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Intel Core i7-7820HK

Intel Core i7-7820HK: Power in a Compact Package for Gamers and Professionals

Analyzing the processor eight years after its release—should it still be considered in 2025?

Architecture and Process Technology: The Legacy of Kaby Lake

The Intel Core i7-7820HK processor, released in 2017, emerged as one of the last representatives of the Kaby Lake line on a 14nm process. Despite its age, it remains relevant for niche tasks thanks to its architecture.

- 4 cores and 8 threads with a base clock of 2.9 GHz and a turbo mode up to 3.9 GHz. For multi-threaded tasks, this ensures decent performance even in 2025.

- Integrated Intel HD 630 graphics with a frequency of up to 1.1 GHz. While its capabilities are insufficient for modern gaming, it is adequate for 1080p video work or office applications.

- 8 MB of L3 cache speeds up data processing, reducing delays when switching between tasks.

A hallmark of Kaby Lake architecture is optimization for high frequencies and stability under load. However, the lack of support for PCIe 4.0 and limited DDR4-2400 makes it less flexible compared to modern chips.

Power Consumption and TDP: A Balance Between Power and Heating

The TDP of 45W indicates that the processor is aimed at high-performance laptops with enhanced cooling systems.

- In idle mode, power consumption drops to 5-7W thanks to SpeedStep technology, extending battery life.

- Under load (for instance, during video rendering or gaming), the chip consumes up to 60-65W, necessitating an efficient cooler.

Tip: In 2025, laptops with the i7-7820HK are often found in the used market. If purchasing a new device (like leftover stock), ensure that the cooling system has at least two fans and copper heat pipes.

Performance: Real Tasks and Turbo Mode

According to Geekbench 6 testing (1306 in Single-Core, 4136 in Multi-Core), the processor demonstrates results comparable to budget modern CPUs like the Intel Core i3-1215U.

- Office Work: Running dozens of Chrome tabs, working with Excel sheets, and using Zoom—no lag.

- Multimedia: Converting video in HandBrake (1080p → 720p) takes about 25% longer than on the Ryzen 5 5600H.

- Gaming: Paired with a discrete GPU like the NVIDIA RTX 3050 (laptop version), it delivers 60-70 FPS in Apex Legends at medium settings. The turbo mode automatically boosts frequencies to 3.9 GHz, but throttling may occur under prolonged load.

Example: In games sensitive to Single-Core performance (like CS2), the processor achieves up to 200 FPS, but at temperatures reaching 85°C.

Usage Scenarios: Who Is the i7-7820HK For in 2025?

1. Budget Gamers. Laptops with this CPU and RTX 3060 level GPU can be found for $800-1000 (new, leftover stock).

2. Freelancers: Video editing in Premiere Pro, 3D modeling in Blender—suitable for Full HD projects.

3. Students: Multitasking + moderate battery life (4-6 hours of use).

Important: For AI tasks (neural networks, Stable Diffusion), the processor is weak due to the lack of NPU and limited multi-threading.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

With a battery capacity of 60Wh, the operating time is:

- 6-7 hours: Web surfing, office tasks (brightness 50%, power-saving mode).

- 2-3 hours: Gaming or rendering.

Energy-saving technologies:

- Intel Dynamic Tuning automatically lowers frequencies for simple tasks.

- Ultra Low Power States turns off unused cores.

Tip: To extend battery life, disable Turbo Boost in power settings.

Comparison with Competitors: Against AMD, Apple, and Newer Intels

- AMD Ryzen 7 2700U (2018): Falls short in Single-Core (Geekbench 6 ~1100), but excels in Multi-Core due to 8 cores.

- Apple M1 (2020): Twice the energy efficiency and Multi-Core performance (~6000), but the i7-7820HK is preferable for gaming on Windows.

- Intel Core i5-11300H (2021): 20% faster in Single-Core, but pricier.

Conclusion: In 2025, the i7-7820HK is a choice for those seeking an affordable laptop for moderate workloads.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- High Single-Core frequency for gaming.

- Unlocked multiplier (can be overclocked).

- Compatibility with Windows 11.

Weaknesses:

- Heating under load.

- No support for Thunderbolt 4.

- Outdated process technology (14nm compared to competitors' 7nm).

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

1. Type of Device: Gaming laptop or mobile workstation (e.g., MSI GE72VR with GTX 1070).

2. Must-Have Specifications:

- 16GB DDR4.

- NVMe SSD (512GB+).

- 120Hz display for gaming.

3. Price: New devices—$800-1200, but in 2025 it's easier to find used ones for $400-600.

Caution: Avoid ultrabooks with this CPU—they tend to overheat.

Final Conclusion: Who Is This Processor For?

The Intel Core i7-7820HK in 2025 is a choice for:

- Gamers who want to save money but still play AAA titles on medium settings.

- Professionals working with "heavy" applications but without real-time requirements.

- Users looking for a reliable laptop with an upgrade capability to 64GB RAM and two SSDs.

Key Benefit: Price-to-performance ratio in the used device segment. For new laptops, it's better to choose a CPU from the Alder Lake or Ryzen 7000 generation.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

January 2017

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.

i7-7820HK

Code Name

Kaby 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.

3.90 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.90 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

8 MB

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.

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.

DDR4-2400 | LPDDR3-2133 | 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).

37.5 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

GPU Name

Intel® HD 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.

1.10 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@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.

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

Max Resolution (VGA)

N/A

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 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 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 Flex Memory Access

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

1306

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

4136

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

960

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3694

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2117

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

7403

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-7700

1384 +6%

Core i9-9820X X-series

1351 +3.4%

Core i7-7820HK

1306

Core i5-10500T

1266 -3.1%

EPYC 7232P

1224 -6.3%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen 5 4600U

4625 +11.8%

Core i3-10305

4389 +6.1%

Core i7-7820HK

4136

Core i7-4771

3905 -5.6%

Xeon E-2244G

3680 -11%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E3-1275

1005 +4.7%

Xeon W-2133

979 +2%

Core i7-7820HK

960

Ryzen 7 1700X

940 -2.1%

Core i5-4590

926 -3.5%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2650L v2

4028 +9%

Xeon E7-4809 v3

3849 +4.2%

Core i7-7820HK

3694

Ryzen 3 5425C

3576 -3.2%

Xeon Platinum 8358

3443 -6.8%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-4670R

2164 +2.2%

Pentium G4500

2141 +1.1%

Core i7-7820HK

2117

Xeon Gold 6138T

2087 -1.4%

Ryzen 3 2200G

2058 -2.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-9400H

8008 +8.2%

Xeon E-2224G

7625 +3%

Core i7-7820HK

7403

Core i7-4770K

7124 -3.8%

Xeon E3-1505M v5

6943 -6.2%