CES 2017: Build or Upgrade with the Next-Gen Intel® Kaby Lake Desktop Processors

For those who are looking for powerful processors with which to build a new desktop or upgrade their current system, this year’s CES will introduce a wide variety of seventh-generation Celeron, Pentium, Core™ i3, Core i5, and Core i7 Kaby Lake CPUs.

At the base level and targeted toward budget personal computers are Intel® Celeron™ processors, which are offered in two configurations: a Celeron G3930 processor with a base clock speed of 2.9 GHz, or a Celeron G3950 processor with a base clock speed of 3.0 GHz. Each of these processors has 2MB of cache memory.

Moving up one level, Intel’s Pentium™ processors are rated as entry-level products that are better than the Atom™ and Celeron series, but not as advanced as the Core™ i3, i5, and i7 lineup. Within this series, Intel offers a Pentium G4560 processor with a base clock speed of 3.5 GHz, a Pentium G4600 processor with a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz, and a Pentium G4620 processor with a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz. All of these processors also have 3MB of cache memory.

If you need mid-range to high-end processors, Intel provides options for home and business users. The Core i3-7100 Processor has a base clock speed of 3.9 GHz and, while the Core i3-7100T Processor has a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz. Both of these processors have 3MB of cache. The Core i3-7300 Processor has a base clock speed of 4.0 GHz, the Core i3-7300T Processor has a base clock speed of 3.5 GHz, and the Core i3-7320 Processor has a base clock speed of 4.1 GHz. These three 7300 series models all have 4MB of cache.

The base model in the Core i5 series is the Core i5-7400 Processor, and it is equipped with a maximum turbo frequency of 3.5 GHz. The Core i5-7500 Processor has a maximum turbo frequency of 3.8 GHz, the Core i5-7600 Processor increases that frequency to 4.1 GHz, and the Core i5-7600K processor maxes out at 4.2 GHz. All of these processors feature 6MB of cache memory.

Round things out are Intel’s Core i7 offerings, which consist of two processors: a Core i7-7700 Processor with a maximum turbo frequency of 4.2 GHz, and a Core i7-7700K Processor with a maximum turbo frequency of 4.5 GHz. Both of these processors are equipped with 8MB of cache memory.

All of these processors are compatible with the LGA 1151 socket and include a CPU cooler, except for two models—the i5-7600K and the i7-7700K. “K” models are unlocked, meaning that they can be overclocked past their maximum turbo frequency. However, please be aware that overclocking past the maximum turbo frequency will not only cause the processor to run much hotter, it will also void the warranty. Additionally, please check your motherboard to ensure that it will be compatible with these processors, whether natively or with a BIOS update.