AMD's $120 Ryzen 3 3300X beats the Intel Core i7 7700K in Geekbench 4. Intel's Core i7 has long reigned supreme in client CPU technology, with an MSRP of $339, but AMD's budget processor shows what Zen 2 can do on a budget.

The Intel Core i7 7700K was the best of the best in the heyday of the Kaby Lake architecture (circa 2017). At least for our mere non-HEDT rigs; with 4 cores and 8 threads of processing power, a base clock of 4.2 GHz and a boost clock of 4.5 GHz, this chip was the de facto standard for high-end gaming machines.

But a lot has changed in the three years since then, and AMD's Ryzen 3 3300X will be available for just $120, offering the familiar 4 cores and 8 threads, base clocked at 3.8 GHz and boost clocked at 4.3 GHz. It is also said to offer higher performance if the latest benchmarks are to be believed.

"What's changed?" the industry seems to be calling this the "Ryzen effect."

Geekbench 4 scores found by TUM_APISAK on Twitter show the Ryzen 3 3300X with 5,874 single core and 20,948 multi-core.

Intel's Core i7 7700K scored 5,818 single-core and 20,329 multi-core.

The Intel Z270 rig was running at a slower DDR4 of 3,200 MT/s compared to 3,600 MT/s for the AMD system. Depending on the overall system configuration, scores may vary slightly.

The latest Ryzen 3 lineup, officially announced earlier this week, will be available starting in May, with both the Ryzen 3 3300X and the slightly slower Ryzen 3 3100 incorporating the Ryzen 3000 processor stack through to the 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X incorporate the Zen 2 architecture, which has been used from the Ryzen 3000 processor stack to the 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X.

However, Intel's lineup is also expected to change by summer. The Intel Core i3 10100 is the spiritual successor to the Core i7 7700K and, like the budget Ryzen processors, is a sign of the times.

The Core i3 10100 is rated at a slightly slower 3.6 GHz base and 4.4 GHz boost in a 4/8 configuration, and while its architecture has changed little over the years, it can probably compete with AMD's budget Ryzen 3 processor later this year. But that depends on Intel's ability to compete with AMD on price.

According to reports, Intel has announced its Comet Lake 10th generation lineup, including the attractive Core i3 10100, for an early summer release.