Intel had to push the core count on its mainstream processors with Coffee Lake . This was inevitable, and frankly, would have been unthinkable had chip maker introduced yet another generation of quad-core CPUs in light of how AMD has redrawn the battle lines with Ryzen and Threadripper .

Hyper-threading overtakes Ryzen; Low-impact overclocking

Overclocking only on K models; Requires new motherboard

When AMD launched their Ryzen processors back in March things were a little shaky at first with stability and memory issues, which we talked about in our review of the Ryzen 7 1700X.

– 6core in a mainstream Intel chip; – 36% multicore performance improvement over the i77700K; – Can easily overclock to 5.0 GHz; – Singlecore performance improvements; – Beats Ryzen in gaming performance; – Platform has 40 PCIExpress 3.0 lanes

– New motherboard needed; – Sort of upsetting if you've bought an i77700K recently

Intel's new Core i7 8700K manages to impress. Strictly speaking though as you have seen, if you look at IPC at 3500 MHz then Coffee Lake certainly isn't faster compared to the previous gen product. However, Intel benefits greatly from the fact that they can reach high clock frequencies.

To say 2017 has been a busy year for desktop-PC processors would be an understatement the size of Texas—or at least, Oregon. The best way to sum it all up might be to say, simply: In 2017, you'll get more cores (and more threads) for your CPU dollar than ever. That keeps getting reaffirmed as the year goes on—and it's not over yet. We still have the Intel Core i7-8700K ($379) to discuss. But first, AMD kicked off the trend with its eight-core Ryzen 7 chips in March, topping out on that platform with the Ryzen 7 1800X ($375.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . And the new-CPU conveyor belt really hasn't stopped running since then, with AMD following on with six-core Ryzen 5 chips like the Ryzen 5 1600X, and quad-core, four-thread Ryzen 3 options like the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X. Intel countered with impressive, expensive enthusiast-class offerings in a new family called the Core X-Series, topped by the 18-core Core i9-7980XE Extreme Edtion. That mega-chip made AMD's competing counterp...

With high clocks and hexa-core design, Intel's top eighth-generation/"Coffee Lake" desktop CPU impresses as a mainstream "do-it-all" processor. It's an excellent gamer, too, when paired with a high-end video card.

50 percent more cores and threads (and higher boost clocks) than previous-gen mainstream chips; Best gaming performance we've seen at 1080p, when paired with a GTX 1080; Consistently tops AMD's similarly priced Ryzen 7 1700X

Higher MSRP than Core i7-7700K; Requires a new motherboard, despite Z370 chipset offering no substantive new features

For years, Intel has been the establishment of PC enthusiasts. To stretch the current British political metaphor, it was ‘many cores for the few' people who had enough cash to buy a high-end processor and ultra-expensive motherboard.

Huge six-core power; Highly overclockable; Stable and easy-to-use platform; Mighty single-core speeds and gaming performance; Cheaper than Ryzen 7 1800X

Doesn't compete with Ryzen 1700 or 1700X on price; Cheaper 8-core Ryzens offer similar multi-core performance; Not compatible with older motherboards

I've overclocked mine to 5200mhz @ 1.350v which beats the Ryzen 1800X 8 core on both single and multi threaded apps comfortably!! And its only a 6 core! Fastest most insane CPU I've ever owned. I thought my 7700K was fast but this is on another level.

It's performance is stellar, but it loses a point for Intel cheaping out with TIM. Get a good cooler. If you want to OC into the 4.8 ~ 5.0Ghz area, get a VERY good cooler.

Fastest single core performance available -Overclocks well -Crushes an i7 3930K / 5930K with ease

These are not cool CPU's; People are listing low idle temps like it's a big deal; Even at stock clocks with a decent liquid cooler, expect 65 ~ 70° C under stress; Start throwing more voltage at it while overclocking past 4.6Ghz and even good liquid coolers will jump into the upper 70s ~ 80s.

Good quality product, this processor is the right choose for high end PC if you don't want to spend a fortune.

Amazing CPU. To take full advantage you will need to delid though. 5ghz over all 6 cores is easily obtainable.

I managed to Overclock mine to 5015.9MHz @1.224V. It plays game like a boss and is great for multitasking and productivity alike.