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Intel Core i7-10700

Intel Core i7-10700: Review and Recommendations for Building in 2025

April 2025

Introduction

The Intel Core i7-10700 is a 10th generation processor released in 2020. Despite its age, it remains relevant for budget and mid-range builds due to its balance of price and performance. In this article, we will examine who this CPU is suitable for in 2025, how to build a PC with it, and what to pay attention to.

1. Key Specifications

Architecture and Process Technology

- Codename: Comet Lake-S.

- Process Technology: 14 nm (Intel has long moved to 10 nm and 7 nm, but for the 10th generation, 14 nm remained the baseline).

- Cores/Threads: 8/16.

- Base/Max Frequency: 2.9 GHz / 4.8 GHz (Turbo Boost 2.0).

- Cache: L3 — 16 MB.

- TDP: 65 W (real consumption under load can reach up to 150 W).

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 (basic performance suitable for office tasks and 4K video).

Key Features

- Supports Hyper-Threading for multithreaded workloads.

- Thermal Velocity Boost — automatic overclocking at low temperatures.

- Compatible with Optane Memory for accelerating storage.

Performance (Geekbench 6):

- Single-Core: 1567 (comparable to Ryzen 5 5600).

- Multi-Core: 6946 (close to Ryzen 7 3700X).

2. Compatible Motherboards

Socket and Chipsets

- Socket: LGA 1200.

- Chipsets:

- Z490 (high-end): Supports overclocking, PCIe 3.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2. Example: ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E ($180–200).

- B460/H470 (mid-range): No overclocking, limited RAM frequency. Example: MSI B460 Tomahawk ($120–140).

- H410 (budget): Minimal ports, suitable for office PCs.

Selection Tips:

- A B460 will suffice for the i7-10700, but a Z490 provides room for an upgrade to the Core i9-10900K.

- PCIe 4.0 is not supported — a downside in 2025 as NVMe SSDs and GPUs are actively using PCIe 4.0/5.0.

3. Supported Memory

- Type: Only DDR4.

- Max Frequency:

- Up to 2933 MHz on Z490/B460 chipsets.

- On H470/H410 — 2666 MHz.

- Recommendations: The optimal choice is DDR4-3200 (operates at a reduced frequency but is cheaper than DDR5). For example, Kingston Fury Beast 32 GB (2x16) DDR4-3200 ($90).

Important: In 2025, DDR4 lags behind DDR5 in speed, but it remains cost-effective for budget builds.

4. Power Supply Recommendations

- Power:

- For a system without a discrete graphics card: 300–400 W.

- With a graphics card like NVIDIA RTX 3060/AMD RX 6600: 500–600 W.

- For high-end GPUs (RTX 4080 and equivalents): 750 W+.

- Examples:

- Basic option: EVGA 500 BQ ($60).

- With overhead: Corsair RM750x (2025) ($120).

Tip: Don’t skimp on the PSU. Cheap models can be unstable under peak processor loads.

5. Pros and Cons

Advantages:

- Affordable price: $250–300 (new, in 2025).

- Low heat output: Suitable for compact cases.

- Integrated graphics: Useful in case of discrete GPU failure.

Disadvantages:

- Outdated process technology: 14 nm compared to 5–7 nm for Ryzen 7000/8000.

- No PCIe 4.0/5.0: Limits the speed of SSDs and new GPUs.

- Weak overclocking potential: Without a Z490 chipset, overclocking capability is limited.

6. Use Cases

Gaming

- Medium settings at 1080p/1440p: Pair it with RTX 3060 or RX 6600 XT.

- Example: Cyberpunk 2077 — 60–70 FPS on high settings (without ray tracing).

Work Tasks

- Video editing: Rendering in Premiere Pro takes 10–15% longer than with Ryzen 7 5700X.

- 3D modeling: Suitable for Blender, but for complex projects, a CPU with more cores is preferable.

Multimedia

- Streaming (OBS + NVENC).

- Photo processing in Lightroom.

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 7 5700X ($280):

- Pros: 7 nm, PCIe 4.0, lower power consumption.

- Cons: No integrated graphics.

Intel Core i5-12400F ($200):

- Pros: New Alder Lake architecture, higher IPC.

- Cons: 6 cores, requires a platform change (LGA 1700).

Conclusion: The i7-10700 is advantageous if you already have an LGA 1200 motherboard or need integrated graphics.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

- Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient for office tasks, but for gaming, consider a tower cooler (DeepCool GAMMAXX 400, $30).

- Case: Ensure good ventilation. Example: NZXT H510 Flow ($90).

- Storage: Choose NVMe SSD (Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB, $100)—even on PCIe 3.0, the difference from HDDs is immense.

9. Final Verdict: Who is the i7-10700 Suitable For?

- Upgrading old systems: If you already have an LGA 1200 motherboard.

- Budget office PCs: For editing, programming, multimedia.

- Backup option: When integrated graphics and Intel reliability are needed.

Alternative: For new builds in 2025, consider Ryzen 5 7600 or Core i5-13400F — they offer more modern technology. However, if the budget is tight, the i7-10700 still holds its own.

Conclusion: The Intel Core i7-10700 is a tried-and-true processor that, in 2025, will suit those who value stability and aren't chasing ultra-modern standards.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2020

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.

i7-10700

Code Name

Comet 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

2.90 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.

4.80 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.70 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

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.

4.80 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Yes

L3 Cache

16 MB

CPU Socket

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

FCLGA1200

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

65 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.

DDR4-2933

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).

45.8 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 2160@30Hz

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.

16 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

1567

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

6946

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1246

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

7451

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

3059

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

18892

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Ryzen 9 3900X

1689 +7.8%

EPYC 7543

1638 +4.5%

Core i7-10700

1567

EPYC 9274F

1520 -3%

Xeon Platinum 8260

1459 -6.9%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

EPYC 7262

7810 +12.4%

Ryzen 9 5900H

7376 +6.2%

Core i7-10700

6946

Xeon E-2236

6511 -6.3%

Ryzen 5 PRO 4650G

6162 -11.3%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Celeron G6900

1334 +7.1%

Core i3-1215UE

1290 +3.5%

Core i7-10700

1246

Core i5-8600K

1206 -3.2%

Core i5-9600

1174 -5.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E-2378

8257 +10.8%

Xeon W-1290T

7872 +5.7%

Core i7-10700

7451

Ryzen 5 PRO 5645

7111 -4.6%

Ryzen 5 5500GT

6684 -10.3%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Ryzen 5 5500GT

3210 +4.9%

Core i9-10900

3145 +2.8%

Core i7-10700

3059

Xeon W-1250P

2978 -2.6%

Core i5-1155G7

2914 -4.7%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-1370P

20291 +7.4%

Core i9-9900K

19528 +3.4%

Core i7-10700

18892

Xeon W-11855M

18272 -3.3%

Xeon E5-4669 v3

17430 -7.7%