Skip to Main Content
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Intel Teases Kaby Lake Processors

Intel's 7th Generation Core processors will have improved graphics capabilities for better playing video and games.

August 17, 2016
Intel Teases Kaby Lake Processors

SAN FRANCISCO—Although much of Intel CEO's Brian Krzanich's keynote address on day one of Intel Developer Forum (IDF) here focused on Intel's non-processor initiatives, he did drop a few tantalizing mentions of the upcoming processor line that could define computers for the next year.

According to Krzanich, Intel's 7th Generation Core line, which is code-named "Kaby Lake," will have powerful new graphics capabilities that make them more useful for video and gaming alike. He touted hardware acceleration for the HEVC 10-bit codec, which will improve the way even basic computers (such as an HP laptop on the set) are able to watch 4K content.

Also in the works are changes to the 3D graphics system, which may make it possible to play more intense games faster, and at better quality levels, than has been true until now. During his address, Krzanich and a colleague demonstrated how a modest-looking Dell 2-in-1 laptop equipped with an ultra-low-voltage Core i5 processor was able to run Overwatch ($38.65 at Amazon) with fairly good performance (though there was no indication given as to the level of graphical details enabled or the resolution at which the game was running).

Given the computers used in the keynote, it seems likely that the 7th Generation Core chips will appear, at least initially, on lower-power mobile systems rather than higher-end desktops (as was the case with the first of its 6th Generation Core, aka "Skylake," processors that were released last year).

Chances are, we'll find out soon enough, though: Krzanich also said that 7th Generation Core processors are already shipping to manufacturers, and that laptops available using them should be available this fall.

Get Our Best Stories!

Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.


Thanks for signing up!

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

Sign up for other newsletters

TRENDING

About Matthew Murray

Managing Editor, Hardware

Matthew Murray got his humble start leading a technology-sensitive life in elementary school, where he struggled to satisfy his ravenous hunger for computers, computer games, and writing book reports in Integer BASIC. He earned his B.A. in Dramatic Writing at Western Washington University, where he also minored in Web design and German. He has been building computers for himself and others for more than 20 years, and he spent several years working in IT and helpdesk capacities before escaping into the far more exciting world of journalism. Currently the managing editor of Hardware for PCMag, Matthew has fulfilled a number of other positions at Ziff Davis, including lead analyst of components and DIY on the Hardware team, senior editor on both the Consumer Electronics and Software teams, the managing editor of ExtremeTech.com, and, most recently the managing editor of Digital Editions and the monthly PC Magazine Digital Edition publication. Before joining Ziff Davis, Matthew served as senior editor at Computer Shopper, where he covered desktops, software, components, and system building; as senior editor at Stage Directions, a monthly technical theater trade publication; and as associate editor at TheaterMania.com, where he contributed to and helped edit The TheaterMania Guide to Musical Theater Cast Recordings. Other books he has edited include Jill Duffy's Get Organized: How to Clean Up Your Messy Digital Life for Ziff Davis and Kevin T. Rush's novel The Lance and the Veil. In his copious free time, Matthew is also the chief New York theater critic for TalkinBroadway.com, one of the best-known and most popular websites covering the New York theater scene, and is a member of the Theatre World Awards board for honoring outstanding stage debuts.

Read Matthew's full bio

Read the latest from Matthew Murray