Intel Unveils 8th Gen Core Desktop Processors Boasting Up To 32 Percent More Performance
These are considered "Premium Consumer Processors" built for gamers, overclockers and content creators encompassing SKUs in the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 product families. Backing up these 8th generation Core desktop processors is Intel's new Z370 chipset, which has improved power delivery to aid in overclocking, support for DDR-2666 memory and can accommodate up to 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes. Intel claims that there will be 50 new motherboard and system designs available from leading partners to coincide with the launch of its new desktop processors.
Starting at the entry-level point, we have the Core i3-8100, which has a base clock of 3.6GHz, 6MB of Intel Smart Cache and dual-channel DDR4-2400 memory support. Accompanying this processor is the higher clocked Core i3-8350K, which as its "K" designation reveals, is an unlocked processor. It has a base frequency of 4GHz and 6MB of Smart Cache. An interesting thing to note is that these are the first Core i3 processors from Intel with four physical cores. Previous Core i3 processors have used dual cores with HyperThreading enabled to execute four threads.
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Stepping up to the middle tier of the Coffee Lake family, we find the Core i5-8400 and Core i5-8600K. The former has a base frequency of 2.8GHz and a Turbo Boost 2.0 frequency of 4GHz. The latter has a base frequency of 3.6GHz, a Turbo Boost 2.0 frequency of 4.3GHz and comes multiplier unlocked. Both chips include six physical cores capable of executing a total of six threads, and support DDR4-2666 memory.
Moving closer to the top of the totem pole, we find the Core i7-8700, with its base/boost clocks of 3.2GHz and 4.6GHz respectively. And then there’s the flagship of the family, which we have talked about on numerous occasions: the Core i7-8700K. This processor has base/boost clocks of 3.7GHz and 4.7GHz and of course has an unlocked multiplier. Both Core i7 processors have 12MB of Smart Cache and six physical cores with HyperThreading enabled -- that means each processor is capable of executing 12 threads.
So, what can you do with all of these cores? When it comes to gaming, Intel says that the Core i7-8700K can deliver up to 25 percent better frames per second in Gears of War 4, compared to the current Core i7-7700K (for example). Mega-tasking also gets a significant uplift in performance, with Game + Stream + Record seeing a 45 percent boost over the Core i7-7700K and a 2x increase of a three-year-old Core i7-4790K in PUBG.
Those extra cores also come in handy when it comes to content creation, as Intel is happy to point out in the slide below:
“We are laser-focused on giving the enthusiast community the ultimate desktop experience, from chart-topping performance to a platform that can flex with their needs,” said Anand Srivatsa, general manager of Intel's Desktop Platform Group. “Our 8th Gen Intel Core desktop processors deliver tremendous improvements across the board and – for gamers, in particular– offer an unbeatable experience.”
Intel's new 8th generation Core processors will be available for purchase on October 5th. Pricing ranges from $117 for the Core i3-8100 up to $359 for the Core i7-8700K. For comparison, the entry-level AMD Ryzen 3 1200 is available for around $110 on Amazon, while the high-end Ryzen 7 1700X and Ryzen 7 1800X are priced at $348 and $429 respectively.
