The Intel Core i5-7600K (91W) Review: The More Amenable Mainstream Performer
by Ian Cutress on January 3, 2017 12:01 PM ESTThe Cooler and Cheaper Choice
For people coming over from our Core i7-7700K review, where we heralded a new mainstream performance champion, to say that the Core i5-7600K is the smarter choice could be a little confusing. There are several factors in play which are going to make buying the i5-7600K more pertinent to everyone except pure extreme speed freaks (wait, I thought everyone reading this was…!).
For $86 less, the Core i5-7600K scores about 80% of what the Core i7-7700K does in the heavy instruction benchmarks, all while doing it at 30C less and 20W less. If you need extra performance, overclocking it to 7700K frequencies is super easy, and you still come in under power for the extra performance. While our gaming benchmarks aren’t necessarily the newest W10 busting titles (we’re retesting in Feb with a new benchmark suite), the Core i5 and Core i7 performed almost identical in every test.
If you are user for which money is no object, then the i7 makes sense because it is guaranteed frequency in the system and you have probably bought extra cooling anyway. For a user that needs another $100 to go for a better graphics card but still wants near top mainstream performance, the Core i5 is the smart choice.
Recommended by AnandTech
The Intel Core i5-7600K: The Smarter Choice
As part of our Kaby Lake coverage, we have some other awesome reviews to check out.
Intel Launches 7th Generation Kaby Lake (Overview and Core Improvements)
The Intel Core i7-7700K Review: The New Out-of-the-box Performance Champion
The Intel Core i5-7600K Review: The More Amenable Mainstream Performer
The Intel Core i3-7350K Review: When a Core i3 Nearly Matches the Core i7-2600K
Upcoming (we’re at CES and didn’t have time to finish these yet):
Calculating Generational IPC Changes from Sandy Bridge to Kaby Lake
Intel Core i7-7700K, i5-7600K and i3-7350K Overclocking: Hitting 5.0 GHz on AIR
Intel Launches 200-Series Chipset Breakdown: Z270, H270, B250, Q250, C232
Intel Z270 Motherboard Preview: A Quick Look at 80+ Motherboards
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lopri - Wednesday, January 4, 2017 - link
It's not Zen but it's their own chips of the past years. They even admit that the IPC is unchanged from Sky Lake, so the only way to sell this chip as something new is by jacking up the "official" clock frequency.Bullwinkle J Moose - Tuesday, January 3, 2017 - link
How is preventing anyone from securing their own computer an upgrade?How is limiting what you can do on your computer an upgrade?
It is now legal for the FBI to hack into ANY computer ANYWHERE as long as you are using Windows 7/8 or 10, but I can stop them with XP
So how is this an Upgrade?
Security trumps your definition of "upgrade"
Murloc - Tuesday, January 3, 2017 - link
they don't prevent you from using linux, BSD or even your own custom OS and securing your computer.jimbo2779 - Wednesday, January 4, 2017 - link
What does any of this or your other posts have anything to do with the processor reviewed.Can you go post this in a comment section about win vista - 10 so the rest of us aren't subjected to it.
This article is about a cup not Windows.
Thanks.
Bullwinkle J Moose - Tuesday, January 3, 2017 - link
because Windows XP IS Secure if you know what you're doing!and my Windows software IS compatible with Windows, not Linux
eldakka - Wednesday, January 4, 2017 - link
And most software that requires windows XP and is on 10-year old hardware will run just fine under an emulation environment (e.g. wine) on Linux. Or even inside a Windows XP VM running on a linux host OS.Emulation is of course much slower than native, but running an emulator on current generation hardware will still be faster than running native on that 10-year old hardware.
That way you can get a modern operating system with support for modern hardware, without the windows 8/10 spyware, while still being able to run your old winXP apps.
But if you have no desire or need to get a modern OS, if you are happy with XP and the performance that you get on your current hardware, then why the hell are you even asking these questions and looking here? The only reason you'd be looking and asking these questions is if you are interested in upgrading.
Bullwinkle J Moose - Wednesday, January 4, 2017 - link
you sound confused eldakkawhat exactly is your point of running a secure OS from within a spyware platform with backdoored bitlocker encryption, keylogger, DRM and Windows components you cannot block in your firewall ?
It is TRUE that Windows 10 is the most secure Version of Windows EVER, but Microsoft should finish the sentence.....
Windows 10 is the most secure Version of spyware EVER for the FBI and the NSA, but NOT the End Loser (er...user)
Funny how the Snowden Interview video disapeared from the Internet explaining how he could watch you as you type and edit your text at your computer BEFORE you send the message with your "secure" encrypted messaging app
Those backdoors are there for a reason.....To spy on and hack any "modern" Windows Computer in the World which is why MS had to kill XP and why the Law was changed to allow the FBI to hack ANY computers, anywhere with a single warrant (that went into affect December 1st)
The FBI could not do that if the back doors were closed, but you cannot close them on Windows 10
computers
But the REAL Trolls here won't discuss that now will they?
Dug - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
Because no one cares about your AWESOME Windows XP! Get of the Internets everyone!!!! OMG, Spy FBI CIA NSA HELPS ME!!!Really dude, you are awesome. Thanks for repeating the same crap over and over again and showing your real ignorance. If you really knew what you were doing, you wouldn't have to explain yourself.
Dug - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
And if you have SUPER SECRETS that you don't want anyone to know about, guess what?Don't go online? You do realize that just having any port open allows someone to see your packets. You really think your ISP is secure? Because once a packet leaves your house, it's not your network anymore.
If any of the mentioned entities really want information from you, they'll just come in and physically take it.
137ben - Wednesday, January 4, 2017 - link
The most secure operating system is one which allows for no input and gives no output. At that point, it's not a computer.