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Intel Core i7-8700B

Intel Core i7-8700B: Review and Recommendations for Users in 2025

Relevance of the Processor in the Era of New Technologies and Competition

Architecture and Manufacturing Process: Coffee Lake at 14 nm

The Intel Core i7-8700B processor, released in 2018, is based on the Coffee Lake microarchitecture. Despite the dominance of 5–7 nm processes in 2025, the 14 nm technology of this chip remains relevant in the niche of budget workstations and gaming laptops.

- Cores and Threads: 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency — 3.2 GHz, maximum in Turbo Boost mode — 4.6 GHz. This allows for effective handling of multi-threaded tasks.

- Cache Memory: 12 MB L3 cache accelerates data processing, reducing latency when working with RAM.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 (base frequency — 350 MHz, maximum — 1.2 GHz). Supports 4K video via HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2, but a discrete graphics card is required for gaming or 3D modeling.

Architecture Features:

- Support for DDR4-2666 MHz memory.

- Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost 2.0 technologies for dynamic performance enhancement.

- Hardware acceleration for video encoding/decoding (Quick Sync Video).

Power Consumption and TDP: 65 W — Balance of Power and Heat

The 65 W TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates that the processor is designed for systems with efficient cooling. In laptops, this typically means models with a chassis thickness of 20 mm and fans with copper heat pipes.

- Heat Generation: Under load, the chip can consume up to 95–100 W, which requires quality cooling. In compact ultrabooks, this leads to throttling (frequency reduction).

- Energy Efficiency: Compared to modern 7 nm processors (e.g., AMD Ryzen 7 6800U or Apple M2), the i7-8700B falls short in efficiency but excels in compatibility with Windows software.

Performance: Real Tasks and Turbo Boost

Geekbench 6 scores (1537 Single-Core / 5893 Multi-Core) show that the processor can handle most tasks of 2025, but with some caveats.

- Office Work: Running dozens of browser tabs, document work, and video conferencing — no issues.

- Multimedia: Photo editing in Photoshop or 1080p video editing in Premiere Pro is possible, but 4K rendering will take longer than on chips with the latest iGPUs or AI accelerators.

- Gaming: Paired with a discrete graphics card such as the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 3050, the processor will provide 60+ FPS in games like Cyberpunk 2077 at medium settings. On integrated graphics — only older titles (e.g., CS:GO at low settings).

- Turbo Boost: In turbo mode, the frequency rises to 4.6 GHz, but only on 1–2 cores and for a short time (up to 28 seconds). For prolonged loads (rendering), the stable frequency is around 3.8–4.0 GHz.

Usage Scenarios: Who Is This Processor For?

- Professionals: Engineers, programmers, and designers who need multi-threading for code compilation or 3D modeling.

- Gamers: A good choice for Full HD gaming when paired with discrete graphics.

- Everyday Tasks: Video watching, web surfing, working with office applications.

Examples of 2025 Laptops with i7-8700B:

- Budget gaming models (e.g., Acer Nitro 5 from 2019–2021) — secondary market price: $300–$500.

- Workstations (Dell Precision 3431) — $600–$800 (new devices are no longer produced).

Battery Life: Battery vs. Performance

With a TDP of 65 W, laptop battery life rarely exceeds 4–5 hours under moderate load. Energy-saving technologies include:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency reduction during idle time.

- C-states: Disabling unused cores.

- OS Settings: In Windows 11/12, the "Battery Saver" mode reduces performance by 20–30%, extending battery life.

Tip: Choose laptops with a battery of at least 70 Wh.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (7 nm): Better energy efficiency (+1–2 hours of battery life), comparable multi-threaded performance.

- Apple M2: Half the power consumption, higher speed in mobile applications, but limited compatibility with Windows software.

- Intel Core i5-12450H (10 nm): 25% faster in single-threaded tasks, but more expensive.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Strengths:

- High multi-threaded performance.

- Support for DDR4 and PCIe 3.0.

- Compatibility with most software and games.

Weaknesses:

- Outdated 14 nm process.

- High heat generation.

- No support for PCIe 4.0 and Wi-Fi 6.

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

- Gaming Laptop: A discrete graphics card (NVIDIA RTX 3050 and above) and cooling with 2–3 fans are essential.

- Workstation: 16–32 GB RAM, SSD NVMe 512 GB+.

- Ultrabook: Not recommended due to thickness and weight of systems with 65 W TDP.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i7-8700B in 2025 is a choice for those seeking an affordable laptop for demanding software or gaming at medium settings. Its key advantages include:

- Reliable multi-threaded performance.

- Wide compatibility with peripherals and software.

- Accessible price in the secondary market.

Who is it suitable for:

- Engineering students.

- Freelancers working with graphics.

- Gamers on a budget.

Alternative for 2025: If battery life and modern standards are important to you, consider laptops with AMD Ryzen 7 7735U or Intel Core i5-13450H.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

April 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.

i7-8700B

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

3.20 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.

4.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.60 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

L3 Cache

12 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

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.

DDR4-2666

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

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@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.

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.

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

1537

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

5893

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1107

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

5183

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2739

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

11973

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-10600K

1651 +7.4%

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U

1593 +3.6%

Core i7-8700B

1537

Xeon E-2144G

1481 -3.6%

Xeon E-2174G

1431 -6.9%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E-2286M

6753 +14.6%

Core i5-9600K

6334 +7.5%

Core i7-8700B

5893

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

5551 -5.8%

Core i7-1185G7

5320 -9.7%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Platinum 8354H

1152 +4.1%

Ryzen Embedded V2748

1121 +1.3%

Core i7-8700B

1107

Core i3-10100

1081 -2.3%

Core i7-5775C

1063 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2670 v3

5774 +11.4%

Opteron 6380

5467 +5.5%

Core i7-8700B

5183

Core i7-3960X

4928 -4.9%

Core i5-10500TE

4693 -9.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-1250U

2838 +3.6%

Core i5-10500

2771 +1.2%

Core i7-8700B

2739

Xeon E-2278GE

2691 -1.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

2659 -2.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon D-1581

13282 +10.9%

Xeon E5-1680 v2

12741 +6.4%

Core i7-8700B

11973

Ryzen 3 4300GE

11216 -6.3%

Core i7-6800K

10761 -10.1%