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Review: Intel Core i7-7700K (14nm+ Kaby Lake)

by Tarinder Sandhu on 3 January 2017, 09:00

Tags: Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)

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Conclusion

We continue to have the distinct feeling that Intel is in no rush to genuinely advance desktop quad-core computing because it has no need to do so....

The next generation of Intel desktop CPUs is launching in January 2017. Known as Kaby Lake and already in the wild in the mobile space, they represent, on first glance, the diminishing performance uplifts that enthusiasts have now become accustomed to.

Additional CPU-centric benchmark uplift is achieved by enhanced frequency alone, made possible by a reworking of the 14nm fabrication process, and the headroom potential is maintained when overclocking. A boon for those that want that magical 5GHz on air, no doubt.

There are a number of improvements to the media processing, however, bringing Kaby Lake right up to date, yet we continue to have the distinct feeling that Intel is in no rush to genuinely advance desktop quad-core computing because it has no need to do so. Rather, focus is on offering the most complete mobile and server chips in the market.

Considering the broader landscape, pausing the microarchitecture between generations offers AMD a real chance to get back into the premium game with its upcoming Zen CPUs. Intel's last great desktop processsor was the venerable Sandy Bridge, released almost six years ago; Kaby Lake is merely that architecture polished to the nth degree.

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TBC.

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This is as underwhelming and disappointing as it is predictable from Intel. :(
Pretty much underwhelming, I bought my i7 4790k and board from Scan earlier this year and cannot see any reason to buy anything from the newer generations at all.
Ineed, nor even my 4770k
Seems very underwhelming that they have had to increase the power draw to give it the extra clocks over the 6700K, so much for tweaking the manufacturing process to be more efficient!

Would be interesting to see the 7700K down-clocked to 6700K speeds and then see what the power draw figures are between them.
Intel are probably confident that the new ZEN's from AMD, whilst being competitive in terms of IPC, are not going to be able to reach such high clock speeds as Kaby Lake.

I've not seen even the slightest hint anywhere that first gen Zen's will go higher than 4.2Ghz on air.