Intel Core i7-6900K vs Intel Core i7-7820X

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Core i7-6900K compared with Core i7-7820X

	IntelCore i7-6900K	IntelCore i7-7820X
Overview
Released
Released	May 2016	June 2017
Cores and clocks
Cores
Cores	8	8
Threads
Threads	16	16
Base clock
Base clock	3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz
Boost clock
Boost clock	4 GHz	4.5 GHz (better)
L3 cache
L3 cache	20 MB (better)	11 MB
Cores
Cores	Broadwell-E; 8 cores with Hyper-Threading. The unlocked multiplier is confirmed by the exact-model reviews.	Skylake-X; 8 cores with Hyper-Threading. The unlocked multiplier is confirmed by Intel’s exact-model family product brief.
Clocks
Clocks	Turbo Boost Max 3.0 up to 4.00 GHz on the preferred core; ordinary Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.70 GHz. The main boost field uses Intel’s highest published frequency. May availability follows Tom’s Hardware’s 31 May 2016 report, attributing immediate sale of all four models to Intel. Intel’s family record is dated 30 May and ARK gives Q2 2016; the announcement day is not treated as an exact first-sale day.	Turbo Boost Max 3.0 up to 4.50 GHz on the preferred core; ordinary Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 4.30 GHz. The main boost field uses Intel’s highest published frequency. Intel’s September press-kit record names 26 June 2017 availability for the first Core X processors; its August record confirms the four- to ten-core models were already on shelves. The exact model’s first-sale day was not established, so month precision is retained.
Cache
Cache	–	11 MB Intel Smart Cache (L3).
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
Built-in graphics	No	No
Graphics
Graphics	No processor graphics, confirmed by Intel’s exact-model comparison-chart row; a separate graphics solution is required.	No processor graphics, explicitly stated in Intel’s exact-model comparison-chart row; a separate graphics solution is required.
Platform
Socket
Socket	LGA2011-v3	LGA2066
Base power
Base power	140 W	140 W
Unlocked
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
Cooler in the box
Cooler in the box	No	No
Memory support
Memory support	Up to 128 GB; four channels of DDR4-2133/2400; no ECC.	Up to 128 GB; four channels of DDR4-2666; 85 GB/s maximum published bandwidth; no ECC.
PCIe
PCIe	40 CPU lanes; PCIe 3.0	28 CPU lanes; PCIe 3.0.
Chipsets
Chipsets	X99 and LGA2011-v3, distinguished by Intel’s exact-model comparison chart and the reviews. Current ARK abbreviates the socket as FCLGA2011; this is not compatible with the older X79 LGA2011 platform.	Intel X299; LGA2066.
Process
Process	14 nm; Broadwell-E.	14 nm; Skylake-X.
Cooler
Cooler	Intel explicitly excludes a fan and heatsink from the boxed product; a separate compatible cooler is required.	Intel explicitly excludes a fan and heatsink from the boxed product; a separate compatible cooler is required. Published junction limit: 99°C.