Intel's Kaby Lake chip is a must-have for 4K video fiends

From PC World: Intel’s Kaby Lake, the company's 7th-generation Core microprocessor, was never meant to be.

Broadwell, then Skylake: Intel’s tick-tock model was supposed to move on from there to the 10-nm Cannon Lake microprocessor next on Intel’s roadmap. Struggles with 10-nm development forced Intel into its new Kaby Lake processor, however, which officially launched Tuesday.

Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that its benefits are somewhat milder than in generations past. There’s a mere 12- to 19-percent bump in integer performance, helped by a more responsive “turbo boost” capability. A dedicated, advanced video engine promises some real gains—a whopping 2.6X increase in overall battery life when playing back 4K video using specific codecs.

Otherwise, what makes Kaby Lake attractive is its familiarity: Manufacturing it should go smoothly and reliably, analysts say, and over a hundred PC designs are lined up for launch.

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