The desktop version of Intel’s new 7th Gen Core processors, code-named Kaby Lake, was officially launched on January 3, 2017. In this blog post, we will quickly compare the newer 7th Gen Core processors and Intel’s 6th Gen Core processors, code-named Skylake.
Kaby Lake is built on an optimized 14nm process that Skylake uses, considered “14nm+”. Optimization includes using taller fins and improved gate pitch. This equates to higher clock speeds compared to equivalent 6th Gen Skylake CPUs. One example is the Kaby Lake i7-7700K having a base clock speed of 4.2GHz while the equivalent Skylake i7-6700K is 4.0GHz.
Unlike Skylake, which depends on software, Kaby Lake has hardware support for encoding and decoding 10-bit 4K HEVC video codecs and 4K VP9. This results in improved battery life and power consumption, compared to software encoding and decoding.
Other key features with Kaby Lake is support for Thunderbolt 3 technology and improvements to Intel’s Speed Shift Technology, which was introduced with Skylake.
One thing to note is that the only Windows-based operating system with Kaby Lake support will be Windows 10. Microsoft still has support for Skylake on Windows 7, but is expected to cease extended support in 2020.
Intel 8th generation
Coffee Lake is Intel‘s codename for its eighth generation Core microprocessor family, announced on September 25, 2017. … Desktop Coffee Lake processors introduced i5 and i7 CPUs featuring six cores (along with hyper-threading in the case of the latter) and Core i3 CPUs with four cores and no hyperthreading.
Cores: 2–8
Socket(s): LGA 1151 with altered pinout to support more than four cores
Comet Lake is Intel‘s codename for its 10th generation Core microprocessors. … Intel announced low-power mobile Comet Lake-U CPUs on August 21, 2019, H-series mobile CPUs on April 2, 2020, desktop Comet Lake-S CPUs April 30, 2020, and Xeon W-1200 series workstation CPUs on May 13, 2020.
AOpen’s compact, Linux-friendly “Digital Engine DE5500” embedded PC for kiosk and signage has a 7th Gen CPU, 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x GbE, 3x M.2, and SATA. AOpen is also prepping a Whiskey Lake based smart kiosk with OpenVINO and RealSense.
Taiwanese signage vendor AOpen, which offers products such as its Android-driven, i.MX6-based MEP320 signage player, has launched an Intel 7th Gen Kaby Lake based signage and kiosk computer called the Digital Engine DE5500. The product supports Linux or Windows 10 and offers an optional AOpen Intelligent Control Unit (AiCU) smart kiosk control software package with “self-perception, self-determination, and self-execution” features.
