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Intel Core i7-8086K

Intel Core i7-8086K in 2025: Is It Worth Getting the Coffee Lake Legend?

Architecture, Performance, and Use Cases

Key Specifications: What's Under the Hood?

The Intel Core i7-8086K processor, released in 2018 as a special model to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the x86 architecture, still draws the attention of enthusiasts. Despite its age, its technical specifications remain relevant for a variety of tasks:

- Coffee Lake Architecture: 6 cores and 12 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- 14nm Process Technology: Considered outdated by 2025 standards, but time-tested.

- Base Frequency of 4.0 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 5.0 GHz: High potential for single-threaded workloads.

- 12MB L3 Cache: Optimal for gaming and multitasking.

- Integrated UHD 630 Graphics: Suitable only for basic tasks (office work, 4K video playback).

- TDP of 95W: Moderate power consumption, but increases to 120–130W when overclocked.

Key Features:

- Unlocked Multiplier for manual overclocking — many units run stably at 5.1–5.2 GHz with good cooling.

- Optane Memory Support — relevant for accelerating HDDs in budget builds.

- Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 — automatic boosting of the two most efficient cores.

Performance in Tests (Geekbench 6):

- Single-Core: 1677 — comparable to Ryzen 5 5600X (1700–1750).

- Multi-Core: 7023 — lags behind modern 8-core CPUs like Core i5-13400 (8500+).

Compatible Motherboards: What to Choose in 2025?

The processor uses LGA 1151v2 socket, which is compatible only with 300-series chipsets:

- Z370/Z390 — optimal for overclocking (e.g., ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero).

- H370/B360 — suitable for basic builds without overclocking.

Choice Considerations in 2025:

- New motherboards for LGA 1151v2 are no longer being produced. Prices for remaining stock start at $120 for Z390 (e.g., Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Elite).

- Many boards require a BIOS update to work with the i7-8086K. Check the firmware version before purchasing!

- An alternative is the used market, where Z370 can be found for $70–90.

Important: PCIe 3.0 and lack of Thunderbolt 4 support limit compatibility with modern NVMe SSDs and peripherals.

Memory: DDR4 and No Compromises

The i7-8086K supports DDR4-2666 MHz in stock mode. When using Z370/Z390 chipsets, it can be overclocked up to 3200–3600 MHz, which boosts performance in games by 5–10%.

Recommendations:

- Optimal capacity is 16 GB (2×8 GB). For work tasks — 32 GB.

- Popular models: Corsair Vengeance LPX, Kingston HyperX Fury.

- DDR5 and LPDDR5x are not supported — this is a major downside for upgrades in 2025.

Power Supply: How Many Watts Do You Need?

For standard operation, a PSU of 450–500W will suffice (e.g., be quiet! System Power 10 500W). However, for overclocking and powerful graphics cards (e.g., RTX 4060), choose models from 600W with an 80+ Bronze/Gold certification:

- Examples: EVGA 600 BQ, Seasonic FOCUS GX-650.

Tip: Don’t skimp on the PSU — unstable power can shorten the lifespan of the processor.

Pros and Cons: Weighing the Risks

Pros:

- High single-threaded performance for gaming and applications like Photoshop.

- Overclocking potential — relevant for enthusiasts.

- Compatibility with cheap DDR4 and older systems.

Cons:

- No support for PCIe 4.0/5.0, DDR5, Thunderbolt 4.

- The price of new processors in 2025 is $250–300, which is near to Ryzen 5 7600 ($280).

- The outdated 14nm processor generates more heat than modern counterparts (Intel 7nm, TSMC 5nm).

Use Cases: Where is the i7-8086K Still Relevant?

1. Gaming: Paired with a mid-range graphics card like GTX 3060/4060, it can achieve 60+ FPS at Full HD in most games (Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring). For 144 Hz monitors, reducing settings may be necessary.

2. Work Tasks: Video editing in Premiere Pro, 3D rendering in Blender—the 6 cores are sufficient for amateur-level work but not for professional studios.

3. Multimedia: Streaming, 4K decoding — it handles tasks but under heavy load (80–90%).

Real Example: A streaming build — i7-8086K + NVIDIA RTX 3060 + 32 GB DDR4. In OBS with NVENC encoding, CPU usage doesn’t exceed 50%.

Comparison with Competitors: Who's Better in 2025?

- AMD Ryzen 5 5600X ($180): Less heat generation, PCIe 4.0 support, but lower stock frequency.

- Intel Core i5-13400 ($220): 10 cores (6P + 4E), DDR5 support, but locked multiplier.

- Ryzen 5 7600 ($280): 5nm, DDR5, PCIe 5.0 — a clear favorite, but requires an expensive AM5 motherboard.

Conclusion: The i7-8086K falls short against new CPUs in multi-threaded tasks but benefits from lower used market prices.

Practical Build Tips

1. Cooling: A cooler like the DeepCool AK620 or NZXT Kraken X53 for overclocking.

2. Motherboard: Look for Z390s with VRM modules covered by heatsinks (e.g., MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon).

3. BIOS: Update to the latest version to fix vulnerabilities (e.g., Spectre).

4. Graphics Card: Avoid models beyond RTX 4070 — the processor will become a "bottleneck".

Final Conclusion: Who Is the i7-8086K Suitable For?

This processor is worth considering for:

- Enthusiasts wanting to experiment with overclocking.

- Owners of older systems on LGA 1151v2 looking to upgrade without changing the motherboard.

- Budget gamers seeking to save on components using DDR4 and used parts.

Why You Shouldn't Buy: If you're planning a "future-proof" build with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 — it’s better to choose Ryzen 5 7600 or Core i5-14400.

In 2025, the i7-8086K is a niche solution for those who value the balance of price and performance within an established ecosystem.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

June 2018

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i7-8086K

Code Name

Coffee Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

4.00 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

5.00 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

5.00 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

L3 Cache

12 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

Socket 1151

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

95 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2666

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

128 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

41.6 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics 630

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.20 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@24Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

12 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1677

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

7023

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1200

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

6028

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2862

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

14335

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-1245U

1890 +12.7%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

1766 +5.3%

Core i7-8086K

1677

Xeon W-3323

1633 -2.6%

Core i7-7700K

1563 -6.8%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen 5 7540U

8007 +14%

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

7483 +6.5%

Core i7-8086K

7023

Core i9-10980HK

6602 -6%

Xeon E5-2680 v4

6240 -11.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen Embedded V3C48

1280 +6.7%

Core i5-7640X

1237 +3.1%

Core i7-8086K

1200

Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE

1166 -2.8%

Xeon E-2226G

1137 -5.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-10700KF

6750 +12%

Ryzen 5 5600HS

6369 +5.7%

Core i7-8086K

6028

Opteron 6376

5805 -3.7%

Core i7-5930K

5515 -8.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Ryzen 3 7330U

3005 +5%

Core i5-11260H

2932 +2.4%

Core i7-8086K

2862

Ryzen Embedded V3C48

2783 -2.8%

Xeon E-2286M

2741 -4.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

15541 +8.4%

Xeon E5-2658

14879 +3.8%

Core i7-8086K

14335

Xeon E5-2650

13765 -4%

Core i3-12300T

13251 -7.6%