Comparison: intel core i7-7700k vs core i5

We continue with our comparisons of processors after the arrival of the Kaby Lake, this time we have taken the two top of the range with unlocked multiplier, the Core i5-7600K and the Core i7-7700K to check the differences between them in different scenarios and if it's really worth going to the most powerful option available. Comparison Core i7-7700K vs Core i5-7600K.

Index of contents

Core i7-7700K vs Core i5-7600K technical characteristics

As we can see in the table, the two processors share many of the characteristics but there are also very important differences. The two processors have four physical cores although the Core i7-7700K has Hypertheading technology activated so it can handle up to eight threads of data, something that will give it a significant advantage in applications that use many cores. The Core i7 also has a higher operating frequency and more L3 cache.

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Application performance

We now turn to look at the performance of the two processors in video games to see the differences. We have compared the performance of both chips in Battlefield 4, Crysis 3, Tomb Raider, Overwatch and Doom 4. Again we see very small differences that reach 5-6 FPS maximum except Crysis 3 that the difference reaches 10 FPS. It is clear once again that the Core i5 range is an excellent alternative for video game players and allows us to save money that we can invest in a more powerful video card.

Consumption and temperature

After seeing the performance of the two processors, we have to analyze their consumption and temperature. The Core i7-7700K is slightly hotter than its little brother, although as can be seen in the graphics, the difference barely reaches 5ºC. The striking thing is that in idle state with overclock the trend is reversed and the Core i5 is slightly hotter.

In all cases the consumption values ​​are from the complete equipment.

The consumption under load is very slightly higher in the case of the Core i7-7700K although we are talking about a difference of 7W so it is imperceptible in the electricity bill, something quite normal if we consider that it is two very chips similar with the same number of physical nuclei. The consumption in overclock if that is more bulky in the case of the Core i7-7700K with a difference of 35W compared to its younger brother, despite this, it is still a fairly discrete figure that will not be a problem.

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Final words and conclusion

As we have seen throughout this review, the performance difference between the Core i7-7700K and the Core i5-7600K is highly variable depending on the application in which we use it. In the case of graphics rendering applications and others that make a very intensive use of all cores / threads, the difference can be up to 40% as we have seen in Cinebench R15.

At the other extreme we have games and applications that use few cores, in this case the difference is much smaller and is mainly due to the difference in the operating frequency of both processors. Let's not forget that both come with the multiplier unlocked so it will be very easy to overclock them and equalize the performance in many cases.

The new Core i5-7600K is for sale for a price of 278 euros, a figure significantly lower than the 378 euros for which we can find its older brother the Core i7-7700K so that in relation to quality / price it seems much more interesting to opt for the Core i5.