PROS
- Highest clocked Intel CPU and 5.0GHz overclocks
- 4K HEVC encode/decode acceleration
CONS
- Slightly faster than Skylake and still only quad-core
- Discrete GPU use bypasses the video/graphics features
The classification of generations can vary, but Kaby Lake is recognized as the eighth Intel Core CPU (following Bloomfield/Nehalem, Westmere/Clarkdale, Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell, Broadwell, and Skylake), despite being designated as part of the 7th Generation. Intel has frequently adopted a flexible approach to naming its processor models; for instance, the ‘Enthusiast’ platform CPUs are often labeled as one generation higher than their architecture (e.g., Haswell is considered 4th Generation, while Haswell-E is associated with the 5000 series model numbers). Additionally, it is noteworthy that Core Duo and Core 2 Duo do not fit within the Core lineage. Nevertheless, Kaby Lake is categorized as 7th Generation Core, and we shall proceed accordingly.
I am examining Intel’s latest flagship processor, the Core i7-7700K. This model represents the ‘optimization’ phase of Intel’s new Process-Architecture-Optimization strategy, focusing on two primary enhancements along with several minor adjustments. The first significant improvement is the enhanced 14nm manufacturing process, referred to as 14nm+, which aims to boost clock speeds and power efficiency through modifications in fin height and silicon straining. The second major enhancement pertains to the updates made to the video and multimedia components, enabling hardware decoding and encoding for 4K H.265 formats, including HEVC, VP9, and others.
The most apparent outcome of the optimizations is that the i7-7700K operates at a higher clock speed compared to its predecessor, the i7-6700K, and it has the potential for greater overclocking. Additionally, for those utilizing the integrated HD Graphics 630, there is a reduction in CPU utilization during specific 4K video decoding tasks. Furthermore, in a unique feature associated with Microsoft’s Edge browser, users can stream 4K content from Netflix. I have also assessed the gaming capabilities of Kaby Lake’s HD 630 integrated graphics. In summary, the performance is not sufficient to recommend that serious gamers forgo the purchase of a dedicated graphics card.
In addition to its increased clock speeds, the i7-7700K is compatible with both the existing 100-series chipset motherboards and the newer 200-series boards. While this compatibility is generally not a concern, it is worth noting that the Z270 chipset offers support for 24 PCIe Gen3 lanes, in contrast to the 20 lanes available on the Z170. Furthermore, the Z270 introduces support for Optane Memory, a technology designed to enhance performance through SSD caching, although it is not currently available.
The enhancements in clock speeds, along with slight architectural modifications, suggest that the actual performance improvements from Kaby Lake will be minimal at most. The turbo frequency of 4.5GHz, in contrast to the 4.2GHz turbo of the i7-6700K, along with a base frequency of 4.2GHz versus 4.0GHz, indicates a performance difference of approximately five to seven percent. When overclocking both processors, one can expect frequencies of around 4.7GHz and 5.0GHz, respectively. One cannot help but feel a sense of indifference.
However, one might wonder about the various new media features—surely they have some utility? Indeed, they do, but only when utilizing the integrated graphics, which necessitates connecting a display to the motherboard’s video outputs. This is not a common practice among gamers using the i7-7700K. Typically, individuals purchasing an i7-7700K will opt to disregard the HD 630 and its video decoding capabilities. It is also important to note that both Nvidia and AMD graphics cards offer support for a wide range of video codecs.
Core i7-7700K performance
I have previously addressed various facets of Kaby Lake; however, I have yet to provide a conclusive assessment. This document serves as a concise executive summary of the i7-7700K, concentrating on this specific model rather than the broader Kaby Lake series. The CPU and gaming performance, when paired with a dedicated graphics card, remains consistent with prior iterations. In the forthcoming charts, I will specifically emphasize the i7-7700K, showcasing both its overclocked and stock clocked performance. Before delving into those details, let us first engage in a brief discussion regarding video, graphics, and multimedia performance.
The performance of 4K streaming on systems utilizing the HD Graphics 630 is notably efficient, with minimal CPU usage observed, particularly when streaming content from Netflix in 4K. Intel asserts that laptops equipped with the Kaby Lake architecture can achieve battery life of up to 9.5 hours while decoding 4K video, which is a commendable achievement. However, this may not be of significant concern to desktop users, as they are typically connected to a power source and likely utilizing a dedicated graphics card. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that 4K Netflix streaming is subject to DRM restrictions, raising questions about the potential for these protections to be circumvented in the future. Notably, the presence of DRM restricts 4K Netflix streaming to the use of integrated video ports only.
In terms of graphics performance, I maximized the potential of the HD 630 by utilizing DDR4-3200 memory. The outcome, however, is underwhelming when compared to even the most basic modern GPUs, such as the GTX 1050 and RX 460, as the HD 630 struggles to achieve an average of 30 fps at resolutions of 1280×720 and 1280×768 in the majority of games I evaluated. Nevertheless, there is a silver lining, as the titles I assessed are relatively demanding. For those who prefer less intensive games like Dota 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, and Overwatch, the HD 630 proves to be adequate. However, for more resource-intensive games, one would either require a dedicated graphics card or consider modifications that significantly lower graphics quality to attain playable performance. Furthermore, if your goal is to game on a budget, the Core i7 components would likely not be a consideration.
In assessing CPU performance, I am incorporating the stock performance metrics of all other processors; however, the overclocked performance can be examined in the primary Kaby Lake hub. The single-threaded performance of Kaby Lake stands out prominently, with both the stock and overclocked 7700K securing the top two positions in Cinebench’s single-threaded evaluation. Additionally, it is noteworthy that in numerous heavily threaded benchmarks, the overclocked 7700K performs comparably to the different 6-core Haswell-E and Broadwell-E processors.
In the comprehensive evaluation, the 7700K OC outperforms all three tested 6-core processors. It is evident that overclocking the 6-core models alters the results; however, this comes with a significant rise in power consumption. Notably, even when overclocked, the i7-7700K consumes less power (165W under load) compared to the different Haswell-E/Broadwell-E processors (ranging from 165W to 200W), largely due to its more energy-efficient architecture.
It is not particularly surprising to observe this comparison, as we are evaluating a 4.2-4.5GHz 4-core processor against a 3.4-3.8GHz 6-core processor. The 4-core processor benefits from an enhanced 6-wide superscalar architecture along with various optimizations. Approximately 25 percent of the performance difference can be attributed to clock speeds, while the architectural advantages and the limited performance scaling from 4-core to 6-core configurations typically account for the remainder of the disparity in core count. The upcoming releases of Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X later this year will be noteworthy, as they are expected to introduce significant architectural and platform improvements.
In summary, the i7-7700K represents a slight enhancement compared to the i7-6700K, surpassing the Skylake architecture by approximately six percent, accounting for variations in clock speed. This assessment is based on tests conducted with applications specifically designed to highlight minor discrepancies in CPU performance. In typical usage scenarios, the distinction between a Skylake and a Kaby Lake processor is unlikely to be perceptible to most users.
Gaming on the i7-7700K
While the disparity in raw CPU performance may not be significant, the gaming capabilities of the i7-7700K are even less impressive. Although CPU performance does play a role in gaming, it is considerably less critical than graphics performance. Even when paired with a GTX 1080, the majority of the top-performing CPUs exhibit only minor differences, typically within a few percentage points of one another. (All CPU testing was conducted using Nvidia’s 376.33 drivers.)
In summary, the i7-7700K exhibits a performance increase of less than one percent compared to the i7-6700K. When overclocked, it enhances average gaming performance by an additional 1.6 percent relative to its stock configuration; however, improvements of less than five percent are generally considered negligible. Notably, the gaming capabilities of the i5-6600K through the i7-7700K are essentially equivalent when paired with one of the fastest graphics cards on the market.
Individual performance variations in gaming are indeed more pronounced in certain titles. For instance, Ashes of the Singularity, Civilization VI, and Hitman demonstrate performance enhancements exceeding 10 percent when upgrading from a 6600K to a 7700K. However, among the fourteen demanding games evaluated, over half exhibit performance differences of less than one percent. This is why we consistently recommend the unlocked Core i5 CPUs as the optimal choice for gaming; they deliver 97 percent of the performance of the Core i7 models while being available at two-thirds of the price.
Core i7-7700K: Who’s it for?
The i7-7700K is an ideal choice for certain consumers. It stands out as Intel’s most powerful processor for gaming, especially when overclocked, although the performance advantage is marginal. Most gamers, particularly those intending to utilize a single GPU—which is advisable due to the limited support for multi-GPU setups in recent games—will find that the 7700K meets, and likely exceeds, their requirements. However, for the majority of users, it may be more prudent to conserve funds and opt for an i5-7600K or a comparable model, provided they actually require an upgrade to their CPU.
If you currently possess a Skylake or even a Haswell system, it is advisable to overlook Kaby Lake, as the performance enhancements are not substantial enough to warrant consideration. However, for those contemplating the construction of a new Intel system, the i7-7700K paired with a Z270 motherboard may not significantly exceed the cost of an i7-6700K with a Z170 motherboard, depending on your location. This situation prompts a further inquiry into whether the Core i7 series should even be on your radar.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of your system hinges on your intended usage. Many individuals continue to utilize CPUs that are over three years old for gaming purposes. By upgrading the graphics card, most CPUs starting from the i5-2500K remain adequate, unless you are operating at the highest levels of graphical performance. The distinction between Core i7 and Core i5 becomes apparent when engaging in more intricate streaming tasks or performing computational activities beyond gaming.
In our CPU evaluations, the i7-7700K demonstrates an average performance advantage of 35 percent over the i5-7600K. While the single-threaded performance does not show a substantial increase, the Core i7 proves to be a notable enhancement in video encoding tasks. Additionally, it offers considerable benefits for game streaming, especially when encoding multiple video streams simultaneously. For users who engage in such activities, the additional virtual cores provided by Hyper-Threading, along with the elevated clock speeds, render the Core i7 an excellent choice.
It is essential to take into account the red team before making a final decision. The older AM3+ FX-8370 is significantly outperformed by the i7-7700K, while the A10-7890K delivers less than half the performance, albeit at a lower price point. However, I would advise against considering either option, as AMD’s Ryzen is imminent. AMD has consistently announced a launch timeframe in the first quarter, suggesting a release by the end of March, with current forecasts indicating it may arrive as early as March or even late February. If you are contemplating the construction of a new system, it would be prudent to wait and evaluate what Ryzen has in store. At the very least, you may only need to wait an additional month; at best, you could secure enhanced performance at a reduced cost.
Intel’s Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors are anticipated to be released later this year, with rumors suggesting a launch in August. Although this is still some time away, those interested in the X99 platform should note that these new ‘enthusiast’ Intel chips are expected to deliver a performance increase of 10-20 percent compared to the existing Broadwell-E models. Additionally, there are speculations regarding a 6-core Coffee Lake processor for the Z270 platform, which may debut in approximately a year. However, the actual timeline remains uncertain, and it is possible that this release could occur sooner if AMD’s Ryzen gains significant traction in the market.
The Core i7-7700K represents yet another modest enhancement in CPU performance across generations. It bears a resemblance to the Devil’s Canyon refresh of Haswell, featuring increased clock speeds and a new platform that refines the previous experience. The availability of Z270 motherboards with two and three M.2 slots is commendable, and the new features are quite beneficial; however, it remains challenging to identify the specific audience that would be inclined to upgrade to Kaby Lake. For those who were not impressed by Skylake in mid-2015, the 18-month wait for Kaby Lake may feel even more disappointing. One can only hope that significant developments occur in the upcoming year to invigorate the CPU market.