which sits between the more affordable 1700, and the flagship 1800X.
Equipped with the latest Zen core architecture, AMD SenseMI technology, and an unlocked clock speed, this chip promises to take care of overclocking its self when you need the extra power; so long as you have a good enough cooler installed. Promising most of the thrills of the 1800X at lower price point, we’re eager to see what this chip can really do.
As will all chips in the R7 range, the 1700X comes equipped with 8 cores and 16 threads, which should bring some seriously noticeable benefits to computational workloads, rendering, and even gaming.
- Number of CPU Cores: 8
- Number of Threads: 16
- Base Clock Speed: 3.4GHz
- Max Turbo Core Speed: 3.8GHz
- Total L1 Cache: 768KB
- Total L2 Cache: 4MB
- Total L3 Cache: 16MB
- Unlocked: Yes
- Package: AM4
- Default TDP / TDP: 95W
Packaging and Accessories
Normally, we would take a look at the CPU box design here, and even the cooler. Unfortunately, our sample was a chip in a tiny box with no branding. However, you will find two variants at retail, one with the Wraith cooler and one without, giving you the option to buy your own aftermarket cooler. The chip looks like you would expect, using the AM4 package and a soldered lid for optimal heat dissipation.
Nice review.
I think that the 1700 is by far the most interesting chip to date as this can be easily overclocked and has a lower starting TDP than the other 2 cpu’s. Motherboard support is terrible, but I believe that this is more due to AMD not letting the vendors have the code to play with until very close to release!!
Your recommended vcore for overclocking is a bit on the high side, 1.475v will likely end up being closer to 1.5v under load and this is well above even the 1.45vcore that AMD suggests would already shorten the life of the cpu.
Perhaps this could be a starting point to determine full stability and then a user might start to lower vcore until stability is lost. I have my 1700 at 4.00ghz on the MSI Carbon at full stability at 1.3875v and 1.10v on NB. I have a custom loop and this results in OCCT load temps of 54C on the cpu!!
Cooler loop means that my 1080 runs even cooler and I can now overclock the GPU by another 10mhz on the core. Not much, but interesting none the less.
Lower vcore for overclocking may be a result of the initial lower tdp of the 1700 cpu. Something for a future article on Ryzen overclocking???