Intel i7 processors are the most desired processor in the market. They represent power and performance. As such, they are readily used in high-end laptops and desktops.
As is the case with Intel i3 and Intel i5 processors, the amount of cores depends on the processor model as well as the generation of the processor.
Intel i7 processors have the widest range of core configuration across its processors.
Basically an Intel Core i7 processor can have cores ranging from 2 (minimum) to 8 (maximum) – taking into account the recent three generations i.e 7th, 8th, 9th.
Let us now look at how many cores in i7 Processors by looking at various generations.
Note that many commercial Intel Core i7 processor offer hyper threading. Essentially for each core, the processors have two threads.
More threads = better efficiency especially in multitasking.
In this analysis, we will look at the recent three generations i.e 7th, 8th and 9th generation.
Looking at the recent three generations will not only make you realize the trend of the i7 processors, but it will also shed a light into how each generation is different from the other.
We will also look at various models. Some i7 processors are suitable for laptops, others are suitable for high-end desktops.
Generally, there are three categories of processors depending upon the platform they are suitable for.
Intel Core i7 9th Generation
You can check out all the 9th generation Intel Core i7 processors here.
The 9th is the latest generation released in the Q2 of 2019
Key Notes :
The 9th generation is the first i7 generation to offer 8 Cores in a processor. It is also the first generation to ditch all hyper threading enabled processor. Basically, the 8 core processors do not feature hyper threading. Previously, all Core i7 generation had featured hyper threading.
Currently there are no power efficient or low TDP mobile processors. All of the processors currently being offered are high performance.
In laptops, these processors can be found in workstation grade laptops like Dell Latitude 5000 or gaming laptops like the Lenovo IdeaPad L340.
The Desktop-based Core i7-9700KF is the fastest ‘Core i7‘ processor in the market. According to cpu.userbenchmark.com, the Core i7-9700KF is the 14th most powerful processor.
However, compared to flagship of the previous generation Core i7-8086K, it is only 2% better in overall performance.
Core i7-9700KF (Left) vs Core i7-8086K (Right)
Core i7-9850H is the fastest i7 processor available for laptops. It is 9% better than the Core i7-8550H of the 8th generation.
Intel Core i7 8th Generation
You can check out all of the 8th generation Intel Core i7 processors here.
This generation was first released in the Q3 of 2017, however the bulk of them were released throughout 2018 and also into 2019.
Key Notes :
The 8th generation Core i7 features a maximum of 6 cores unlike 8 cores with the 9th generation Core i7 processors.
However, all of the 8th generation processors have hyper threading enabled. Therefore, this generation features a maximum of 12 threads.
This is also the first generation to move from the usual Quad Core configuration of the Core i7 processors. It is the first generation to offer more cores than 4.
The most powerful processor in this generation for desktops is the Intel Core i7-8086K processor.
The most powerful processor for laptops in this generation is Core i7-8700B.
The ‘U’ designated processors are reserved for power efficient machines such as Ultrabooks, convertible laptops and other compact and portable devices. These processors may also be featured in many mainstream laptops.
The ‘G’ processors are high performance processors that come equipped with powerful AMD Vega integrated graphics card. In terms of performance, the Core i-8706G is better than Core i7-7920HQ processor of the 7th generation.
The ‘Y’ series processors are the weakest processors but they are featured in most compact devices like tablets. They are passively cooled and thus have the lowest TDP.
Intel Core i7 7th Generation
You can check out all of the 7th generation Intel Core i7 processors here
7th generation was first released in the 3rd quarter of 2016 and the bulk of the models were released in Q1 2017.
Key Notes :
The 7th generation processor follow in suit with how Core i7 processor were originally conceived.
This generation features the traditional 4 cores (maximum) with hyper threading enabled.
This was also last series to offer 4 cores as the maximum number of cores for their processors.
The most powerful Desktop based processor from this series is the Core i7-7700K. Where as the fastest laptop based processor is the Core i7-7920HQ.
Conclusion
Here we looked at how many Cores in i7 processor exist.
The Core i7 series has one of the widest range of the number of cores for their processors. If we look at the latest three generation, we can see the number of Cores ranges from 2 – 8.
The latest 9th generation offers the most number of cores with a total of 8 in number.
Andrew White is the founder of TechGearoid, a leading technology review & information website that is designed to help consumers make better decisions when it comes to their IT purchases. As a specialist tech writer (nerd) with over 10 years of experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern technology & the newest market innovations. When he isn’t providing value for his readers, he’s usually drinking coffee or at the beach. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.