Pros
- Hyper-threading overtakes Ryzen
- Low-impact overclocking
Cons
- Overclocking only on K models
- Requires new motherboard
The introduction of Coffee Lake processors, such as the Intel Core i7-8700K, necessitated an increase in the core count of Intel’s mainstream offerings. This adjustment was essential, and it is difficult to conceive the potential consequences had Intel not released a product like the Core i7-8700K, especially considering AMD’s strategic repositioning in the market with its Ryzen and Threadripper series.
The Intel Core i7-8700K stands out as the premier processor within the Coffee Lake series, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads, along with superior clock speeds compared to any AMD Ryzen processors. After a week of utilizing this processor, it is evident that Team Blue’s flagship from 2017 continues to meet and exceed our expectations, even more than a year post-launch. Its exceptional gaming performance and hyperthreading capabilities significantly outperform the first-generation Ryzen chips. Additionally, it demonstrates impressive overclocking potential.
Although this CPU has two fewer cores compared to its red-colored competitors, the 8700K outperforms them with superior base and boost clock speeds of 3.7 GHz and 4.7 GHz, respectively.
The introduction of a hexa-core mainstream processor represents a significant advancement for Intel, which had previously categorized any processor with more than four cores into its high-end desktop (HEDT) E- and X-series lines.
In this context, the hexa-core Skylake-X Intel Core i7-7800X is however, the associated X299 motherboards are generally more expensive than the newly introduced Z370 chipset. Furthermore, if you are considering an upgrade to Coffee Lake Refresh, it is essential to note that a new motherboard will be necessary, as the previous Z270 platforms do not accommodate the increased power delivery requirements of the 9th generation processors.
As we calculate the additional expenses, it is important to note that increasing the core count has led to a slight increase in price. The previous model, the Kaby Lake Intel Core i7-7700K, was somewhat less expensive.
Performance
The Core i7-8700K elevates Intel’s multi-core performance to levels that surpass the impressive standards established by Ryzen this year.
This chip significantly surpassed AMD’s Ryzen 7 1700X in Geekbench 4, achieving a score that exceeded it by several thousand points. Consequently, the multi-core performance of the previous-generation Intel Core i7-7700K appears rather unimpressive in comparison.
It is particularly noteworthy that Intel’s latest component significantly outperformed its predecessor in all of our single-core evaluations as well.
The substantial processing capabilities of the 8700K enable it to convert video at speeds comparable to some of the most powerful CPUs in the industry, such as the Intel Core i9-7980XE and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X. However, it is important to note that these superior processors will still outperform the 8700K in any hyper-threading competition due to their overwhelming power.
In our evaluations of gaming performance, we found that there is not a significant enhancement compared to the previous generation. When juxtaposed with last year’s Core i7-7700K, the newly released hexa-core CPU demonstrated an increase in frame rates overall, with the most notable advancements occurring in games operating at Full HD and Ultra quality settings.
Features and chipset
Intel has employed remarkable engineering techniques to incorporate 18 cores into the compact Intel Core i9-7980 XE, and elements of this innovation have been integrated into the Intel Core i7-8700K. Instead of adding two additional cores compared to previous Kaby Lake models, the dimensions of the processor package have remained unchanged.
Although this advancement is commendable, it is somewhat frustrating that the latest generation of CPUs requires consumers to invest in an entirely new motherboard.
The Z370 chipset does not represent a significant advancement compared to its predecessor, the Z270. It continues to support only dual-channel memory, and among the 40 PCIe lanes, merely 16 are directly linked to the processor. The remaining 24 PCIe lanes are connected through a single DMI 3.0 interface to the processor, limiting the full utilization to either two GPUs or one graphics card alongside two M.2 NVMe SSDs.
Fortunately, the Z370 chipset introduces a notable enhancement by providing official support for DDR4 memory operating at 2,666MHz, an increase from the 2,400MHz frequency available with the Z270. Additionally, it features improved power delivery, facilitating some of the most impressive overclocking capabilities observed in mainstream processors.
Overclocking and heat
It is evident that an increase in core count leads to a corresponding rise in power consumption. Nevertheless, the Intel Core i7-8700K’s power requirements were unexpectedly found to be double that of its Kaby Lake predecessors. On the other hand, when idle, this 6-core processor consumes an average of five watts, significantly lower than the 12 watts consumed by the AMD Ryzen 1700X, indicating that Intel has not entirely forsaken energy efficiency.
Conversely, the 8700K readily accepts additional current, allowing it to exceed its specified maximum frequency of 4.7GHz.
We successfully attained a frequency of 5.0GHz on all cores by simply increasing the processor’s voltage by an additional 0.02 volts. This adjustment resulted in a maximum temperature rise to 85 degrees Celsius and a power consumption of 152.84 watts. With a further slight increase in voltage, we were able to elevate the Intel Core i7-8700K’s clock speed to 5.1GHz across all cores, without experiencing any major adverse effects.
Overclocking the six-core processor to 5.2GHz unfortunately resulted in instability, preventing Windows 10 from loading correctly. Although this may appear to fall short of the 8700K’s peak speed of 4.7GHz, we are pleased with the minimal increase in heat and power consumption associated with the overclocking process.
Ultimately, the Intel Core i7-8700K maintains a commendably low temperature, peaking at only 76 degrees during standard operation, thanks to the effective cooling provided by a Thermaltake triple radiator. The only instance of elevated heat occurred when the processor was overclocked to 5.1GHz, resulting in a maximum temperature of 87 degrees.
Final verdict
The Intel Core i7-8700K demonstrates that Team Blue remains the leader in the processor market. The Coffee Lake architecture represents a significant advancement over Kaby Lake, showcasing notably enhanced single-core and multi-core performance, along with marginally improved gaming capabilities. Additionally, its remarkable hyper-threading performance elevates it above AMD’s octo-core Ryzen processors and even competes with certain high-end desktop (HEDT) components.
The Intel 8700K exhibits a tendency to generate more heat and consume additional power than desired; however, this was somewhat anticipated due to the increase in core count. A delightful surprise, though, was the straightforward process of overclocking the processor to 5.1GHz, along with the minimal consequences associated with this enhancement.
The most challenging aspect of this situation is the necessity of acquiring a new motherboard to utilize Coffee Lake-S. However, for those prepared to invest in upgrading both components, the Intel Core i7-8700K stands out as the premier mainstream processor available, boasting the highest benchmark scores in its category, along with the associated prestige.