The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is the objective winner of this comparison, securing victory in eleven out of fourteen measured specifications. Its most significant technical advantage is a 200% larger L2 cache compared to the Intel Core i7-7700K. While the Intel Core i7-7700K maintains a 17% higher base clock speed, it only outperforms the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 in two total categories, making the latter the superior choice across the vast majority of measured hardware metrics.

Users prioritizing overall technical efficiency and modern architecture should select the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 for its substantial cache advantage. Conversely, the Intel Core i7-7700K remains a viable option for specific use cases that rely strictly on a higher base clock frequency. By weighing these specific advantages, buyers can choose the component that best aligns with their requirements for cache capacity or base clock speed.