Intel Core i7-6700HQ (Skylake) vs Intel Core i7-7700HQ (Kaby Lake) – benchmarks show another incremental update

It’s finally official. Intel has announced its high-performance quad-core Kaby Lake processors for desktops and notebooks and the first devices start flowing. Along with all the refreshes, which the OEMs will bring, some of them are pushing entirely new devices. Like in this case, Acer has officially released on the market the Aspire VX5-591G laptop. A sweet blend between a Predator and a V15 Nitro Black Edition laptop packing either a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or just GTX 1050.

Anyway, we are not here to talk about the GPU but about the CPU that powers up the notebook – the top of the line mobile quad-core processor – Intel Core i7-7700HQ. The new chip doesn’t bring any jaw-dropping performance leap, nor does it offer significantly lower power consumption. The new Kaby Lake CPU uses largely the same architecture as its Core i7-6700HQ Skylake predecessor built on the 14nm node but Intel stresses on the fact that the 7th Generation processors use the “much-improved” 14nm+ architecture.

This improvement translates into slightly higher clock speeds – 2.8 – 3.8 GHz vs 2.6 – 3.5 GHz compared to the Core i7-6700HQ, while keeping the same TDP of 45W. Of course, an incremental update is followed by an incremental performance leap and our benchmarks are here to prove it.

However, the Kaby Lake generation will be remembered with a significant iGPU upgrade in all of its Intel Core processors. We have a new decoding engine, better power efficiency and a slew of new features including 4K playback using the very latest codecs used in YouTube and Netflix. Either way, the Intel HD Graphics 630 update isn’t a good enough reason to update from the previous generation or even from a Haswell-powered PC, because let’s face it, if you own a high-performance laptop, the chances are it’s paired with a discrete graphics solution anyway.

You can find the Core i7-6700HQ-powered notebooks here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
While the Core i7-7700HQ will start popping out here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Specifications

Intel Core i7-6700HQIntel Core i7-7700HQ
Cores44
Threads88
Base Frequency2.6 GHz2.8 GHz
Turbo Boost Frequency3.5 GHz3.8 GHz
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 530Intel HD Graphics 630
GPU clock350 – 1050 MHz350 – 1100 MHz
EUs2424
TDP45W45W
Cache6MB6MB
DDR4 support2133 MHz2400 MHz

Benchmarks

Cinebench 11Cinebench 15NovaBench 3 Fritz
Intel Core i7-6700HQ (HP Pavilion 15 Gaming)7.3966482612371
Intel Core i7-7700HQ (Acer Aspire VX5-591G)8.15 (+10%)690 (+10%)888 (+8%)13470 (+9%)
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Mehdi
Mehdi
7 years ago

Nice comparison. I really want to read the full review of Acer Aspire VX5-591G.

Intel released HM175 instead of HM270. Could you give us some information about this. Does it support Intel Optane technology?

Roberto Tomás
7 years ago
Reply to  Mehdi

That’s a matter of the chipset: “Kaby Lake chips paired with 200-series chipsets are “Optane memory ready,””

Please dont
Please dont
7 years ago

Grinds my gears. Just bought laptop with the 6700hq and a week later they upgraded them to the kaby lake.

Justin
Justin
7 years ago
Reply to  Please dont

Well most places let you return with 14-30 days. Doesn’t seem like a big jump to pay extra for unless you just want it.

Danbouges
Danbouges
7 years ago
Reply to  Please dont

Brother, I bought a 1500$ PC and a 1k laptop, spending xtra on the PC, and not the laptop…. I bought them in 3/2015. I played HUNDREDS of hours on the laptop, not using the PC. I ended up SELLING the PC with less than 12 hours on it, for $950. My laptop has a 960m…. If I JUST spend a LITTLE more on a 970m, which is the #44 best GPU and better than a gtx 760, i’d be 60 fps’ing titles, that I can’t even play with a 960m. Grind my gears….. It was a sweet ass i7… Read more »

Danbouges
Danbouges
7 years ago

my jesus god….. if they would JUST allow laptops to be upgradable… they put 500 stickers and giant metal protection over the parts, and you can’t get them out…. LOOKING at them, it could EASILY socket in and out, just like a desktop…. Laptop manufacturers are in agreement to NOT allow upgrades, to FORCE new purchases. Plus, half of laptops are girls that never play a video game. I couldn’t play HEARTHSTONE on my father’s 2016 MacBook, that was nearly 2,000$….. for what? It can’t play a game, that most phones play……

Red
6 years ago
Reply to  Danbouges

Mac laptops can only be used for office works on anything else like gaming, video editing they are useless.

Josh C
Josh C
7 years ago

Hmm this post notes around 10% performance increase (come on Intel…) but this video comparison with similar tests looks like maybe 20% which is a bit more decent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcZIibVMGhc

I guess it depends on the specific test/software used and the workload? In any case looks like I can keep using my 6700HQ laptop for some time yet!!

Travis Santelmann
Travis Santelmann
7 years ago

These laptops are easily upgradeable, since the launch of 6th Gen Intel gaming laptops with a Desktop equivalent GTX 980 mxm. If your Laptop has a MXM 3.0 B, the guys who are running GTX 980’s. Could purchase a GTX 1070 MXM 3.0B for $600. And get faster performance than (2) desktop gtx970’s in SLI. Not to mention they could sell there current GTX 980 for about $400-500 on eBay. Laptops are very upgradable! I’ve got a i5 6600K laptop, with a GTX 1080. I can drop a 7700K i7 in there, or add another GTX 1080 for sli. Heck,… Read more »