Intel Kaby Lake 2017 CPU line-up, price, specs, and release date have been anticipated even before the notion of AMD Ryzen was first recognized in the market. With the threat of the quad-core line-up from AMD, Intel finally revealed details of its Core i3, i5, and i7, including hyper-threading support.
For its Core i7 chips, three versions have just been announced so far. They are all quad-cores with hyper-threading support, where the leading model Core i7-7700K. It is already unlocked and has a 4.2GHz base frequency, according to PC Advisor.
It is then followed by Core i7-7700 and Core i7-7700T with 3.6GHz and 2.9GHz base frequency respectively. All of the three Core i7 Kaby Lake models have 8MB smart cache, which are priced within a £309 to £339 range.
As for Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake specs and prices, the same website reported that the highest base frequency is that of Core i5-7600K with 3.8GHz clockspeed. Although a quad-core processor similar to that of the Core i7, latest Core i5 models have no hyper-threading support and is valued within a £189 to £239 price point.
Intel Core i3 Kaby Lake begins with Core i3-7350K as its higher version in the said segment. It is clocked at 4.2GHz but with no boost capability, but already unlocked. It is valued at around £185, while lower versions may come as a low as £119.
Under the given specs and price range, it is now up to AMD to showcase the full performance of Ryzen processors beyond controlled demos, for little has been known about Ryzen's full potential outside the stage. Previous forecast, noting of a little maneuvering room for Intel due to the AMD Ryzen CPU lineup, will be tested with the release of the latest Kaby Lake quad-core lineup.
As most experts would point out, the clash between AMD and Intel in the desktop category is inevitable. Despite Ryzen offering promising performance at a speculated reasonable price, Intel's latest offering may not be easily thwarted by AMD's hype and marketing strategy. Intel still has the upper hand in terms of branding, which is all important in the mainstream market.
A testament to such advantage is the current response of consumers with Intel Kaby Lake 2017 CPU line-up. Although Core i3 7350K has not been widely released yet, the Core i5 and Core i7 models were already released and now on sale. As of the latest chart, the quad-core processor from Intel has topped the best-selling processor lists on Amazon and Newegg, according to The Motley Fool.
Watch here below other Kaby Lake details: