Core i7-8086K 40th Anniversary CPU Review: Intel X86 Hits 5GHz

Technically speaking, the Intel Core i7-8086K is Intel’s fastest mainstream desktop processor released to date. Its 5GHz peak, single-core turbo frequency gives it the edge in single-threaded workloads over any other x86 processor currently available. The Core i7-8086K’s multi-threaded performance, however, is virtually identical to the Core i7-8700K, which shares the same multi-core clocks and architecture.

Intel is only making 50,000 Core i7-8086K processors available, a few thousand of which will be given away in a sweepstakes that just recently ended. Current street-pricing for the processor puts it at about $419, which is an approximate $70 premium over the Core i7-8700K. Strictly speaking in terms of stock performance, that kind of premium is tough to justify, when the Core i7-8086K and 8700K will perform similarly the vast majority of the time. That said, the Core i7-8086K did prove to be more power friendly, somewhat more overclockable, and it is faster overall thanks to that lofty 5GHz single-core boost. There’s also a bit of nostalgia and exclusivity to consider with the branding and limited run of the processor. Are all of those things worth 70 bucks? We suspect it will be for many of you, though the cynics out there will probably scoff at the idea.

This is a cool product, though, and we enjoyed checking it out. Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the 8086 with a limited edition processor is a fitting way to pay tribute to an important milestone.

Strong Multi-Thread Performance Killer Single-Thread Performance Relatively Low Power High Overclocks	Not Much Faster Than 8700K Price Premium