in january, intel is expected to release its seventh generation core processors for desktop computers, named kaby lake, and several technology review websites have taken a look at early samples of the core i7 6600k processor, which is focused on the gaming market, to judge whether or not it is an improvement on the previous iteration.

online tech sites have reviewed the intel kaby lake processor. (wikimedia commons)

technology review site hardocp took the new, thermally-dense processor for a spin and reported test results that showed the same performance per clock cycle as the previous generation and “minimal” power savings.

hardocp author kyle bennett asked, “i think there are actually some more worrisome questions we need to think about. is intel signaling to us that its desktop progression is dead? does intel not even care about advancing desktop performance? has cpu performance scaled to the point that being ‘faster’ does not matter, except to a few?”

on the tech report, zak killian spoke about the new processor’s thermal capabilities after a look at an early release version. he noted that intel continues to use thermal compound rather than solder or liquid metal under the heat spreader and that several users have reported on forums that they have added aftermarket thermal compounds to get better processing speed.

overclocking the kaby lake has seen the speed go as high as 5.1 ghz but that there are concerns about high temperatures during that process. one person said that the cpu got as hot as 90°c during an overclocking test.

killian wrote, “as it happens, the 7700k may be subject to the same air-gap lottery that some enthusiasts have observed in intel's unsoldered desktop processors since ivy bridge. on the older chips, those folks have found that temperatures can vary wildly from one cpu to the next because of variances in heat transfer between the cpu die and the heatspreader.”

of course when overclocking the new processor, it is imperative to have the proper liquid cooling setups to ensure proper thermal management before attempting to exceed the power and speed limits set by the manufacturer.

killian concluded, “for folks looking to get the most out of intel's rumored i7-7700ks, extreme measures like these may be necessary.”