Intel core i3 6th generation list. Skylake - processor from Intel

We translate... Translate Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) English French German Italian Portuguese Russian Spanish Turkish

Unfortunately, we are unable to translate this information right now - please try again later.

Introduction

6th generation Intel® Core™ processors (Skylake) were introduced in 2015. With a host of core, SoC and platform enhancements over the previous generation 14nm processor (Broadwell), the Skylake processor is a popular choice in most devices. different types designed for work, creativity and play. This article provides an overview of Skylake's key features and enhancements, as well as new usage models such as voice wake and biometric sign-in in Windows* 10.

Skylake architecture

Processors Intel Core The 6th generation is manufactured using 14nm technology, taking into account a more compact processor size and the entire platform for use in various types of devices. At the same time, the performance of the architecture and graphics has also been improved, and advanced security features have been implemented. In Fig. Figure 1 shows these new and improved features. Actual configuration on OEM devices may vary.

Picture 1.Skylake architecture and summary improvements.

Main directions of processor development

Performance

Increased productivity directly results from providing more instructions to the execution unit: more instructions are executed per clock cycle. This result is achieved through improvements in four categories.

• Improved frontend. With more accurate branch prediction and increased capacity, instruction decoding speed increases and prefetching is faster and more efficient.
• Improved instruction parallelization. More instructions are processed per clock cycle, and instruction parallel execution is improved through more efficient buffering.
• Improved execution units (IB). The performance of execution units has been improved compared to previous generations due to the following measures:
  • Delays have been shortened.
  • The number of information security units has been increased.
  • Improved power efficiency by turning off unused units.
  • The speed of execution of security algorithms has been increased.
• Improved memory subsystem. In addition to improving the front-end, parallel processing of instructions and execution units, the memory subsystem has also been improved in accordance with the bandwidth and performance requirements of the components listed above. For this purpose the following measures were used:
  • Increased download and save throughput.
  • Improved prefetch module.
  • Storage at a deeper level.
  • Fill and writeback buffers.
  • Improved page miss handling.
  • Improved throughput on L2 cache misses.
  • New cache management instructions.

Figure 2.Skylake core microarchitecture diagram

In Fig. Figure 3 shows the improvement in parallel processing in Skylake processors compared to previous generations of processors (Sandy Bridge is the second, and Haswell is the fourth generation Intel processors® Core™).

Figure 3.Improved parallelization compared to previous generations of processors

Thanks to the improvements shown in Fig. 3, processor performance has increased by 60% compared to PCs five years ago, while video transcoding is 6 times faster, and graphics performance has increased 11 times.

Figure 4.6th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor Performance Compared to PCs 5 Years Old

1. Source: Intel Corporation Based on SYSmark* 2014 performance of Intel® Core™ i5-6500 and Intel® Core™ i5-650 processors.
2. Source: Intel Corporation Based on Intel® Core™ i5-6500 and Intel® Core™ i5-650 processors in Handbrake with QSV.
3. Source: Intel Corporation Based on performance of Intel® Core™ i5-6500 and Intel® Core™ i5-650 processors in 3DMark* Cloud Gate benchmark.

For detailed performance comparisons between desktop PCs and laptops, see the following links:

Performance desktop computers: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/benchmarks/desktop/6th-gen-core-i5-6500.html

Laptop performance: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/benchmarks/laptop/6th-gen-core-i5-6200u.html

Energy Saving

Configure resources based on dynamic consumption

Legacy systems use Intel® SpeedStep® technology to balance performance and power consumption using an on-demand resource-attachment algorithm. This algorithm is controlled by the operating system. This approach is not bad for a constant load, but is not optimal when the load increases sharply. With Skylake processors, Intel® Speed ​​Shift technology transfers control to the hardware instead of operating system and allows the processor to reach its maximum clock speed in approximately 1 ms, providing more precise power management.

Figure 5.Comparison of Intel® Speed ​​Shift and Intel® SpeedStep® Technologies

The graph below shows the responsiveness of the Intel® Core™ i5 6200U Processor with Intel Speed ​​Shift Technology compared to Intel SpeedStep Technology.

• Response speed increased by 45%.
• Photo processing is 45% faster.
• Graphing is 31% faster.
• Local notes are 22% faster.
• The average response speed increased by 20%.

[Based on Principled Technologies' WebXPRT* 2015 test*, which measures web app performance overall and in specific areas such as photo editing, note-taking, and charting. additional information see www.principledtechnologies.com.]

Additional power optimization is achieved by dynamically adjusting resources based on their consumption: by reducing the power of unused resources by limiting the power of Intel® AVX2 Vector Extensions when they are not in use, and by reducing power consumption when idle.

Multimedia and graphics

Intel® HD Graphics delivers a range of processing enhancements 3D graphics, media processing, screen display, performance, power supply, customization and scaling. This is a very powerful member of the family of integrated processor graphics (first introduced in second-generation Intel® Core™ processors). In Fig. Figure 6 compares some of these enhancements, delivering over 100x improvements in graphics performance.

[Peak shader FLOPS at 1 GHz]

Figure 6.Graphics subsystem capabilities in different generations of processors

Figure 7.Improved graphics and multimedia processing across generations

9th generation microarchitecture

The 9th generation graphics architecture is similar to the graphics microarchitecture of the 8th generation Intel® Core™ Broadwell (5th generation) processors, but is enhanced for performance and scalability. In Fig. Figure 8 shows a block diagram of the Generation 9 microarchitecture, which consists of three main components.

• Screen. From the left side.
• Outside the cut. L-shaped part in the middle. Includes a threaded command processor, a global thread manager, and GUI(GTI).
• Slice Includes execution units (EB).

Compared to the 8th generation, the 9th generation microarchitecture features higher maximum performance per 1 W, increased bandwidth, and a separate power supply/clock path for the off-cut component. This allows for more efficient power management during usage modes such as media playback. Slice is a custom component. For example, GT3 supports up to two slices (each slice with 24 execution units), GT4 (Halo) can support up to 3 slices (the number after the letters GT indicates the number of execution units based on their usage: GT1 supports 12 execution units, GT2 - 24, GT3 - 48, and GT4 - 72 execution units). The architecture is highly configurable to use a minimum number of execution units in low-load scenarios, so power consumption can range from 4 to more than 65 W. 9th Gen GPU API support is available in DirectX* 12, OpenCL™ 2.x, OpenGL* 5.x, and Vulkan*.

Figure 8.9th Generation GPU Architecture

For more information about these components, see (IDF link)

Enhancements and media processing capabilities include:

• Consumption less than 1 W, consumption 1 W during video conferencing.
• Accelerate raw camera video playback (RAW) with new VQE features to support RAW video playback up to 4K60 resolution on mobile platforms.
• New New Intel® Quick Sync Video mode with fixed functions (FF).
• Supports a wide range of fixed function codecs, GPU accelerated decoding.

In Fig. 9 shows codecs GPU generation 9.

Note. Support for media codecs and processing may not be available on all operating systems and applications.

Figure 9.Codec support for Skylake processors

Screen enhancements and features include:

• Blending, scaling, rotating and compressing an image.
• Supports high pixel density (resolutions above 4K).
• Support image transmission wireless connection with resolutions up to 4K30.
• Self-Renewal (PSR2).
• CUI X.X - new features, increased performance.

The Intel® Core™ I7-6700K processors provide the following features for gamers (see Figure 10). Also supports Intel® technology Turbo Boost 2.0, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology and overclockability. The performance increase compared to a PC five years ago reaches 80%. For more information, see this page: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/core-i7ee-processor.html

1. Source: Intel Corporation Based on Intel® Core™ i7-6700K and Intel® Core™ i7-875K processors in SPECint*_rate_base2006 (Copy Ratio 8).
2. Source: Intel Corporation Based on Intel® Core™ i7-6700K and Intel® Core™ i7-3770K processors in SPECint*_rate_base2006 (Copy Ratio 8).
3. The capabilities described are available on select processor and chipset combinations. Warning. Changing clock speed and/or voltage may: (i) reduce system stability and reduce system and processor life; (ii) cause the processor or other system components to fail; (iii) cause system performance to degrade; (iv) cause additional heat or other damage; (v) affect the integrity of data in the system. Intel does not test or guarantee the performance of processors with specifications other than those specified.

Figure 10.Intel® Core™ i7-6700K Processor Features

Scalability

The Skylake microarchitecture is a custom core: a single design for two directions, one for client devices, one for servers, without compromising the power and performance requirements of both segments. In Fig. 11 shown various models processors and their efficiency in terms of power for use in devices different sizes and different types - from ultra-compact Compute Stick to powerful workstations based on Intel® Xeon®.

Figure 11.Availability of Intel® Core™ processors for various types devices

Advanced Security Features

Intel® Software Guard Extensions (Intel® SGX): Intel SGX is a set of new instructions in Skylake processors that enables application developers to protect sensitive data from unauthorized changes and access third party programs, working with a higher level of rights. This gives applications the ability to maintain confidentiality and integrity confidential information, . Skylake supports instructions and threads to create secure enclaves, allowing the use of trusted memory areas. For more information about Intel SGX extensions, see this page:

Intel® Memory Protection Extensions (Intel® MPX): Intel MPX is a new set of instructions for checking for buffer overflows at runtime. These instructions allow you to check the boundaries of stack buffers and heap buffers before accessing memory, so that a process accessing memory can only access the area of ​​memory that is assigned to it. Intel MPX support enabled in Windows* 10 using built-in Intel MPX features in Microsoft Visual Studio* 2015. Most C/C++ applications will now be able to use Intel MPX by simply compiling the applications again without changing source and connections to legacy libraries. When running libraries that support Intel MPX on systems that do not support Intel MPX (5th generation Intel® Core™ processors and earlier), performance is not affected in any way, either better or worse. You can also dynamically enable or disable Intel MPX support.

We've covered enhancements and improvements to the Skylake architecture. In the next section we will look at Windows components 10, optimized to take advantage of the Intel® Core™ architecture.

What's New in Windows 10

The capabilities of 6th generation Intel Core processors are complemented by operating capabilities Windows systems 10. Below are some of the key features of Intel hardware and Windows 10 that can help you Intel platforms® under Windows control 10 work more efficiently, more consistently and faster.

Ϯ Intel and Microsoft are working together to bring further support to Windows.

Figure 12.Skylake and Windows* 10 features

Cortana

Microsoft's voice assistant, Cortana, is available in Windows* 10 and lets you control your PC with your voice when you speak key phrase"Hey Cortana!" Voice Wake uses a CPU audio pipeline to improve recognition confidence, but you can outsource this functionality to a hardware DSP with built-in Windows support 10.

Windows Hello*

Using biometric equipment and Microsoft Passport* Windows service Hello supports various login mechanisms using facial, fingerprint or iris recognition. The system, without installing any additional components, supports all these login capabilities without using a password. The Intel® RealSense™ Front Camera (F200/SR300) supports biometric authentication based on facial recognition.

Figure 13.Windows* Hello with Intel® RealSense™ Technology

Photos in Fig. 13 shows how the fiducial points detected on the face by the F200 are used for user identification and login. Based on the location of 78 fiducial points on the face, a face template is created the first time a user attempts to log in using facial recognition. On the next login attempt, the saved location of fiducial points obtained by the camera is compared with the saved template. The capabilities of Microsoft Passport combined with the capabilities of the camera can achieve security levels with false admission rates of 1 in 100,000 and false admission rates of 2-4% of cases.

Links

1. Intel's next generation microarchitecture code-named Skylake by Julius Mandelblat: http://intelstudios.edgesuite.net/idf/2015/sf/ti/150818_spcs001/index.html
2. Next-generation Intel® processor graphics architecture, code-named Skylake, by David Blythe: http://intelstudios.edgesuite.net/idf/2015/sf/ti/150818_spcs003/index.html
3. Intel® architecture code-named Skylake and Windows* 10 better together, by Shiv Koushik: http://intelstudios.edgesuite.net/idf/2015/sf/ti/150819_spcs009/index.html
4. Skylake for gamers: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/core-i7ee-processor.html
5. Intel's best processor ever: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/core/core-processor-family.html
6. Skylake Desktop Performance Benchmark: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/benchmarks/desktop/6th-gen-core-i5-6500.html
7. Skylake Laptop Performance Benchmark: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/benchmarks/laptop/6th-gen-core-i5-6200u.html
8. The compute architecture of Intel® processor graphics Gen9:

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 video processing - just short list 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 campaign between Intel, Microsoft and leading PC manufacturers dedicated to the capabilities of the modern computer. Computers purchased 4-5 years ago turn on slowly and do not support everything functionality, available to users today, their batteries don't 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, Intel architecture specialist in Russia and other CIS countries, noted a number of key features 6th generation Intel® Core™ processor, thanks to which the corporation has made another big leap in energy efficiency. Increasing the performance of processor cores while reducing power consumption is achieved using Intel® Speed ​​Shift technology and the integration of new hardware features on the processor chip, such as the 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 high performance, 3x longer battery life and 30x more 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. The new platform also supports Intel WiDi and Pro WiDi technologies, allowing users to transfer images from computers to TVs, monitors or projectors without using wired connections.

Dmitry Khalin, director of Microsoft's technology policy department 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 the 6th generation Intel® Core™ overclocking records. The new processors represent a number of significant advances in computing technology. 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.

• Translation

6th generation Intel Core processors (Skylake) appeared in 2015. With a host of core, SoC and platform enhancements over the previous generation 14nm processor (Broadwell), Skylake is a popular choice in a wide range of devices for work, creativity and play. This article provides an overview of Skylake's key features and enhancements, as well as new usage patterns such as voice wake and biometric login in Windows 10.

Skylake architecture

The 6th generation Intel Core processors are manufactured using 14nm technology to accommodate a more compact processor size and overall platform for use in various types of devices. At the same time, the performance of the architecture and graphics has also been improved, and advanced security features have been implemented. In Fig. Figure 1 shows these new and improved features. Actual configuration on OEM devices may vary.

Figure 1. Skylake architecture and summary of enhancements

Main directions of processor development

▍Performance

The performance improvement directly results from providing more instructions to the execution unit: more instructions are executed per clock cycle. This result is achieved through improvements in four categories.

• Improved external interface. With more accurate branch prediction and increased capacity, instruction decoding speed increases and prefetching is faster and more efficient.
• Improved instruction parallelization. More instructions are processed per clock cycle, and instruction parallel execution is improved through more efficient buffering.
• Improved execution units (IB). The performance of execution units has been improved compared to previous generations due to the following measures:
  • Delays have been shortened.
  • The number of information security units has been increased.
  • Improved power efficiency by turning off unused units.
  • The speed of execution of security algorithms has been increased.
• Improved memory subsystem. In addition to improving the front-end, parallel processing of instructions and execution units, the memory subsystem has also been improved in accordance with the bandwidth and performance requirements of the components listed above. For this purpose the following measures were used:
  • Increased download and save throughput.
  • Improved prefetch module.
  • Storage at a deeper level.
  • Fill and writeback buffers.
  • Improved page miss handling.
  • Improved throughput on L2 cache misses.
  • New cache management instructions.

Figure 2. Skylake core microarchitecture diagram

In Fig. Figure 3 shows the improvement in parallel processing in Skylake processors compared to previous generations of processors (Sandy Bridge is the second, and Haswell is the fourth generation of Intel Core processors).

Figure 3. Improved parallelization compared to previous generations of processors

Thanks to the improvements shown in Fig. 3, processor performance has increased by 60% compared to PCs five years ago, while video transcoding is 6 times faster, and graphics performance has increased 11 times.

Figure 4: 6th Gen Intel Core processor performance compared to a PC from five years ago

1. Source: Intel Corporation Based on SYSmark* 2014 results for Intel Core i5-6500 and Intel Core i5-650 processors.
2. Source: Intel Corporation Based on results of Intel Core i5-6500 and Intel Core i5-650 processors in the Handbrake test with QSV.
3. Source: Intel Corporation Based on results of Intel Core i5-6500 and Intel Core i5-650 processors in 3DMark* Cloud Gate benchmark.

For detailed performance comparisons between desktop PCs and laptops, see the following links:

▍Saving energy

Configure resources based on dynamic consumption

Legacy systems use Intel SpeedStep technology to balance performance and power consumption using an on-demand resource-attachment algorithm. This algorithm is controlled by the operating system. This approach is not bad for a constant load, but is not optimal when the load increases sharply. With Skylake processors, Intel Speed ​​Shift technology transfers control to the hardware instead of the operating system and allows the processor to reach its maximum clock speed in approximately 1 ms, providing more precise power management.

Figure 5. Comparison of Intel Speed ​​Shift and Intel SpeedStep technologies

The numbers below show the responsiveness of an Intel Core i5 6200U processor with Intel Speed ​​Shift technology compared to Intel SpeedStep technology.

• Response speed increased by 45%.
• Photo processing is 45% faster.
• Graphing is 31% faster.
• Local notes are 22% faster.
• The average response speed increased by 20%.

Based on results from Principled Technologies' WebXPRT* 2015 test*, which measures the performance of web applications overall and in specific areas such as photo editing, note-taking, and charting. For more information, visit the website.

Additional power optimization is achieved by dynamically adjusting resources based on their consumption: by reducing the power of unused resources by limiting the power of Intel AVX2 Vector Extensions when they are not in use, and by reducing power consumption when idle.

▍Multimedia and graphics

Intel HD Graphics delivers a range of improvements in 3D graphics processing, multimedia processing, display, performance, power, customization and scaling. This is a very powerful device in the family of integrated graphics adapters (first introduced in the second generation Intel Core processors). In Fig. Figure 6 compares some of these enhancements, delivering over 100x improvements in graphics performance.

Figure 6. Graphics subsystem capabilities in different generations of processors

Figure 7. Improvements in graphics and multimedia processing across generations

9th generation microarchitecture
The 9th generation graphics architecture is similar to the graphics microarchitecture of the 8th generation Intel Core Broadwell (5th generation) processors, but is enhanced in terms of performance and scalability. In Fig. Figure 8 shows a block diagram of the Generation 9 microarchitecture, which consists of three main components.

• Screen. From the left side.
• Outside the cut. L-shaped part in the middle. Includes a threaded command handler, a global thread manager, and a graphical interface (GTI).
• Slice Includes execution units (EB).

Compared to the 8th generation, the 9th generation microarchitecture features higher maximum performance per 1 W, increased bandwidth, and a separate power supply/clock path for the off-cut component. This allows for more efficient power management during usage modes such as media playback. Slice is a custom component. For example, GT3 supports up to two slices (each slice with 24 execution units), GT4 (Halo) can support up to 3 slices (the number after the letters GT indicates the number of execution units based on their usage: GT1 supports 12 execution units, GT2 - 24, GT3 - 48, and GT4 - 72 execution units). The architecture is highly configurable to use a minimum number of execution units in low-load scenarios, so power consumption can range from 4 to more than 65 W. 9th Gen GPU API support is available in DirectX* 12, OpenCL 2.x, OpenGL* 5.x, and Vulkan*.

Figure 8. 9th generation GPU architecture

For more information about these components, see .
Enhancements and media processing capabilities include:

• Consumption less than 1 W, consumption 1 W during video conferencing.
• Accelerate raw camera video playback (RAW) with new VQE features to support RAW video playback up to 4K60 resolution on mobile platforms.
• New New Intel Quick Sync Video mode with fixed functions (FF).
• Supports a wide range of fixed function codecs, GPU accelerated decoding.

In Fig. Figure 9 shows the codecs of the generation 9 GPU.

Note. Support for media codecs and processing may not be available on all operating systems and applications.

Figure 9. Codec support for Skylake processors

Screen enhancements and features include:

• Blending, scaling, rotating and compressing an image.
• Supports high pixel density (resolutions above 4K).
• Supports wireless image transmission with resolutions up to 4K30.
• Self-Renewal (PSR2).
• CUI X.X - new features, increased performance.

The Intel Core I7-6700K processors provide the following features for gamers (see Figure 10). Technology also supported Intel Turbo Boost 2.0, Intel hyperthreading technology and overclocking capabilities. The performance increase compared to a PC five years ago reaches 80%. For more information, see this page.

Figure 10. Capabilities of Intel Core i7-6700K processors

1. Source: Intel Corporation Based on the results of the Intel Core i7-6700K and Intel Core i7-875K processors in the SPECint*_rate_base2006 test (copy factor 8).
2. Source: Intel Corporation Based on the results of the Intel Core i7-6700K and Intel Core i7-3770K processors in the SPECint*_rate_base2006 test (copy factor 8).
3. The capabilities described are available on select processor and chipset combinations. Warning. Changing clock speed and/or voltage may: (i) reduce system stability and reduce system and processor life; (ii) cause the processor or other system components to fail; (iii) cause system performance to degrade; (iv) cause additional heat or other damage; (v) affect the integrity of data in the system. Intel does not test or guarantee the performance of processors with specifications other than those specified.

▍Scalability

The Skylake microarchitecture is a custom core: a single design for two directions, one for client devices, one for servers, without compromising the power and performance requirements of both segments. In Fig. Figure 11 shows the different processor models and their power efficiency for use in devices of different sizes and types - from ultra-compact Compute Stick to powerful workstations based on Intel Xeon.

Figure 11. Availability of Intel Core processors for various types of devices

▍Advanced security features

Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX): Intel SGX is a set of new instructions in Skylake processors that enable application developers to protect sensitive data from unauthorized changes and access by third-party programs running with higher permissions. This gives applications the ability to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information. Skylake supports instructions and threads to create secure enclaves, allowing the use of trusted memory areas. For more information about Intel SGX extensions, see this page.

Intel Memory Protection Extensions (Intel MPX): Intel MPX is a new set of instructions for checking for buffer overflows at runtime. These instructions allow you to check the boundaries of stack buffers and heap buffers before accessing memory, so that a process accessing memory can only access the area of ​​memory that is assigned to it. Intel MPX support is available in Windows* 10 using built-in Intel MPX functionality in Microsoft Visual Studio* 2015. Most C/C++ applications will be able to use Intel MPX by simply recompiling the applications without changing source code or linking to legacy libraries. When running libraries that support Intel MPX on systems that do not support Intel MPX (5th generation Intel Core processors and earlier), performance does not change in any way: neither increases nor decreases. You can also dynamically enable or disable Intel MPX support.
We've covered enhancements and improvements to the Skylake architecture. In the next section, we'll look at the features of Windows 10 that are optimized to take advantage of the Intel Core architecture.

What's New in Windows 10

The capabilities of 6th Generation Intel Core processors are complemented by the capabilities of the Windows 10 operating system. Here are some of the key features of Intel hardware and Windows 10 that help Intel platforms running Windows 10 run smarter, more stable, and faster.

Ϯ Intel and Microsoft are working together to bring further support to Windows
Figure 12. Skylake and Windows* 10 features

▍Cortana

Microsoft's voice assistant, Cortana, is available in Windows* 10 and lets you control your PC with your voice by saying "Hey Cortana!" Voice Wake uses the CPU audio pipeline to improve recognition accuracy, but you can outsource this functionality to a hardware DSP with native support for Windows 10.

▍Windows Hello*

With biometric hardware and Microsoft Passport*, Windows Hello supports multiple sign-in mechanisms using facial, fingerprint, or iris recognition. The system, without installing any additional components, supports all these login capabilities without using a password. The Intel RealSense front camera (F200/SR300) supports biometric authentication based on facial recognition.

Figure 13: Windows* Hello with Intel RealSense Technology

Photos in Fig. 13 shows how the fiducial points detected on the face by the F200 are used for user identification and login. Based on the location of 78 fiducial points on the face, a face template is created the first time a user attempts to log in using facial recognition. On the next login attempt, the saved location of fiducial points obtained by the camera is compared with the saved template. The capabilities of Microsoft Passport combined with the capabilities of the camera can achieve security levels with false admission rates of 1 in 100,000 and false admission rates of 2-4% of cases.

On January 3, the birthday of the company's founding father, Gordon Moore (he was born on January 3, 1929), Intel 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 an Intel Xeon series 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 has an LGA1151 socket and is 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). In all processors for desktop systems Kaby Lake-S will only use the Intel 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 specifications for the 7th generation Intel Core i7 family processors are given 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.

CPU	Core i5-7600K	Core i5-7600	Core i5-7500	Core i5-7600T	Core i5-7500T	Core i5-7400	Core i5-7400T
Technical process, nm	14
Connector	LGA 1151
Number of Cores	4
Number of threads	4
L3 cache, MB	6
Rated frequency, GHz	3,8	3,5	3,4	2,8	2,7	3,0	2,4
Maximum frequency, GHz	4,2	4,1	3,8	3,7	3,3	3,5	3,0
TDP, W	91	65	65	35	35	65	35
Memory frequency DDR4/DDR3L, MHz	2400/1600
Graphics core	HD Graphics 630
Recommended price	$242	$213	$192	$213	$192	$182	$182

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 a new version of 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? This is not an idle question, 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, based 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) allow only one possible combination of PEG port allocation: x16. Intel 200 series chipsets also support dual-channel DDR4 or DDR3L memory. In addition, Intel 200 series chipsets support the ability to simultaneously connect up to three monitors to the processor graphics core (just like the 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 new technology 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 ports 3.0. 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 of 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 special feature is that one SATA 6 Gb/s port can be configured to either Port#15, or on Port #19 (that is, this is the same SATA port #0, which can be output either to Port #15 or to 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. In this case, devices refer to controllers, connectors and slots. Connecting one PCIe device may require one, two, or four PCIe ports. For example, if we are talking about a 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.

Logical test group	Core i7-6700K (ref. system)	Core i7-6700K	Core i7-7700	Core i7-7700K	Core i7-7700K @5 GHz
Video conversion, points	100	104.5±0.3	99.6±0.3	109.0±0.4	122.0±0.4
MediaCoder x64 0.8.45.5852, with	106±2	101.0±0.5	106.0±0.5	97.0±0.5	87.0±0.5
HandBrake 0.10.5, s	103±2	98.7±0.1	103.5±0.1	94.5±0.4	84.1±0.3
Rendering, points	100	104.8±0.3	99.8±0.3	109.5±0.2	123.2±0.4
POV-Ray 3.7, with	138.1±0.3	131.6±0.2	138.3±0.1	125.7±0.3	111.0±0.3
LuxRender 1.6 x64 OpenCL, with	253±2	241.5±0.4	253.2±0.6	231.2±0.5	207±2
Blender 2.77a, with	220.7±0.9	210±2	222±3	202±2	180±2
Video editing and video content creation, points	100	105.3±0.4	100.4±0.2	109.0±0.1	121.8±0.6
Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015.4, with	186.9±0.5	178.1±0.2	187.2±0.5	170.66±0.3	151.3±0.3
Magix Vegas Pro 13, with	366.0±0.5	351.0±0.5	370.0±0.5	344±2	312±3
Magix Movie Edit Pro 2016 Premium v.15.0.0.102, with	187.1±0.4	175±3	181±2	169.1±0.6	152±3
Adobe After Effects CC 2015.3, from	288.0±0.5	237.7±0.8	288.4±0.8	263.2±0.7	231±3
Photodex ProShow Producer 8.0.3648, with	254.0±0.5	241.3±4	254±1	233.6±0.7	210.0±0.5
Digital photo processing, points	100	104.4±0.8	100±2	108±2	113±3
Adobe Photoshop CC 2015.5, with	521±2	491±2	522±2	492±3	450±6
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC 2015.6.1, with	182±3	180±2	190±10	174±8	176±7
PhaseOne Capture One Pro 9.2.0.118, with	318±7	300±6	308±6	283.0±0.5	270±20
Text recognition, points	100	104.9±0.3	100.6±0.3	109.0±0.9	122±2
Abbyy FineReader 12 Professional, with	442±2	421.9±0.9	442.1±0.2	406±3	362±5
Archiving, points	100	101.0±0.2	98.2±0.6	96.1±0.4	105.8±0.6
WinRAR 5.40 CPU, with	91.6±0.05	90.7±0.2	93.3±0.5	95.3±0.4	86.6±0.5
Scientific calculations, points	100	102.8±0.7	99.7±0.8	106.3±0.9	115±3
LAMMPS 64-bit 20160516, with	397±2	384±3	399±3	374±4	340±2
NAMD 2.11, with	234±1	223.3±0.5	236±4	215±2	190.5±0.7
FFTW 3.3.5, ms	32.8±0.6	33±2	32.7±0.9	33±2	34±4
Mathworks Matlab 2016a, with	117.9±0.6	111.0±0.5	118±2	107±1	94±3
Dassault SolidWorks 2016 SP0 Flow Simulation, with	253±2	244±2	254±4	236±3	218±3
File operation speed, points	100	105.5±0.7	102±1	102±1	106±2
WinRAR 5.40 Storage, with	81.9±0.5	78.9±0.7	81±2	80.4±0.8	79±2
UltraISO Premium Edition 9.6.5.3237, with	54.2±0.6	49.2±0.7	53±2	52±2	48±3
Data copying speed, s	41.5±0.3	40.4±0.3	40.8±0.5	40.8±0.5	40.2±0.1
Integral CPU result, points	100	104.0±0.2	99.7±0.3	106.5±0.3	117.4±0.7
Integral result Storage, points	100	105.5±0.7	102±1	102±1	106±2
Integral performance result, points	100	104.4±0.2	100.3±0.4	105.3±0.4	113.9±0.8

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 generation Core i7-6700K model.

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 unlocked multipliers). 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 that part of the electrical energy is consumed by the regulator itself, and the real power consumed by the processor is slightly lower than the values ​​we measure.

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 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. Change a computer based on a Skylake processor and a board with a 100-series chipset to new system with a Kaby Lake processor and a board with a 200 series chipset there is no point. 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 Kaby Lake system turns out to be comparable (with equal functionality) in cost to a Skylake system (and a board with Intel chipset 100th episode), 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 is their technical parameters, capabilities and types that will be discussed further.

Background of appearance

Currently, 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 on the 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 manufactured in a similar way technological process- 14 nm (like Broadwell or the 5th generation of 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 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 of central processors, a new generation of kits was released system logic. 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 systems, entry level. 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 is an excellent solution for creating the most productive 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. More high level The performance of the Pentium line of chips is ensured by a larger and larger L3 cache. 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 a reduced clock frequency of 2.6 GHz. Otherwise, more detailed specifications of 6th generation Celeron and Pentium processors are given in the table.

	Processor model and index	Level 3 cache, MB	Fixed chip frequency, GHz	Number of chip cores/threads	Thermal package, W		HD Graphics video card model

Middle segment

In the middle segment, this generation of CPUs is represented by processors from the Core i3 line. 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 powerful HD Graphics graphics system 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.

	Processor name	Third level cache, MB	Processor clock frequency, GHz	Number of real cores/software threads	Thermal package values, W	Cost, USD	HD Graphics accelerator model

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. They all 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.

	Marking	Level 3 cache, MB	Frequency range min/max, GHz	Number of physical processing cores/threads	Thermal package value, W	Current price, USD	HD Graphics Video Accelerator

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 graphics accelerator model with an index of 580. And the latest, 6700, is a typical flagship with a locked multiplier and maximum performance (except for chips for enthusiasts).

	CPU designation	Level 3 cache, MB	Frequency formula min/max, GHz	Number of processing cores/threads	Declared thermal package, W	Declared cost, USD	HD Graphics video adapter

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 you have a high-quality cooling system, its frequency can be increased without any problems from 3.9 GHz to 4.6-4.7 GHz by simply raising the multiplier. If you also change the voltage on the semiconductor chip of the 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 of 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 Skylake CPUs are a worthy continuation of previous generations of chips. 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.