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Intel Core i7-6870HQ

Intel Core i7-6870HQ: Review of a Processor for Mobile Workstations and Gaming

April 2025

Architecture and Process Technology: A Balance Between Power and Efficiency

The Intel Core i7-6870HQ, released in 2016, belongs to the sixth generation of Intel processors (codename Skylake) and is still found in used and some new specialized laptops. Its architecture is built on a 14nm process technology, which was once considered groundbreaking but appears outdated as of 2025, overshadowed by Apple’s 5nm and 3nm chips, AMD's offerings, and new generations of Intel processors.

Key Specifications:

- 4 cores and 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Base clock speed: 2.7 GHz, maximum Turbo Boost: 3.7 GHz (for a single core) or 3.5 GHz when all cores are under load.

- Integrated graphics Iris Pro Graphics 580 with 72 execution units (EU) and a frequency of up to 1000 MHz. This is one of the most powerful iGPUs in Intel’s lineup, capable of competing with entry-level discrete graphics cards.

- Support for DDR4-2133 MHz memory (up to 64 GB) and PCIe 3.0 (16 lanes).

Architectural Features:

- Skylake introduced IPC (instructions per clock) improvements of 5-10% over the previous Broadwell generation.

- The Iris Pro 580 iGPU includes eDRAM technology (128 MB of Level 4 cache), enhancing graphics and computational performance.

- Support for 4K displays via HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2.

Power Consumption and TDP: 45W for Mobile Performance

With a TDP of 45W, the i7-6870HQ is positioned as a processor for “thick” laptops with enhanced cooling systems. Compared to modern chips (like Intel's 12th-generation processors with a TDP of 28W), it is less energy-efficient, but in 2025, such models are still relevant for tasks requiring stable multi-threading performance.

What This Means for Users:

- Laptops with this CPU typically weigh 2–2.5 kg and have a thickness of 20–25 mm.

- Cooling requires at least two fans and copper heat pipes.

- During idle, power consumption can drop to 5–10 W, but under load, it can reach 60–70 W (including graphics).

Performance: From Office Tasks to Gaming

Office Tasks and Multimedia:

- Running 20+ tabs in Chrome, working with Excel spreadsheets, and rendering presentations pose no problems.

- Video conversion in HandBrake (1080p → H.265) takes 15–20% longer compared to the Intel Core i5-1240P (2023), but remains acceptable.

Gaming on Iris Pro 580:

- As of 2025, the iGPU handles games at low settings:

- CS:GO (1080p) — 60–80 FPS;

- GTA V (720p) — 45–55 FPS;

- Fortnite (720p, Low) — 40–50 FPS.

- Modern AAA titles (Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield) require a discrete graphics card.

Turbo Boost Mode:

- During short loads (up to 10–15 minutes), the processor maintains a frequency of 3.5–3.7 GHz, but under prolonged stress (like rendering), it reduces the frequency to 3.0–3.2 GHz due to overheating.

Use Cases: Who Should Consider the i7-6870HQ in 2025?

1. Mobile Workstations:

- Engineers using AutoCAD or SolidWorks.

- Video editors using Adobe Premiere Pro (with discrete graphics).

2. Budget Gamers:

- Laptops with the i7-6870HQ and GeForce GTX 1060 can be found on the secondhand market for $400–600.

3. Users Who Prioritize Reliability:

- Office systems based on this CPU often operate 7–8 years without failures.

Battery Life: A Compromise Between Power and Runtime

With a TDP of 45W, do not expect miracles in terms of energy savings from a laptop. However, Intel technologies like:

- SpeedStep (dynamic frequency adjustment);

- C-States (disabling unused cores);

- Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework (adaptive thermal management)

help optimize battery consumption.

Practical Examples:

- Web surfing: 4–5 hours (with a 60 Wh battery);

- Video playback: 3.5–4 hours;

- Gaming: 1–1.5 hours.

Comparison with Competitors: What to Look for in 2025

1. AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (2021):

- 6 cores, 12 threads, TDP 45W.

- Better for multi-threaded tasks (+25%), but the i7-6870HQ excels in single-threaded performance.

2. Apple M2 (2022):

- With a TDP of 20W, the Apple M2 outperforms the i7-6870HQ in energy efficiency by 2–3 times but lacks compatibility with Windows programs.

3. Intel Core i5-1240P (2023):

- 12 cores (4P+8E), TDP 28W.

- 30% faster in multitasking, but requires DDR5 and starts at $900 in new devices.

Pros and Cons of the i7-6870HQ

Strengths:

- High performance for the 2016–2020 period.

- Powerful integrated graphics.

- Support for hardware acceleration of video codecs (relevant for streamers).

Weaknesses:

- Outdated 14nm process technology.

- No support for PCIe 4.0, Thunderbolt 4.

- High heat generation under load.

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

1. Type of Device:

- Workstation: Dell Precision 5510, HP ZBook 15 G3.

- Gaming Laptop: MSI GE62VR Apache Pro (with GTX 1060).

2. What to Pay Attention To:

- Cooling System: At least two fans.

- Ports: Check for USB 3.0 and HDMI availability.

- Screen: Choose panels with 100% sRGB coverage for graphic work.

New devices with the i7-6870HQ in 2025 are virtually nonexistent, but remaining stock can be found on sale for $700–1000.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-6870HQ is a processor for those seeking a budget solution for tasks requiring stable multi-threaded performance and good integrated graphics. In 2025, it is suitable for:

- Engineering students.

- Office workers who need a reliable laptop for years.

- Gamers willing to play at low settings.

Key Benefits:

- Price-performance ratio in the secondhand market.

- Proven reliability.

- Versatility for work and entertainment.

If you are ready to spend $1000–1500, it is better to consider laptops with Intel's 12th-generation processors or AMD Ryzen 7000 — offering better energy efficiency and support for modern standards.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

January 2016

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.

i7-6870HQ

Code Name

SkyLake

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

2.70 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.

3.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.60 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

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1440

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

45 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.

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.

DDR4-2133 | LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

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

64 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).

34.1 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® Iris® Pro Graphics 580

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.

1.00 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.

4096x2304@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.

4096x2304@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.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

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.

8 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 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 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 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 5

Single Core Score

748

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2434

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Platinum 8156

788 +5.3%

Core i5-4440S

773 +3.3%

Core i7-6870HQ

748

Xeon Gold 5115

735 -1.7%

Core i5-5300U

715 -4.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E5-1410

2697 +10.8%

Xeon E5-2650 v4

2589 +6.4%

Core i7-6870HQ

2434

Pentium Gold G6605

2284 -6.2%

Core i5-3450S

2116 -13.1%