Intel unveils seventh-generation CPUs for desktops and high-performance laptops

While many tech companies are focusing on the burgeoning demand for mobile processor units, Intel hasn’t forgotten about traditional desktop users. A few months after debuting Kaby Lake, the company’s seventh-generation CPUs for ultraportables, Intel launched its new series of chips aimed at desktops and high-performance laptops. Promising to deliver better performance with less power consumption via Intel’s Turbo Boost 2.0, the chips also boast a new media engine that takes full advantage of immersive 4K UHD content. As with most upgrades, users can expect the new desktop chips to function better than their predecessors.  

The highest-end desktop S-series chips are designed to expand the capabilities for PC-building enthusiasts and are among the fastest consumer processors available. Intel states that the S-series i7-7700K CPU is 25% faster than the i7-4770K, features a base clock speed of 4.2 GHz with boost speeds up to 4.5 GHz, and can create, share, and stitch 4K 360° videos 35% faster. However, it is worth noting that the 4770K is three generations older than the 7700K. For a more direct comparison, the 6700K (6^th -Gen Core) was clocked between 4 GHz and 4.2 GHz, making it a notable, but less significant, performance upgrade.  

The high performance H-series is designed for high-end multimedia laptops and mobile workstations, more specifically for gaming, desktop-replacement devices, and modern mobile GPUs. Intel reports that the series will perform 20% faster than a comparable fourth-generation chip (the i7-4700HQ) and handle 4K 360° videos 65% faster. The H-series will perform exceptionally well in bulkier gaming and desktop-replacement laptops.  

Rounding out the series are the U-series and Y-series low-power chips. The U-series chips are the most common Intel processors available for ultraportables, while the Y-series can be found in high-end, ultra-thin laptops. Using SYSmark to measure productivity, Intel found a machine powered by a 7^th -Gen Core i7-7500U processor (U-series) that achieved a 12% gain over a 6^th -Gen Core i7-6500U CPU and boosted web performance by 19%.  

The newest family of Intel Core processors are designed to allow desktop users to take advantage of the ever-changing internet, providing faster performance and responsiveness and better integrated graphics for premium 4K UHD content.

Sources: Engadget, Betanews, Trusted Reviews, LAPTOP