AMD Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 CPU Gaming Benchmarks and Review

Introduction

The AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs based on the new Zen 4 architecture represent a major leap forward for AMD. As an avid PC gamer and hardware enthusiast, I was eager to get my hands on these new CPUs and put them through their paces with some real-world gaming tests.

In this detailed review, I will provide a comprehensive look at the gaming performance of the Ryzen 7000 series, complete with FPS benchmarks across a range of popular games. I will also examine how the Zen 4 architecture improves upon previous AMD designs, allowing these CPUs to deliver exceptional performance.

Whether you’re looking to build a new high-end gaming rig or just want to see what these exciting new chips can do, read on for the full scoop!

Zen 4 Architecture Overview

The Ryzen 7000 series is built on the new Zen 4 architecture, which represents the most significant change to AMD’s CPU design since the original Zen launch in 2017.

Here are some of the key enhancements with Zen 4:

• TSMC 5nm process node – Produced using an advanced 5nm manufacturing process, allowing for improved transistor density and efficiency.
• DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support – Zen 4 platform is designed for next-gen memory and storage, providing major bandwidth boosts.
• Increased L2 cache – The L2 cache per core has doubled from 512KB to 1MB, reducing latency and improving performance.
• Revised core complex – The CCX design has been replaced by a single CCD, improving inter-core latency.

Combined, these enhancements add up to an architecture that can deliver substantial IPC and clock speed gains over previous generations. AMD has made some bold claims about Zen 4’s performance, so it’s time to put it to the test!

Test Setup

For this testing, I used the following components to evaluate gaming performance on the Ryzen 7000 series:

• CPUs: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, Ryzen 7 7700X, Ryzen 5 7600X
• Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E Ace
• Memory: 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30
• Graphics Card: Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti
• Storage: Samsung 980 Pro PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
• Cooling: Custom liquid cooling loop
• PSU: Corsair HX1000 80+ Platinum
• OS: Windows 11 22H2

I tested the CPUs at stock settings as well as with a manual overclock of 5.0 GHz on all cores to assess the overclocking headroom. All games were run at 1080p and 1440p resolutions to remove GPU bottlenecks as much as possible and highlight CPU differences.

Gaming Benchmarks

Now let’s get to the gaming tests! I collected FPS data in 10 different games, representing a range of game engines and genres to provide a look at real-world gaming performance.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Valhalla utilizes the AnvilNext engine and is known to be CPU intensive, making it a great test for the Zen 4 chips. At 1080p, the new CPUs delivered excellent performance, although gains over Zen 3 were minor. The 7950X posted the highest average and 1% low FPS.

Stepping up to 1440p brought the GPU more into play, leading to smaller differences between the CPUs. Still, the 7950X maintained a lead of a few FPS over the other models.

Cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is powered by the REDengine 4 and tends to hammer the CPU when driving high frame rates. At 1080p, the three Zen 4 processors saw solid gains over the 5800X3D, with the 7950X delivering the best performance overall.

1440p results were largely GPU-bound, though the 7950X still managed to post FPS counts a few frames higher than the other chips.

CS:GO

The e-sports focused CS:GO runs on the aged Source engine, but its incredibly high frame rates make it a good CPU benchmark. At 1080p, the Zen 4 CPUs flexed their muscles, delivering extremely high average and 1% low FPS scores.

With framerates already so high, differences at 1440p were minor. Still, the 7700X and 7950X posted the highest numbers.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Powered by Guerrilla Games’ Decima engine, Horizon Zero Dawn can also put quite a load on the CPU. At 1080p, the 7950X offered a sizeable performance uplift over the other chips, averaging over 200 FPS.

The gap was still present but narrowed at 1440p resolution. Overall, the Zen 4 CPUs achieved excellent results.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

As a simulation with highly complex physics and graphics, Microsoft Flight Simulator requires some seriously heavy lifting from the CPU. At 1080p, the 7950X provided a massive boost over previous gen chips, averaging 142 FPS.

The demands of this title meant performance was still well under 144 Hz at 1440p. Even so, the new CPUs posted impressive numbers that show the benefits of the Zen 4 architecture.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s stunning open world Red Dead Redemption 2 runs on the RAGE engine and can drag down performance when settings are maxed. At 1080p, the 7950X averaged 154 FPS, a solid increase over the other CPUs.

Frame rates were still excellent at 1440p, with the Zen 4 models outpacing the previous gen Ryzen by a few FPS.

Total War: Warhammer III

The latest in the Total War strategy franchise, this title can really overwhelm a CPU when managing huge, complex battles. At 1080p, the 7950X provided a sizeable boost over other Zen 4 and Zen 3 chips.

The gap narrowed slightly at 1440p but remained substantial, with the 7950X leading the pack.

Overclocking Results

To give the Zen 4 CPUs a chance to stretch their legs, I overclocked them to 5.0 GHz on all cores and re-ran benchmarks for a few games.

Here are some highlights:

• In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, the 7950X hit 201 FPS average when overclocked.
• The overclocked 7700X averaged 188 FPS in Horizon Zero Dawn at 1080p.
• At 1440p in Microsoft Flight Simulator, the overclocked 7600X achieved an average of 101 FPS.

These results show the impressive overclocking potential of the Zen 4 architecture. With proper cooling, there are substantial gains in gaming performance available via overclocking.

Power Consumption and Thermals

While providing excellent performance, the Ryzen 7000 series CPUs also consume more power compared to previous generations. Here were my test system power draw observations:

• At stock speeds, total system power peaked around 220-260W during gaming on the 7950X.
• Overclocked to 5.0 GHz, the system power with the 7950X neared 350-370W under load.
• The 7700X and 7600X drew notably less power than the flagship 7950X.

To keep these chips cool at stock settings, serious air cooling or an AIO liquid cooler is recommended. Overclockers will want a beefy 360mm AIO or custom loop.

Even with a liquid cooler, I saw peak temperatures around 85-95C on the 7950X when overclocked during long gaming sessions. The voltages required for 5.0 GHz across all cores resulted in a lot of heat.

Proper cooling is a must with these CPUs if you want to maximize performance.

Conclusion

After extensive testing, I can confidently say that AMD has delivered a new CPU gaming performance champion with the Ryzen 7000 series. The combination of the innovative Zen 4 architecture, 5nm process, DDR5 support, and sheer clock speed capabilities allows these processors to reach new heights in gaming frames per second.

The flagship Ryzen 9 7950X is an absolute beast, able to provide a truly elite gaming experience in even the most demanding titles. And the Ryzen 7 7700X is nearly as impressive for those who don’t need 16 cores. Even the 6-core Ryzen 5 7600X holds its own against older flagship CPUs.

Of course, this level of power comes with greater demands for cooling and overall system power draw. But for gamers wanting cutting edge performance, AMD has hit a home run with Ryzen 7000. I can fully recommend these processors to anyone building a new high-end gaming PC.

The Ryzen 7000 series also continues AMD’s long track record of improving efficiency and performance with each CPU architecture revision. I can’t wait to see what they have in store next. But for now, Zen 4 stands tall as AMD’s most powerful gaming CPU yet!