Intel Core i7-7740X

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Performance Performance

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Intel Core i7-7740X
Intel’s modest Core i7-7740X may have some limitations placed on it, but it does offer up some decent performance especially in the thermals and overclocking departments. However, enthusiasts looking to get more ‘bang for their buck’ would be well-advised to either look at the 7900X or Z270/7700K.
- As reviewed by Vortez on Jun 2017
4
Cores
8
Threads
4.3 GHz
Base Clock
4.5 GHz
Boost Clock
Socket LGA 2066
Socket
112 W
TDP
No iGPU
Graphics
$229
Price
Release date:Jun 26, 2017Price at Launch:$339
Cores:4Threads:8
Base Clock:4.3 GHzBoost Clock:4.5 GHz
Type:DesktopMultithreading:Yes
L2 Cache:1 MBL3 Cache:8 MB
Box Cooler:NoTDP:112 W
Socket:Socket LGA 2066Memory Support:DDR4‑2666
Codename:Kaby LakeProcess Size:14 nm
Integrated Graphics:NoNPU:No
PCIe Support:PCIe 3.0, 16 Lanes

Performance Benchmarks

All benchmark data reflects aggregated results from dozens of tests conducted in TechSpot’s labs and compiled from our full library of CPU reviews. Single-core productivity scores are based primarily on Cinebench and Adobe Photoshop workloads. Multi-core results draw from Cinebench, Blender, Corona Benchmark, 7-Zip, Adobe Premiere Pro, and shader compilation tests. CPU gaming benchmarks are all 1080p runs (explainer) as published on TechSpot.

Single-Core Productivity

Multi-Core Productivity

Gaming Performance

Price History

Intel Core i7-7740X pricing

Last 6 months
Price Date
Current $229 Dec 15, 2025
Highest* $429 May 30, 2025
Lowest* $229 Aug 29, 2025
Average $351
* Prices are based on listings from Newegg and other major retailers over the past 12+ months.
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Reviews and Ratings

74

Average Score

Based on 17 reviews

8.0

User Score

Based on 107 reviews

Reviewers Liked

  • Fastest desktop processors to date
  • Better power consumption than Skylake
  • Improved thermal performance
  • Overclocks very well
  • Better support for 4K streaming than on higher-end "Skylake X" CPUs

Reviewers Didn't Like

  • Pricing may change when ThreadRipper arrives
  • Cannot maximise multi-GPU configurations
  • Similar performance to the Core i7-7700K, but on a pricier platform with costlier motherboards

Earlier this year we updated our CPU buying guide putting Ryzen front and center, and while that guide is due for an update now that Ryzen 3 and Threadripper have landed, those picks are still as valid today as they were back then with the Ryzen 5 1600...

By TechSpot on
40

Going into this review, we suspected Kaby Lake-X wouldn't be anything too impressive, mostly because these quad-core CPUs have no place on a high-end desktop platform that they can't fully drive. The fact that they provide weaker performance and greater power consumption than the original Kaby Lake processors only adds insult to injury.

By TechSpot on
60

THE REVEAL OF Intel's latest round of premium enthusiast CPUs – based around the new X299 chipset – was a bit of a break in tradition. In addition to the expected top-end Skylake-X platform, which ranges from the six-core Core i7-7800X to the 10-core...

By TopNewReview on
78

The Intel Core i7-7740X is a unique proposition from Intel. It has exhibited some of the best single-threaded performance we've seen with the Kabylake microarchitecture. However, the 7700K along with a Z270 board seems to offer near about the same...

By Digit on
75

So is this supposed to be an HEDT or mainstream chip?Intel had a nice idea with Kaby Lake-X. Adapt a mainstream chip for the Core X HEDT family, and make it the same price as the Core i7-7700K! It'll work with an Intel X299 motherboard, so you can save...

By hardwarezone.com.sg on
80

Kaby Lake-X creates a new market segment, but we're still not sure who its target audience is. The Core i7-7740X is a very fast CPU on its own and can be overclocked easily, but it's expensive and requires a platform that's complete overkill. At least...

By Gadgets360 on
50

There's no denying that Intel's Kaby Lake-X Core i7-7740X is an ultra-fast processor in lightly-threaded applications that can be overclocked to a dizzying 5GHz+ with ease. Gaming performance is superb thanks to the Kaby Lake-X processor's 4.5GHz...

By Kitguru.net on
80

The Core i7 7740X certainly behaves much better in stressed condition opposed to the Skylake-X 10 core parts. Still it remains to be a little high relative to energy efficiency and the temperatures, these can be challenging. Pretty cool though is the...

By Guru of 3D on
91

The 7740X is a fun and relatively affordable CPU for the X299 platform. It will let you save for another year to buy Intel's 18 core behemoth, and then you can sell it to someone else who just saved enough for an X299 motherboard. However, most people don't buy placeholder CPUs. The 7740X is a solid gaming CPU, and offers the same performance as a 7700K at the same price, albeit your motherboard might be pricier.

By TweakTown on
80

The Intel Core i9-7900X is easily the most powerful desktop processor we have tested to date. Its combination of 10-cores, with relatively high clocks, and larger L2 cache propel it into the lead in all of the multi-threaded benchmarks. The Core...

By HotHardware on

It's one of the greatest questions of our time: AMD or Intel? Today, that rivalry has entered a new stage of Cinebench taunting as AMD's 2000-series Threadripper processors, commonly known as Threadripper 2, come to market to compete against Intel's...

By Tom's Hardware UK on

For the desktop PC gamer, the higher TDP X models are still the go-to for gaming and general performance though. They're a little faster, and a little more expensive, but you get what you pay for. However, if heat and power are a big concern to you, and...

By eTeknix on
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