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Civilization VI AI & Graphics Test, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, GTA V
Civilization VI AI Test
Civilization VI's AI benchmark measures the amount of computational horsepower available to the system during a turn-based strategy gaming session. The AI benchmark is very consistent, so it was strange when we noticed the Ryzen 7 1700 outpacing the rest of the field. Alas, the remarkable performance came from a Civilization VI Spring 2017 update, which dramatically improved AI performance, forcing us to toss our old numbers.
We retested all of the processors and noted higher performance across the board, so it appears this wasn't an AMD-targeted patch. The finishing order remains the same, reflecting a ~3-second improvement for all CPUs. The stock Ryzen 7s can't keep up with Core i7-6900K, though they do jump in front after overclocking.
The Core i7-7700K and i5-7600K continue to dominate this test. We did log CPU utilization during our run and saw the benchmark scale across all 16 logical cores (it spawns 45 threads). But scaling and scaling well are two different matters, so the four-core processors continue enjoying a lead.
Civilization VI Graphics Test
The update had little impact on our graphics test, though we did notice a slight decline in average frame rates for most processors, along with more consistent minimum frame rate measurements.
The results line up familiarly, though the Core i5-7600K isn't as competitive as it is in other titles. Meanwhile, Intel's Core i7-6900K leads, while the company's Core i7-7700K falls into its wake. The stock Ryzen 1700 isn't competitive and trails its siblings by a large margin. An overclock helps put the chip within range of the two faster SKUs.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided remains the only game that Ryzen processors dominate in convincing fashion. That trend continues as we look at Ryzen 7 1700's performance. The CPU secures its spot in the leading group at stock settings. And due to an apparent graphics bottleneck, it experiences minimal uplift from our overclocking efforts.
Grand Theft Auto V
We measure performance during Grand Theft Auto V's F-16 flight sequence with the built-in benchmark. The scripted path yields a solid and consistent benchmark, while constantly changing terrain applies a significant graphics workload.
The stock Ryzen 7 1700 shows up at the bottom of our performance chart. But once again, it climbs into a more competitive position after we overclock. Unfortunately for AMD, all of the Ryzen processors trail their Intel competition by a significant margin. Even the affordable Core i5-7600K at stock clock rates outperforms. And overclocking would certainly propel it into a much higher position.
