6th generation of intel processors. Generations of Intel processors: description and characteristics of models

One day, a great sage in captain's uniform said that a computer would not be able to work without a processor. Since then, everyone has considered it their duty to find the very processor that will make their system fly like a fighter.

From this article you will learn:

Since we simply cannot cover all the chips known to science, we want to focus on one interesting family of the Intelovich family - Core i5. They have very interesting characteristics and good performance.

Why this series and not i3 or i7? It's simple: excellent potential without overpaying for unnecessary instructions that plague the seventh line. And there are more cores than in the Core i3. It’s quite natural for you to start arguing about support and find yourself partially right, but 4 physical cores can do much more than 2+2 virtual ones.

History of the series

Today on our agenda is a comparison of Intel Core i5 processors of different generations. Here I would like to touch upon such pressing topics as the thermal package and the presence of solder under the lid. And if we’re in the mood, we’ll also push particularly interesting stones together. So, let's go.

I would like to start with the fact that only desktop processors will be considered, and not options for a laptop. There will be a comparison of mobile chips, but another time.

The release frequency table looks like this:

2009

The first representatives of the series were released back in 2009. They were created on 2 different architectures: Nehalem (45 nm) and Westmere (32 nm). The most prominent representatives The lines should be called i5-750 (4x2.8 GHz) and i5-655K (3.2 GHz). The latter additionally had an unlocked multiplier and the ability to overclock, which indicated its high performance in games and more.

The differences between the architectures lie in the fact that Westmare are built according to 32 nm process standards and have 2nd generation gates. And they have less energy consumption.

2011

This year saw the release of the second generation of processors – Sandy Bridge. Their distinctive feature was the presence of a built-in Intel HD 2000 video core.

Among the abundance of i5-2xxx models, I would especially like to highlight the CPU with the 2500K index. At one time, it created a real sensation among gamers and enthusiasts, combining a high frequency of 3.2 GHz with Turbo Boost support and low cost. And yes, under the cover there was solder, not thermal paste, which additionally contributed to the high-quality acceleration of the stone without consequences.

2012

The debut of Ivy Bridge brought a 22-nanometer process technology, higher frequencies, new DDR3, DDR3L and PCI-E 3.0 controllers, as well as USB 3.0 support (but only for i7).

Integrated graphics have evolved to Intel HD 4000.

Most interesting solution on this platform there is a Core i5-3570K with an unlocked multiplier and a frequency of up to 3.8 GHz in boost.

2013

The Haswell generation did not bring anything supernatural except for the new LGA 1150 socket, the AVX 2.0 instruction set and the new HD 4600 graphics. In fact, the entire emphasis was placed on energy saving, which the company managed to achieve.

But the fly in the ointment is the replacement of solder with a thermal interface, which greatly reduced the overclocking potential of the top-end i5-4670K (and its updated version 4690K from the Haswell Refresh line).

2015

Essentially this is the same Haswell, transferred to 14 nm architecture.

2016

The sixth iteration, under the name Skylake, introduced an updated LGA 1151 socket, support for DDR4 RAM, 9th generation IGP, AVX 3.2 and SATA Express instructions.

Among the processors, it is worth highlighting the i5-6600K and 6400T. The first was loved for its high frequencies and unlocked multiplier, and the second for its low cost and extremely low heat dissipation of 35 W despite Turbo Boost support.

2017

The Kaby Lake era is the most controversial because it brought absolutely nothing new to the desktop processor segment except native support for USB 3.1. Also, these stones completely refuse to run on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, not to mention older versions.

The socket remains the same - LGA 1151. And the set of interesting processors has not changed - 7600K and 7400T. The reasons for people's love are the same as for Skylake.

2018

Goffee Lake processors are fundamentally different from their predecessors. Four cores have been replaced by 6, which previously only the top versions of the i7 X series could afford. The L3 cache size was increased to 9 MB, and the thermal package in most cases does not exceed 65 W.

Of the entire collection, the i5-8600K model is considered the most interesting for its ability to overclock up to 4.3 GHz (though only 1 core). However, the public prefers the i5-8400 as the cheapest entry ticket.

Instead of results

If we were asked what we would offer to the lion's share of gamers, we would say without hesitation that the i5-8400. The advantages are obvious:

• cost below 190$
• 6 full physical cores;
• frequency up to 4 GHz in Turbo Boost
• heat package 65 W
• complete fan.

Additionally, you don’t have to select a “specific” RAM, as for the Ryzen 1600 (the main competitor, by the way), and even the cores themselves in Intel. You lose additional virtual streams, but practice shows that in games they only reduce FPS without introducing certain adjustments to the gameplay.

By the way, if you don’t know where to buy, I recommend paying attention to one very popular and serious one (believe me, it is known and familiar to many people) - at the same time you can find out the prices for the i5 8400 there, periodically, or rather very often, I use this resource myself, to decide who is more profitable to buy from.

In any case, it's up to you. Until next time, don't forget to subscribe to the blog.

And more news for those who are following ( solid state drives) – this rarely happens.

Moscow, November 19, 2015 — Intel Corporation introduced the 6th generation of Intel® Core™ processors in Russia and other CIS countries. Intel experts and the corporation's partners explained how the new generation of processors will change the user experience. Highest performance, new integrated 3D graphics, fast and efficient processing The video is just a short list of the benefits of the new processors, details of which were presented by engineers, architecture specialists and Intel partners.

6th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors—Best Ever Intel history- at a high level of productivity and energy efficiency

For one day, the Moscow club ARTI HALL turned into a Mission Control Center. The vibrant show included engineers, architecture specialists and Intel partners, who reported on their readiness to launch devices that will take the user to a new orbit of productivity. The presentation opened with the ceremonial launch of a new generation of processors, decorated to coincide with the launch of a spacecraft.

Bernadette Andrietti, vice president of Intel Corporation and director of marketing for Intel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, announced the launch of the PC Refresh campaign, a joint initiative between Intel, Microsoft and leading PC manufacturers dedicated to the capabilities of modern computer. Computers purchased 4-5 years ago turn on slowly and do not support everything functionality, available to users today, their batteries do not last long. That is why Intel is running a PC Refresh campaign, the main idea of ​​which is to tell users about the new capabilities of modern gadgets that older devices are not capable of.

6th generation processors were presented by Dmitry Konash, regional director of Intel in Russia and other CIS countries. “Today, users expect the highest performance and lower power consumption from their devices,” emphasized Dmitry Konash. “The new processors, Intel's best ever, address both of these challenges, bringing computing to new levels of performance, energy efficiency, and new ways to unleash users' creative potential.”

Mikhail Tsvetkov, specialist in Intel architecture in Russia and other CIS countries, noted a number key features 6th generation Intel® Core™ processor, thanks to which the corporation has made another big leap in energy efficiency. Increased performance of processor cores while reducing power consumption is achieved using Intel technologies® Speed ​​Shift and integration of new on-chip hardware features such as Image Signal Processor (ISP). With Intel® Speed ​​Shift technology, the processor is able to independently control its operating modes. This allows you to reduce the response time to load changes by up to 30 times and increase the overall system performance by 20-45%.

6th Generation Intel® Core™ processors are built on the industry-leading 14nm manufacturing process and deliver up to 2.5x faster performance, 3x longer battery life, and 30x more battery life. high quality graphics for smoother gaming and video playback compared to computers purchased 5 years ago. In addition, they can have 2 times less thickness and 2 times less weight, can switch to operating mode faster and work without recharging for a whole day.

For users, this means improved visual performance for games, photos and videos. New Intel Speed ​​Shift technology enhances work dynamism mobile systems so that users, for example, can apply filters to edit photos up to 45% faster. The ability to control RealSense cameras will allow you to take realistic 3D selfies, scan and print objects using 3D printers, and easily change the background during video chats. New platform also supports Intel WiDi and Pro WiDi technologies, which allows users to transfer images from computers to TVs, monitors or projectors without using wired connections.

Dmitry Khalin, Director of Technology Policy at Microsoft in Russia, spoke about the companies’ strategic cooperation, noting that the new Intel® Core™ processors are optimized to work with Windows*10, which provides them with new functionality and reliable protection. For example, devices with an Intel RealSense camera and Windows Hello support allow users to securely sign in using facial recognition.

“Microsoft has been fruitfully collaborating with Intel for decades. Together, we're committed to providing users with a wide range of choices that are increasingly powerful, faster and easier to use. We recently released our most advanced operating system, Windows 10. We are confident that, combined with the latest Intel processors, it will allow customers around the world to more efficiently complete all personal and work tasks,” says Dmitry Khalin.

Vlad Zakharov, marketing manager at ASUS Russia, presented records Intel overclocking® Core™ 6th generation. The new processors demonstrate a number of significant improvements in the field computing technologies. Thanks to them, a record result was set in the Super Pi 32M by members of the Team Russia team as part of the ASUS OC Summit 2015 event in Moscow. The Intel® Core™ i7-6700K processor was overclocked to a frequency of 6593 MHz on the ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Extreme motherboard, and the RAM At the same time, it worked at a frequency of 3733 MHz with CL15 timings of 18-18-28 1T. The resulting result of 4 minutes 42.141 seconds became the first among the results on the Core i7-6700K in the world, beating the previous leader by more than 6 seconds.

Throughout the event, there was a partner exhibition where devices based on 6th generation Intel® Core™ processors were presented. ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, MSI and other vendors demonstrated all the variety of form factors: laptops, incl. gaming models, desktops, monoblocks, mini-PCs.

Guests of the presentation could also get acquainted with other solutions from Intel: Cappasity Easy 3D Scan and Aldebaran NAO. Cappasity Easy 3D Scan is software for ultrabooks with an Intel RealSense 3D camera, with which you can create high-quality 3D models. The Aldebaran NAO robot is a companion robot equipped with Intel® Atom™. It independently navigates in space, has 25 degrees of freedom of movement, the ability to pick up small objects, shoot video, take photographs and send them to the Internet.

January 3, the birthday of the company's founding father, Gordon Moore (he was born January 3, 1929), Intel company announced a family of new 7th generation Intel Core processors and new Intel 200 series chipsets. We had the opportunity to test Intel Core i7-7700 and Core i7-7700K processors and compare them with previous generation processors.

7th generation Intel Core processors

The new family of 7th generation Intel Core processors is known by the code name Kaby Lake, and these processors are a bit of a stretch. They, like the 6th generation Core processors, are manufactured using a 14-nanometer process technology and are based on the same processor microarchitecture.

Let us recall that earlier, before the release of Kaby Lake, Intel released its processors in accordance with the “Tick-Tock” algorithm: the processor microarchitecture changed every two years and the production process changed every two years. But the change in microarchitecture and technical process were shifted relative to each other by a year, so that once a year the technical process changed, then, a year later, the microarchitecture changed, then, again a year later, the technical process changed, etc. However, it would take a long time for the company to maintain such a fast pace I couldn’t and eventually abandoned this algorithm, replacing it with a three-year cycle. The first year is the introduction of a new technical process, the second year is the introduction of a new microarchitecture based on the existing technical process, and the third year is optimization. Thus, another year of optimization was added to Tick-Tock.

The 5th generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Broadwell, marked the transition to the 14-nanometer process ("Tick"). These were processors with Haswell microarchitecture (with minor improvements), but produced using the new 14-nanometer process technology. The 6th generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Skylake (“Tock”), were manufactured on the same 14nm process as Broadwell, but had a new microarchitecture. And the 7th generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Kaby Lake, are manufactured on the same 14nm process (albeit now designated "14+") and are based on the same Skylake microarchitecture, but it's all optimized and improved. What exactly optimization and What exactly improved - for now it is a mystery, shrouded in darkness. This review was written before the official announcement of the new processors, and Intel was unable to provide us with any official information, so there is still very little information about the new processors.

In general, it was not by chance that we remembered the birthday of Gordon Moore, who in 1968 together with Robert Noyce founded the Intel company, at the very beginning of the article. Over the years, many things have been attributed to this legendary man that he never said. At first, his prediction was elevated to the rank of a law (“Moore’s Law”), then this law became the fundamental plan for the development of microelectronics (a kind of analogue of the five-year plan for the development of the national economy of the USSR). However, Moore's law had to be rewritten and adjusted several times, since reality, unfortunately, cannot always be planned. Now we need to either rewrite Moore’s law once again, which, in general, is already ridiculous, or simply forget about this so-called law. Actually, that’s what Intel did: since it no longer works, they decided to slowly consign it to oblivion.

However, let's return to our new processors. It is officially known that the Kaby Lake processor family will include four separate series: S, H, U and Y. In addition, there will be a series Intel Xeon for workstations. Kaby Lake-Y processors aimed at tablets and thin laptops, as well as some models of Kaby Lake-U series processors for laptops, have already been announced earlier. And in early January, Intel introduced only some models of H- and S-series processors. The S-series processors, which have an LGA design and which we will talk about in this review, are aimed at desktop systems. Kaby Lake-S have an LGA1151 socket and are compatible with motherboards based on Intel 100 series chipsets and the new Intel 200 series chipsets. We do not know the release plan for Kaby Lake-S processors, but there is information that a total of 16 new models for desktop PCs are planned, which will traditionally comprise three families (Core i7/i5/i3). All Kaby Lake-S desktop processors will use graphics only Intel core HD Graphics 630 (codenamed Kaby Lake-GT2).

The Intel Core i7 family will consist of three processors: 7700K, 7700 and 7700T. All models in this family have 4 cores, support simultaneous processing of up to 8 threads (Hyper-Threading technology) and have an 8 MB L3 cache. The difference between them is power consumption and clock speed. In addition, the top model Core i7-7700K has an unlocked multiplier. Brief processor specifications Intel family Core i7 7th generation are listed below.

The Intel Core i5 family will consist of seven processors: 7600K, 7600, 7500, 7400, 7600T, 7500T and 7400T. All models in this family have 4 cores, but do not support Hyper-Threading technology. Their L3 cache size is 6 MB. The top model Core i5-7600K has an unlocked multiplier and a TDP of 91 W. The "T" models have a 35W TDP, while the regular models have a 65W TDP. Brief specifications for the 7th generation Intel Core i5 family of processors are given below.

The Intel Core i3 family will consist of six processors: 7350K, 7320, 7300, 7100, 7300T and 7100T. All models in this family have 2 cores and support Hyper-Threading technology. The letter “T” in the model name indicates that its TDP is 35 W. Now in the Intel Core i3 family there is also a model (Core i3-7350K) with an unlocked multiplier, the TDP of which is 60 W. Brief specifications for the 7th generation Intel Core i3 family processors are given below.

Intel 200 series chipsets

Along with the Kaby Lake-S processors, Intel also announced new Intel 200 series chipsets. More precisely, so far only the top-end Intel Z270 chipset has been presented, and the rest will be announced a little later. In total, the Intel 200 series chipset family will include five options (Q270, Q250, B250, H270, Z270) for desktop processors and three solutions (CM238, HM175, QM175) for mobile processors.

If we compare the family of new chipsets with the family of 100 series chipsets, then everything is obvious: Z270 is new option Z170, H270 replaces H170, Q270 replaces Q170, and Q250 and B250 chipsets replace Q150 and B150 respectively. The only chipset that has not been replaced is the H110. The 200 series does not have the H210 chipset or its equivalent. The positioning of the 200 series chipsets is exactly the same as the 100 series chipsets: the Q270 and Q250 are aimed at the enterprise market, the Z270 and H270 are aimed at consumer PCs, and the B250 is aimed at the SMB sector of the market. However, this positioning is very arbitrary, and motherboard manufacturers often have their own vision of chipset positioning.

So, what's new in the Intel 200 series chipsets and how are they better than the Intel 100 series chipsets? The question is not idle, because Kaby Lake-S processors are also compatible with Intel 100 series chipsets. So is it worth buying a board based on the Intel Z270 if the board, for example, on the Intel Z170 chipset turns out to be cheaper (all other things being equal)? Alas, there is no need to say that Intel 200 series chipsets have serious advantages. Almost the only difference between the new chipsets and the old ones is a slightly increased number of HSIO ports (high-speed input/output ports) due to the addition of several PCIe 3.0 ports.

Next, we will look in detail at what and how much is added to each chipset, but for now we will briefly consider the features of the Intel 200 series chipsets as a whole, focusing on the top options, in which everything is implemented to the maximum.

Let's start with the fact that, like Intel 100-series chipsets, the new chipsets allow you to combine 16 PCIe 3.0 processor ports (PEG ports) to implement different PCIe slot options. For example, the Intel Z270 and Q270 chipsets (as well as their Intel Z170 and Q170 counterparts) allow you to combine 16 PEG processor ports in the following combinations: x16, x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4. The remaining chipsets (H270, B250 and Q250) only allow one possible combination PEG port distribution: x16. Intel 200 series chipsets also support dual-channel DDR4 or DDR3L memory. In addition, Intel 200 series chipsets support the ability simultaneous connection up to three monitors per processor graphics core(exactly the same as in the case of 100 series chipsets).

As for the SATA and USB ports, nothing has changed here. The integrated SATA controller provides up to six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Naturally, Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) is supported, which allows you to configure a SATA controller in RAID controller mode (though not on all chipsets) with support for levels 0, 1, 5 and 10. Intel RST technology is supported not only for SATA -ports, but also for drives with a PCIe interface (x4/x2, M.2 and SATA Express connectors). Perhaps, speaking about Intel RST technology, it makes sense to mention the new technology for creating Intel Optane drives, but in practice there is nothing to talk about here yet; there are no ready-made solutions yet. The top models of Intel 200 series chipsets support up to 14 USB ports, of which up to 10 ports can be USB 3.0, and the rest can be USB 2.0.

Like the Intel 100 series chipsets, the Intel 200 series chipsets support Flexible I/O technology, which allows you to configure high-speed input/output (HSIO) ports - PCIe, SATA and USB 3.0. Flexible I/O technology allows you to configure some HSIO ports as PCIe or USB 3.0 ports, and some HSIO ports as PCIe or SATA ports. Intel 200 series chipsets can provide a total of 30 high-speed I/O ports (Intel 100 series chipsets had 26 HSIO ports).

The first six high-speed ports (Port #1 - Port #6) are strictly fixed: these are USB 3.0 ports. The next four high-speed ports on the chipset (Port #7 - Port #10) can be configured as either USB 3.0 or PCIe ports. Port #10 can also be used as a GbE network port, that is, a MAC controller for a gigabit network interface is built into the chipset itself, and a PHY controller (MAC controller in conjunction with a PHY controller form a full-fledged Network Controller) can only be connected to certain high-speed ports on the chipset. In particular, these can be Port #10, Port #11, Port #15, Port #18 and Port #19. Another 12 HSIO ports (Port #11 - Port #14, Port #17, Port #18, Port #25 - Port #30) are assigned to PCIe ports. Four more ports (Port #21 - Port #24) are configured as either PCIe ports or SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Port #15, Port #16 and Port #19, Port #20 have a special feature. They can be configured as either PCIe ports or SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The peculiarity is that one SATA 6 Gb/s port can be configured on either Port #15 or Port #19 (that is, it is the same SATA #0 port, which can be output to either Port #15 , or on Port #19). Likewise, another SATA 6 Gb/s port (SATA #1) is routed to either Port #16 or Port #20.

As a result, we get that in total the chipset can implement up to 10 USB 3.0 ports, up to 24 PCIe ports and up to 6 SATA 6 Gb/s ports. However, there is one more circumstance worth noting here. A maximum of 16 PCIe devices can be connected to these 20 PCIe ports at the same time. Under devices in in this case refers to controllers, connectors and slots. Connecting one PCIe device may require one, two, or four PCIe ports. For example, if we're talking about about the slot PCI Express 3.0 x4, then this is one PCIe device that requires 4 PCIe 3.0 ports to connect.

The distribution diagram of high-speed I/O ports for Intel 200 series chipsets is shown in the figure.

If we compare it with what was in the Intel 100-series chipsets, there are very few changes: four strictly fixed PCIe ports have been added (chipset HSIO ports Port #27 - Port #30), which can be used to combine Intel RST for PCIe Storage . Everything else, including the numbering of HSIO ports, remains unchanged. The distribution diagram of high-speed I/O ports for Intel 100 series chipsets is shown in the figure.

Until now, we have considered the functionality of new chipsets in general, without reference to specific models. Next, in the summary table, we present brief characteristics each Intel 200 series chipset.

And for comparison, here are brief characteristics of Intel 100 series chipsets.

The distribution diagram of high-speed I/O ports for five Intel 200 series chipsets is shown in the figure.

And for comparison, a similar diagram for five Intel 100 series chipsets:

And the last thing worth noting when talking about Intel 200 series chipsets: only the Intel Z270 chipset supports overclocking the processor and memory.

Now, after our express review of the new Kaby Lake-S processors and Intel 200 series chipsets, let's move on directly to testing the new products.

Performance Research

We were able to test two new products: the top-end Intel Core i7-7700K processor with an unlocked multiplier and the Intel Core i7-7700 processor. For testing we used a stand with the following configuration:

In addition, in order to be able to evaluate the performance of the new processors in relation to the performance of processors of previous generations, we also tested the Intel Core i7-6700K processor on the described bench.

Brief specifications of the tested processors are given in the table.

To evaluate performance, we used our new methodology using the iXBT Application Benchmark 2017 test package. The Intel Core i7-7700K processor was tested twice: with default settings and overclocked to 5 GHz. Overclocking was done by changing the multiplication factor.

The results are calculated from five runs of each test with a confidence level of 95%. Please note that the integral results in this case are normalized relative to the reference system, which also uses an Intel Core i7-6700K processor. However, the configuration of the reference system is different from the configuration of the test bench: the reference system uses the mother Asus board Z170-WS on the Intel Z170 chipset.

The test results are presented in the table and diagram.

If we compare the results of testing processors obtained at the same stand, then everything is very predictable. The Core i7-7700K processor at default settings (without overclocking) is slightly faster (7%) than the Core i7-7700, which is explained by the difference in their clock speed. Overclocking the Core i7-7700K processor to 5 GHz allows you to achieve a performance gain of up to 10% compared to the performance of this processor without overclocking. The Core i7-6700K processor (without overclocking) is slightly more powerful (by 4%) compared to the Core i7-7700 processor, which is also explained by the difference in their clock speed. At the same time, the Core i7-7700K model is 2.5% more productive than the previous model Core generation i7-6700K.

As you can see, the new 7th generation Intel Core processors do not provide any performance boost. Essentially, these are the same 6th generation Intel Core processors, but with slightly higher clock speeds. The only advantage of the new processors is that they race better (we are, of course, talking about K-series processors with an unlocked multiplier). In particular, our copy of the Core i7-7700K processor, which we did not specifically select, overclocked to 5.0 GHz without any problems and worked absolutely stably when using air cooling. It was possible to run this processor at a frequency of 5.1 GHz, but the system froze in processor stress testing mode. Of course, it is incorrect to draw conclusions based on one processor instance, but information from our colleagues confirms that most Kaby Lake K-series processors race better than Skylake processors. Note that our sample Core i7-6700K processor was overclocked at best to 4.9 GHz, but only worked stably at 4.5 GHz.

Now let's look at the power consumption of processors. Let us remind you that we connect the measuring unit to the power supply circuit break between the power supply and motherboard- to the 24-pin (ATX) and 8-pin (EPS12V) power supply connectors. Our measurement unit is capable of measuring voltage and current on the 12V, 5V and 3.3V rails of the ATX connector, as well as supply voltage and current on the 12V rail of the EPS12V connector.

The total power consumption during the test refers to the power transmitted through the 12 V, 5 V and 3.3 V buses of the ATX connector and the 12 V bus of the EPS12V connector. The power consumed by the processor during the test refers to the power transmitted through the 12 V bus of the EPS12V connector (this connector is used only to power the processor). However, you need to keep in mind that in this case we are talking about the power consumption of the processor together with its supply voltage converter on the board. Naturally, the processor supply voltage regulator has a certain efficiency (definitely below 100%), so some electrical energy consumed by the regulator itself, and the actual power consumed by the processor is slightly lower than the values ​​we measured.

The measurement results for the total power consumption in all tests, with the exception of drive performance tests, are presented below:

Similar results for measuring processor power consumption are as follows:

Of interest, first of all, is a comparison of the power consumption of the Core i7-6700K and Core i7-7700K processors in operating mode without overclocking. The Core i7-6700K processor has lower power consumption, that is, the Core i7-7700K processor is slightly more powerful, but it also has higher power consumption. Moreover, if the integrated performance of the Core i7-7700K processor is 2.5% higher in comparison with the performance of the Core i7-6700K, then the average power consumption of the Core i7-7700K processor is as much as 17% higher!

And if we introduce such an indicator as energy efficiency, determined by the ratio of the integral performance indicator to the average power consumption (in fact, performance per watt of energy consumed), then for the Core i7-7700K processor this indicator will be 1.67 W -1, and for the processor Core i7-6700K - 1.91 W -1.

However, such results are obtained only if we compare the power consumption on the 12 V bus of the EPS12V connector. But if we consider the full power (which is more logical from the user’s point of view), then the situation is somewhat different. Then the energy efficiency of a system with a Core i7-7700K processor will be 1.28 W -1 , and with a Core i7-6700K processor - 1.24 W -1 . Thus, the energy efficiency of the systems is almost the same.

conclusions

We have no disappointments with the new processors. Nobody promised, so to speak. Let us remind you once again that we are not talking about a new microarchitecture or a new technical process, but only about optimizing the microarchitecture and technological process, that is, about optimizing Skylake processors. Of course, one should not expect that such optimization can provide a significant increase in performance. The only observable result of the optimization is that it was possible to slightly increase the clock speeds. In addition, K-series processors from the Kaby Lake family overclock better than their Skylake family counterparts.

If we talk about the new generation of Intel 200 series chipsets, the only thing that distinguishes them from the Intel 100 series chipsets is the addition of four PCIe 3.0 ports. What does this mean for the user? And it means absolutely nothing. There is no need to expect an increase in the number of connectors and ports on motherboards, since there are already too many of them. As a result, the functionality of the boards will not change, except that it will be possible to simplify them a little when designing: there will be less need to come up with ingenious separation schemes to ensure the operation of all connectors, slots and controllers in conditions of a shortage of PCIe 3.0 lines/ports. It would be logical to assume that this will lead to a reduction in the cost of motherboards based on 200 series chipsets, but this is hard to believe.

And in conclusion, a few words about whether it makes sense to exchange an awl for soap. There is no point in replacing a computer based on a Skylake processor and a board with a 100-series chipset for a new system with a Kaby Lake processor and a board with a 200-series chipset. This is simply throwing money away. But if the time has come to change your computer due to obsolescence of the hardware, then, of course, it makes sense to pay attention to Kaby Lake and a board with a 200-series chipset, and you need to look first of all at the prices. If a system based on Kaby Lake turns out to be comparable (with equal functionality) in cost to a system based on Skylake (and a board with an Intel 100-series chipset), then it makes sense. If such a system turns out to be more expensive, then there is no point in it.

In August 2015, the 6th generation of computing chips from Intel, Skylake, was introduced. The processor belonging to this generation received a significantly redesigned architecture, which made it possible to increase performance by 10-15% compared to the previous generation CPU, codenamed Haswell. It's about them technical parameters, possibilities and types will be discussed further.

Background of appearance

On this moment Intel updates processor sockets every 2 years. So, in 2013, the LGA1150 was released along with the Haswell line of CPUs. This is the 4th generation CPU based Core architecture. Then, a year later, Haswell chips were replaced by Broadwell. This is already the 5th generation of Core architecture CPUs. Their key difference is the updated technological process of 14 nm. But the processor part has not changed. Then the 4th and 5th families of chips based on Intel’s Core architecture were replaced in 2015 by the 6th, which was codenamed Skylake. The processor of any model of this generation is produced using a similar technological process - 14 nm (like Broadwell or the 5th generation of the Core architecture). But at the same time, the architecture of the computing part was redesigned, and this made it possible to obtain a certain performance increase of 10-15%. Also, the power supply subsystem of the semiconductor crystal has been redesigned. Now the CPU voltage regulators are located on the motherboard. This engineering approach made it possible to keep the power subsystem virtually unchanged, but at the same time improved the overclocking potential of the central processor.

Socket and chipsets

It is the LGA1151 socket that is designed for installing any desktop chip from the Skylake family. The new generation processor in this case is designed to be installed in a new socket and is not compatible with the previous generation CPU. Also to support the new generation central processing units A new generation of system logic sets was released. The most modest among them in terms of functionality is the H110, users note. But at the same time, its cost is appropriate. It is perfect for budget, entry-level systems. The most functional and most expensive logic set in this case is the Z170. Its key difference from all other chipsets is the ability to overclock a CPU with an unlocked multiplier (it is aimed at installing such CPUs), a built-in graphics accelerator, and even random access memory. This perfect solution to create the most powerful PCs. The remaining options H170, B170, Q150 and Q170 are intermediate between the two previously mentioned sets of system logic, and their main purpose is to build a PC of an average price level and exactly the same performance.

Technical features

As noted earlier, the Skylake processor core has been significantly redesigned, resulting in an additional increase in performance. But most of it has not undergone significant changes. This is the first cache level. Its total volume for one block is 64 kB, which is divided into 2 parts of 32 kB for data and instructions. The second level no longer has such a division, and its volume is 256 kb. The third cache level is common to all CPU computing resources, and its size depends on specific model: from 2 MB for Celeron processors and up to 8 MB for i7. The technical process, as noted earlier, has not changed in comparison with its predecessors - 14 nm. The chipset, as in previous generations of processors, is part of its semiconductor crystal. That is, the CPU, in addition to the computing part and the graphics accelerator, also includes a PCI-Express controller and a dual-channel RAM controller. The latter can already work with DDR4.

Entry level solutions

The entry-level Skylake consists of chips from the Celeron and Pentium ranges. Physically and programmatically, these semiconductor chips contain only 2 computing modules and the same number of data processing threads. The first of them have the most affordable price, but at the same time their performance is much lower. The higher level of performance of the Pentium line of chips is provided by larger and larger L3 caches. Also in the latter case, a more powerful HD Graphics graphics subsystem with index 530 is used, while Celeron is equipped only with a solution designated 510. An exception in this regard is the Pentium G4400 with a shortened version of the built-in 510 video card. The Celeron G3900T model with thermal package of only 35W and reduced clock frequency at 2.6 GHz. Otherwise, more detailed specifications of 6th generation Celeron and Pentium processors are given in the table.

Middle segment

In the middle segment, this generation of CPUs is represented by processors Core line i3. A total of 6 chips currently belong to this niche. All of them include 2 physical computing units and 4 software threads. That is, these processors contain support for proprietary technology from Intel, which it calls HyperTrading.

It is this feature that allows you to double the number of information processing threads at the software level. But in this case there is no question of supporting TurboBoost technology, and the processor frequency is fixed. Two representatives of this family with the indexes 6100T and 6300T have reduced clock frequencies and a reduced thermal package of 35 W. These are energy-efficient solutions aimed at creating compact computer systems. One chip labeled 6098P is equipped with a less productive graphic system HD Graphics with index 510. All processors of the 60XX and 61XX series have 3 MB of level 3 cache, and the 63XX series have 4 MB. In all other cases, the integrated video accelerator has an index of 530. More detailed characteristics of all sixth-generation i3 processors are indicated in the table below.

The most powerful quad-core solutions

The most widespread semiconductor solution in this case is the Intel Core i5 processor. The Skylake architecture in this case is represented by 9 chip models at once. All of them have 4 computing cores. Two models with indexes 6685R and 6585R have an improved graphics subsystem HD Graphics model 580, one, 6402Р, less productive - 510. Three chips 6400T, 6500T and 6600T are energy-efficient solutions with reduced frequencies and a reduced thermal package. The remaining processors 6400, 6500 and 6600 are standard representatives of this line of devices. More detailed technical specifications The i5 CPUs of this generation are shown in the table.

Eight-thread chips with maximum performance

Any Core Skylake belonging to the i7 line has a full set of various technologies (HyperTrading and TurboBoost). It can process data in 8 threads and dynamically change its frequency.

In terms of performance, these processors are inferior only to the most expensive solutions for computer enthusiasts, which have an unlocked frequency multiplier, and due to this, you can get a significant increase in performance. Currently, this line includes only 3 chips, and their specifications are shown in the table below. One of the models has the index 6700T, and this is an energy-efficient CPU for assembling high-performance compact systems. The second is 6785R. It is equipped with an improved model graphics accelerator with an index of 580. And the last one, 6700, is a typical flagship with a locked multiplier and maximum performance (except for chips for enthusiasts).

Products for computer enthusiasts

As in previous generations of Core processors, only 2 chip models have an unlocked multiplier. The first of them is 6600K. This is a typical quad-core i5 processor. Skylake architecture has excellent overclocking potential. If there is a high-quality cooling system, its frequency can be increased without special problems from 3.9 GHz to 4.6-4.7 GHz by simply raising the multiplier. If we also change the voltage to semiconductor crystal processor, you can even get 5.0 - 5.1 GHz.

The second representative of this family is the 6700K, which already belongs to the i7 line. It has parameters identical to all other chips in this model range. The key difference that experts note is the unlocked multiplier. Well, the frequencies that can be obtained during overclocking are similar to 6600K. Their technical specifications are shown in Table 5.

Reviews. Results

Users claim that a worthy continuation previous generations of chips became Skylake CPUs. The processor of this family, in their opinion, has improved both in terms of speed and energy efficiency.

The life cycle of this platform is just beginning, and according to Intel, it will still be relevant for the next 3 years. So now is the time to buy a new high-performance and energy-efficient personal computer.