Are you waiting for Kaby Lake?

Mar 10, 2006
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I am curious. Is anybody here passing on the current Skylake chips and waiting for the Kaby Lake (mainstream) chips?

If so, why? If not, why not?
 

arandomguy

Senior member
Sep 3, 2013
556
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116
Not sure if its worth it.

6700k is currently $300. Figure $200 for the memory and mobo, that is $500 for the platform that needs to be bought together. Who knows what BF will bring in terms of discounts.

If 7700k is actually available for MSRP at launch ($350) that is already $50 more alone for the CPU or 10% higher compared to getting a 6700k, mobo and memory on BF as a best scenario. Any good mobo/memory or further CPU discounts would push that gap higher. Any launch markup would push that gap higher or delay further waiting for prices to drop. For markets outside the US this might even be worse due to USD action.

But what are the gains? It seems at most 10% higher performance due to clockspeeds with no efficiency gains? Better decode support, but how meaningful is that for a 6700k/7700k build? Also considering the issue with HEVC licensing and AV1 which is not supported? Doesn't seem like many other meaningful platform updates either rumored currently.
 
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samboy

Senior member
Aug 17, 2002
217
77
101
If it consistently over clocks to 5GHZ then I'll bite (but wait for real users not website reviews to report) then I may upgrade my 4790k (24/7 @4.5GHZ). That is, has to be at least 20% more performance.

Otherwise, I'll hold out until 6 core becomes mainstream........ (which is where I think I will be)
 

witeken

Diamond Member
Dec 25, 2013
3,899
193
106
I am curious. Is anybody here passing on the current Skylake chips and waiting for the Kaby Lake (mainstream) chips?

If so, why? If not, why not?
I waited for KLB notebook Dell XPS 13 because the time was so short. Maybe if you watch Netflix on desktop waiting would make sense?
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
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I am waiting for Zen. Kaby is just Skylake with bells on, I am waiting for the only thing that might change the scale for mainstream CPU value (though I don't have my hopes up too high).
 

witeken

Diamond Member
Dec 25, 2013
3,899
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I am waiting for Zen. Kaby is just Skylake with bells on, I am waiting for the only thing that might change the scale for mainstream CPU value (though I don't have my hopes up too high).
So you're waiting for, say, Ivy Bridge or Haswell performance but 4 year later release date. I don't really understand honestly why someone would want to wait for Zen. Will it be significantly cheaper? I've heard it starts at $200 for SR3.
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
So you're waiting for, say, Ivy Bridge or Haswell performance but 4 year later release date. I don't really understand honestly why someone would want to wait for Zen. Will it be significantly cheaper? I've heard it starts at $200 for SR3.

Zen is the last chance for mainstream x86 CPUs to ever have real competition in that segment. Odds are it won't be, but frankly if Zen fails at the task I will feel much better paying the prices Intel wants today for their top chips.

And honestly I don't care that much about IPC performance. When I think about what Intel sells today and what I expected them to sell in 2016 back in say 2011 the problem with a 6700k isn't the IPC, it's that it only has four real cores.

Give me six/eights cores of Haswell for a little more than a four core Intel on a cheap mobo (why x99 is out) and it would be a sea change for value in top consumer machines. I am not expecting that, but it doesn't hurt to wait for it just in case.
 

IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,656
687
126
I've come to the conclusion that I really don't need to upgrade the rig in my sig at this time. I'll see what SKL-X has to offer but I suspect I'll pass on that too and use this system into 2018.

BTW guys, Microcenter has the 6700K for $260 right now if you're looking to upgrade.
 
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tential

Diamond Member
May 13, 2008
7,355
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So you're waiting for, say, Ivy Bridge or Haswell performance but 4 year later release date. I don't really understand honestly why someone would want to wait for Zen. Will it be significantly cheaper? I've heard it starts at $200 for SR3.
You didn't factor in that it could offer more cores at a similar price point. I'd rather have 6-8 haswell cores than 4 kabylake cores.

In some cases anywhere.

Zen is what I'm waiting on. If I needed an Intel cpu, I'd just buy it. No reason to wait on that side. Unless there is a large perf increase coming or they are going to make hexacore mainstream then it's a reason to wait.
Or if you're in mobile then that's a reason to wait for new architectures too.
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
13,995
3,356
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I already have a 4C 8T 4.4GHz Ivybridge Core i7 3770K, next upgrade will be 6 cores with same or higher IPC at same or higher clocks at same or lower price.
So no, Mainstream KBL is not something im looking for.
 

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
126
I passed on SL, but I'm not really waiting for KL. I'm not sure what I will do.

I got out of building computers many years ago, and came back in a few years ago.

I left off with P4 systems, and came back in to AMD FX and Intel Haswell chips.

About a 9-10 year gap, I guess

Right now I own FX-6300, G3258, E3-1231-V3, and 4790K chips.

I don't need a faster CPU, assuming we are going to have some available soon, but I tend to get the build itch and just build a new system anyway.

It's a hobby, and a hobby costs money.
 
Mar 10, 2006
11,715
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I already have a 4C 8T 4.4GHz Ivybridge Core i7 3770K, next upgrade will be 6 cores with same or higher IPC at same or higher clocks at same or lower price.
So no, Mainstream KBL is not something im looking for.

Is SKL-X on your radar?
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
13,995
3,356
136
So you're waiting for, say, Ivy Bridge or Haswell performance but 4 year later release date. I don't really understand honestly why someone would want to wait for Zen. Will it be significantly cheaper? I've heard it starts at $200 for SR3.

By the same thinking, i almost have 4GHz Skylake 4C 8T performance since 4 years ago with my 4.4GHz 4C 8T Ivybridge.
 
Mar 10, 2006
11,715
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By the same thinking, i almost have 4GHz Skylake 4C 8T performance since 4 years ago with my 4.4GHz 4C 8T Ivybridge.

Not really. HSW was about 10% faster clock-for-clock than IVB, SKL about another 12%. If you get that IVB up to 4.9GHz you'll hit 4GHz SKL levels. Of course SKL can regularly hit 4.5GHz+...

But yeah, SNB/IVB i7 chips were/are awesome.
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
13,995
3,356
136
yes i said almost the same ;)

for a 4.5 years old CPU thats amazing because Intel still sells 4C 8T at $350 mainly thanks to AMD.
 
Mar 10, 2006
11,715
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yes i said almost the same ;)

for a 4.5 years old CPU thats amazing because Intel still sells 4C 8T at $350 mainly thanks to AMD.

Or, you know, because that's what was viable with the architectures and process technologies we had for notebooks :p

5820K was $389, down from $500+ with the 4930K despite pretty much no competition from AMD.
 

mikk

Diamond Member
May 15, 2012
4,108
2,099
136
I'm waiting for Kabylake. Currently using an i7-6700k and will be replaced with i7-7700k as soon as possible. My reason is improved Quicksync.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,225
9,987
126
I'm interested in the unlocked i3-7350K. I think it will be like the G3258 all over again. (Which is both pro and con... as more triple-A games require 8 threads for maximum performance, the i3 will become increasingly irrelevant for gaming, just like the G3258 and games that required 4 threads.)

Btw, is the iGPU any different than SKL, besides the media-decoding? IOW, is the 3D capability any bit improved? Or pretty-much same iGPU?