5 Features On Intel's New Eighth-Gen Core Lineup That Will Make A Desktop A Powerhouse

New Performance At The Core

Intel Monday lifted the curtain on its new eighth-generation Core processors, targeted at desktop gamers, content creators and "overclockers who require premium performance."

Intel said that its new desktop processors, which include the i7, six-core i5 and four-core i3 processors, deliver a frame rate performance boost improvement of 25 percent over the seventh-generation – making them faster and more efficient when it comes to content creation.

"We are laser-focused on giving the enthusiast community the ultimate desktop experience, from chart-topping performance to a platform that can flex with their needs,’ Anand Srivatsa, general manager of the Desktop Platform Group at Intel, said in a statement.

Here are five new features in Intel's new Core processors.

The 'Best Gaming Processor Ever'

According to the chip company, its newest desktop lineup is led by "Intel's best gaming desktop processor ever" – the Core i7-8700K. Intel lists this processor's base speed frequency as 3.7GHz but said it is capable of being overclocked to 4.7GHz frequency using Intel's Turbo Boost 2.0 technology.

This six-core, 12-thread processor costs $359 and will help consumers with 4K video editing and multitasking – as Intel's Hyper-Threading technology allows the processor's cores to work on two tasks to speed up workflows and accomplish more in less time.

Performance

Beyond the i7-8700K, Intel offers five more models for its eighth-generation Core lineup – ranging from its Core i3-8100 with a base speed of 3.6GHz, all the way up to its Core i7-8700 model with a base speed of 3.2GHz frequency that runs up to 4.6GHz with Turbo Boost.

This lineup also includes the first sixth-generation Intel Core i5 processor and first four-core Intel Core i3 model.

Intel said that its processor family overall offers a wide range of performance options for consumers with unlocked K processors that deliver maximum tuning flexibility and up to 40 platform PCIe 3.0 lanes for system expandability on graphics, storage and I/O.

New Motherboard

Intel also launched its new Z370 chipset motherboard along with the processors, which Intel said delivers improved power for sixth-core processors, memory routing support for DDR4-2666, and enhanced package power delivery for overclocking.

New eighth-generation Core desktop processors require Intel 300 series chipset motherboards to deliver the rated performance.

Other Features

Intel's main claim to fame with its new eighth-generation Core processors is overclocking – the company said that its chips have the ability to set an overclocked ratio per core with unlocked processors when paired with select chipset SKUs – meaning that customers have more control and granularity for overclocking.

The chips also include DDR4 RAM memory technology support, which allows systems to have up to 64 GB of memory and up to 2666 megatransfer per second (MT/s) memory transfer speeds, as well as new system acceleration when paired with Intel Optane memory.

Availability And Pricing

Intel said that the new Core chips would be available for purchase Oct. 5, while customers can see OEM systems beginning in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Intel's processors range in pricing, from $117 for its low end Core i3-8100, all the way up to $359 for its Core i7-8700K.