Processors

When Intel released their 7th Generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors there was a rather interesting processor in the bunch, it was the Core i3-7350K. This was the first time Intel released a Core i3 series processor that featured HyperThreading technology as well as being a fully unlocked K-SKU. If you remember back in 2014 Intel released the Pentium G3258 Anniversary Edition, which was fully unlocked, but did not feature HyperThreading. With the Core i3-7350K you get a dual-core, 4-thread processor running at 4.20 GHz, with a TDP of only 60W. You get all of this <a href="http://amzn.to/2kqZD4M" target="_blank">for a modest $168</a>. Could this be the entry level enthusiast part people have been looking for? Read on as we find out!

Kaby Lake has is officially here! We have been talking about Kaby Lake for the past few months and today Intel makes it official with the release of the S-Series desktop processors. Typically when Intel releases desktop processors they would go by the "tick-tock" method wherein a "tick" would represent a new node and a "tock" would represent a new architecture. Intel officially killed off "tick-tock" earlier this year and has moved to a three year cadence in which we'll see process -> architecture -> optimization. For 14nm we've seen "Broadwell", then "Skylake" with the new architecture, and now finally we are on the optimization phase which is "Kaby Lake". The optimization phase according to Intel is a direct result of transistor-level enhancements. We can think of "Kaby Lake" much like "Devil's Canyon" chip was to the i7-4770K. While still on the same 14nm process, architecture, and TDP Intel is able to more performance out of the "Kaby Lake" chips. The flagship processor, the Core i7-7700K (4-core, 8-thread) which we are taking a look at today has a base clock of 4.2 GHz and boosts all the way up to 4.5 GHz. That is compared to the 4.0 GHz base and 4.2 GHz boost of the Skylake Core i7-6700K. Read along as we see what Intel's latest desktop processor is all about!

This week is a very exciting one if you are a PC enthusiast! Skylake is officially here and to start off Intel is launching their enthusiasts parts first which include the Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K. The 6th Generation Skylake processors are the “tock” to Intel’s “tick” and “tock” release schedule. A “tock” represents a new architecture and a “tick” represents a process refinement. If you missed it Broadwell was based on the 14nm process, but with Skylake we have a brand new architecture. With Skylake Intel is focusing on bringing better CPU and GPU performance with reduced power consumption. Today we will be taking a look at the flagship Core i7-6700K processor which has a base frequency of 4.0 GHz and boosts up to 4.2 GHz! Let’s see what this processor and the Skylake platform is all about!

Broadwell comes at a very weird time for consumers as well. We have heard that Intel could be launching their Skylake processors and 100 Series chipset at Gamescom in August. Skylake will be the “tock” in Intel’s release schedule. So consumers could get Broadwell with a 9 Series motherboard or just wait a little bit for a Skylake processor with a 100 Series board. Having just a few months between launches does not give a lot of time for Intel to really push Broadwell or even get it out into the channel. As of writing this it is quite hard to find Broadwell Desktop processors at major online retailers. Today we will be taking a look at the flagship processor in the Broadwell desktop processor line, the i7-5775C. This quad-core processor has a base CPU frequency of 3.3 GHz with a turbo boost up to 3.7 GHz. While this might be slower than the 4770K it achieves this with far less power and has much more powerful integrated graphics.

We have been hearing about Intel’s next-generation Haswell-E processors for some time now and they have finally arrived. For people running older HEDT (high-end desktop) systems it has been quite a while waiting around for an upgrade. The Haswell-E HEDT (high-end desktop) lineup is at hand and it is made up three high end enthusiast processors, the Core i7-5960X, Core i7-5930K, and Core i7-5820K. Today we are going to be taking a look at the flagship processor of this group or as I call it the big daddy of the bunch, the Core i7-5960X. This extreme edition processor features 8 cores, 16 threads, 20 MB of L3 cache, a 40-lane PCI-Express root complex and DDR4 support. This will be Intel’s first 8-core desktop processor as well as the first consumer platform to support DDR4 memory, so it is a very exciting time for people looking to upgrade to the newest offering. The Core i7-5960X will have a base frequency of 3.0 GHz and a turbo frequency of 3.5 GHz. This processor is not for the faint of heart though; it has an MSRP of $999! ThinkComputers is excited to get this tough guy on the test bench and see what he can do!

When Intel announced their Haswell refresh some of us questioned where the “K-Series” unlocked processors were. We soon found out that Intel was working on two special processors made for enthusiasts codenamed “Devil’s Canyon”. These “Devil’s Canyon” processors would make up the K-Series of the Haswell refresh, but also have features that the other processors do not. Intel has addressed many issues that we saw on Ivy Bridge and Haswell processors in the past. Today we will be taking a look at the flagship Core i7-4790K quad-core processor. This is Intel’s first consumer processor to be clocked at 4.0 GHz and it actually boosts all the way up to 4.4 GHz! Let’s take a look...

If you have been following our news section for the past month we have been talking about Intel’s Ivy Bridge-E processors a lot. Enthusiasts have been waiting quite a while for Intel’s next high-end desktop chips and they are finally here! Today we get the chance to take a look at the big daddy of the group the Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition. This processor features six cores with a base speed of 3.6 GHz and a turbo speed of 4.0 GHz with 15 MB of cache. You will have 40 PCI-Express lanes for building a pretty insane gaming machine or workstation. There is also support for 4 channels of DDR3-1866 memory. How is this chip improved over the previous generation? Will this be the chip for your next build? Read on as we take a look...

Just a year ago Intel launched their Ivy Bridge processors and now a year later we have another platform launch from Intel. The 4th Generation Core Haswell processors are the “tock” to Intel’s “tick” and “tock” release schedule. A “tock” represents a new architecture and a “tick” represents a process refinement. So Haswell brings with it a new architecture, but is still built on the same 22nm process as Ivy Bridge. Intel has introduced a new LGA1150 socket with Haswell and a new chipset so you will not be able to throw this processor in an older motherboard, you will have to buy a new one. Today we are taking a look at the top of the line Haswell desktop chip the Core i7-4770K. Of course the “K” denotes that it is an unlocked processor. This is a quad-core processor that has a default clock speed of 3.5 GHz and a turbo frequency that goes all the way up to 3.9 GHz.