Low latency performance comparison of the i7-6850k, Ryzen 1800x, and i7-7700k
6850k - six cores @ 4GHz
1800x - eight cores @ 4GHz
7700k - four cores @ 4.5GHz
Audio Interface:
RME Fireface UFX at a 48-sample ASIO buffer size 44.1k
Audio Stress TestRunning DAW Bench (Reaper version of the test with its multi-band compressor for load)... here are the maximum instances that each CPU could run completely glitch-free:
- 6850k - 223 instances of the multi-band compressor (CPU load with transport running was 99%)
- 7700k - 180 instances of the multi-band compressor (CPU load with transport running was 95%)
- 1800x - 170 instances of the multi-band compressor (CPU load with transport running was 93%)
Generic BenchmarksFloating Point Math
- 1800x - 16126
- 6850k - 12212
- 7700k - 8816
Integer Math
- 1800x - 43898
- 6850k - 29468
- 7700k - 21921
Single Thread
- 7700k - 2641
- 6850k - 2335
- 1800x - 2104
If you just look at the generic CPU benchmarks, you'd expect the 1800x to smoke the 6850k.
This is why audio specific low-latency stress-testing is important.
For low-latency audio work, the i7-7700k ($300) is outperforming the 1800x ($500).
That kills the impetus to use the 1800x.
For working with heavy loads at low-latency, the i7-6850k ($500) is the best of the three.