The Holy Grap: Intel's Bold Move with the i3-7350K Processor

As we watch the CPU landscape shift with AMD's impending Ryzen release, it seems like Intel is taking a bold step forward. They've just launched an unlocked processor as an i3, which can be unlocked to 4.5 gigahertz. But that's not all - this processor also comes with hyperthreading, boasting two cores and four threads. In fact, the i3-7350K has been touted as a category killer, but is it really?

The specs for this new processor are quite impressive. With 2 cores and 4 threads, it may seem like a step back compared to its quad-core counterpart, the Core i5 7400. However, when you take into account the increased clock speed of the i3-7350K, which boasts a whopping 4.2 gigahertz, things start to get interesting. The processor also has 4 megabytes of cache, making it roughly half the size of a Core i7 7700K in every way.

But here's the thing - hyperthreading is still not real cores. It may feel like an extra thread, but it's really just a clever marketing move to make the processor seem more capable than it actually is. And that brings us to the question: how worth is this unlocked Core i3 really? To find out, we need to take a closer look at its performance.

The i3-7350K was stress-tested for a long time and proved to be rock-solid. With proper tuning, it's possible to push this processor up to 5 gigahertz - but that requires an overclockable chipset, specifically the Z Series. And with the right setup, the i3-7350K is capable of delivering some impressive performance.

So, how does the i3-7350K stack up against its quad-core counterpart, the Core i5 7400? To find out, we put both processors on the same test rig and ran a series of benchmarking tests. The results were quite surprising - while the i5 7400 may have four true cores, the i3-7350K's hyperthreaded cores proved to be a major advantage in multi-threaded workloads.

In the Cinebench test, the i3-7350K easily crushed its quad-core counterpart. In fact, it not only outperformed the 7400 but also took the top spot in our 7-zip test and Gimp image editing through Asus ROG Realbench. That's a whopping 4-0 advantage for the unlocked Core i3.

However, things get more complicated when we consider video encoding. In our Realbench encoding test, the Core i5 7400 took the lead - albeit by a small margin. But in gaming tests like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and GTA 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, the i3-7350K proved to be more than capable. While it may not have been the best performer in every situation, its hyperthreaded cores gave it an edge in situations where multiple threads were utilized.

So what does this mean for gamers looking to upgrade their rigs? If you're planning on upgrading soon, we'd recommend waiting for AMD's Ryzen launch - that's probably going to be a strong one. But if you're already due for an upgrade and want to get the best bang for your buck, the unlocked Core i3-7350K is definitely worth considering.

In conclusion, Intel's bold move with the i3-7350K processor has paid off in a big way. While it may not be the most powerful processor on the market, its hyperthreaded cores have proven to be a game-changer in certain workloads. And at this point, we're willing to forgive its higher price tag.

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"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHoly Crap!A K SKU unlocked processor as an i3, this is exciting. But that's not all.It also comes with hyperthreading, that's right - 2 cores, 4 threads, one i3-7350K.This launch from Intel may be a bold response to the looming threat that is AMD's Ryzen release.♪ Upbeat Intro Music ♪Or maybe it's simply a follow up to the Pentium G3258 Anniversary Edition,an over-clockable Dual Core that lacked hyperthreading,presenting some pretty serious issues in some modern games,that wouldn't even launch unless they detected 4 processor threads.Like Far Cry 4, for example, which DOES work with this 7350K.So its a category killer then? Well, maybe not. The G3258 was $75 and the i3 7350K is $180.And hyperthreads are still not real cores, which you can learn more about up here.But for now, let's see how worth it the first unlocked Core i3 really is.Okay, to start us off there's the specs. It's got 2 cores and 4 threads, like I mentioned earlier,but it also has 4 megabytes of cache, so it's exactly half of a Core i7 7700K in every way, thus far.But the story changes when you look at clock speed. A 7700K boosts to 4.5 gigahertz.A 7350K drops that down, but not by much, just to 4.2 gigahertz and that's also not the whole story.If someone buys a K series i3, I fully expect and hope that they plan to overclock it, that's the whole point.So, anyways... I got mine up to 5 gigahertz EASILY with 1.4 volts, but with some tuningI'd expect that you'd be able to drop that down to like 1.35 volts or maybe even lower.I stress-tested it for a long time, it was rock-solid. I'm not the only one either.People are getting 5 gigahertz on this chip all over the internet. It's an exciting time to be an i3.Like before though, you'll need an overclockable chipset, so Z Series.If you want to learn more about the Z 270 motherboards,the updated onboard graphics and the finer details of Intel's latest platform, check out this video up here.But ok, enough of that! Let's talk about performance.This is not an easy answer, I put our 7350K on the bench along with an Asus ROG Z270 Maximus 9 code,16 gigs of G.Skill DDR4 RAM, a Corsair H100 GTX v2 extreme and a Founder's Edition NVIDIA GTX 1080,just to remove potential GPU bottlenecks in games. On the same setup I also ran a Core i5 7400.The 7400 it's a true quad core with 4 total threads that cost 182 dollars,just two dollars more than the 7350K.To do this we used the 7700K and adjusted hyperthreading, settings and multiplier settingsto get pretty much equivalent performance. It works, trust me! And if you don't believe it check out this video.Remember no K so no overclocking, it's not an option for most people.The first comparison that I want to do between our 7400 and our 7350K is Cinebench.The 7350k has a way higher clock speed at 5 gigahertz versus 3.5, so it should crush in single core performanceand it did, so all is well, except that it also crushed in multi-threaded.Those speedy little hyperthreaded cores not only crushed in Cinebench,but also pull the victory in our 7-zip test and our Gimp image editing through Asus ROG Realbench.That's 4-0 so far.But before you go out and spend your 182 dollars on an i3 7350k and two cans of pop,there is also video encoding to consider. The i5 7400 did win the Realbench encoding test but not by much.Then there's gaming. Oh, man, there is no difference, between either of these processorsor the top-of-the-line 7700K, when testing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.So, I guess I can go ahead and never test that when comparing CPUs ever again.So, anyways... moving on.In GTA 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Ashes of the Singularity average performance was very similar.There were some differences in minimums with the 7350k falling behind, although it was a little inconsistent,and not that major either way. So, in conclusion, the Intel i3 7350K costs more than we feel like it should,but I was also expecting it to not be that great,considering quad cores have been considered the minimum for gaming for quite some time now.But it destroyed, so that's pretty cool.Other things to consider could be DirectX 12 and Vulkan,but I don't expect those to have performance impacts in actual games for quite some time now.And then there's Ryzen. If you're looking to upgrade your rig anytime soon,you should probably wait for Ryzen, let's all hope that's a strong launch.TunnelBear is the simple VPN app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open Internet.With TunnelBear turned on your Wi-Fi connection is secured and your online activity is kept privatefrom your internet provider, advertisers, hackers and anyone looking to track or profit from your data.TunnelBear has a top rated privacy policy and does not log your activityand you can try it for free with 500 megabytes and no credit card required,and if you do choose to get unlimited data you can save 10% by going to tunnelbear.com/LTT.Thanks for watching guys if this video sucked you know what to do,but if it was awesome get subscribed, hit that like button or check out the link for where to buystuff like processors in the description down below.If you want to discuss this video on the forum, you can also do that down there, there should be a linkand we have a link to buy our super cool shirts also down there, which you can totally check out.Please don't pay attention to the one that I'm wearing, just click the link and I'll see you next time.You can watch this video, which is also on a processor, bye!\n"