Guide: Skylake vs Kaby Lake Comparison
Intel introduced Kaby Lake in the second half as a direct successor to the popular Skylake processor. With Kaby Lake, Intel broke the “tick-tock” cycle that spanned six generations. With a “tap” Intel would launch a processor with a new design, while a “tap” would introduce the optimized and improved version. However, Kaby Lake was an improvement over Skylake, which in turn was an improvement over the 5th generation Broadwell processor. Let’s take a look at how the two stack up up against each other. Let the Skylake vs. Kaby Lake match begin!
4K video
One of the main differences between the 6th Gen Skylake and the 7th Generation Kaby Lake is that the Kaby Lake processors have built-in support for HEVC codec for 4K video. These processors also delegate most 4K video tasks to graphics cards, meaning your laptop consumes significantly less battery when playing 4K videos. Kaby Lake processors support VP9, a 4K video codec developed by Google in response to HEVC. In addition, they support the HDCP 2.2 standard. HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is there to prevent unauthorized copying of digital content. Finally, Kaby Lake processors offer much better performance in the 3D graphics department. This means higher frame rates, better resolution and a better gaming experience across the board. In a test, Intel ran Overwatch on a Dell XPS 13 laptop sunbathe on a Kaby Lake processor. It managed to be quite impressive (given the laptop’s specs) 1280 x 720 resolution @ 30fps and at average graphics settings.
Thunderbolt 3.0 and USB 3.1
Kaby Lake processors also offer improvements in this area. With the support for 2nd generation USB 3.1, Kaby Lake processors offer up transfer speeds of up to 10 GB / s (5 GB / s was the limit for Skylake processors). Kaby Lake processors also have built-in support for the third generation of Intel’s proprietary Thunderbolt. Computers equipped with Kaby Lake processors can have as many as 14 USB ports (2.0 and 3.0), as well as three PCIe 3.0 storage ports. Of course, corresponding motherboards are needed to take full advantage of Kaby Lake processors.
Higher clock speeds
Considering that Kaby Lake is just an optimized version of Skylake, Intel has relied solely on tweaks and improvements to bring better performance and higher CPU speeds. The results are not that impressive, although they are remarkable. However, Kaby Lake processors offer superior performance in the 3D graphics department, especially on mobile appliances. Intel offers Kaby Lake processors in two basic designations: Y and U. The Y models now replace Skylake’s m-designated models, but only in the i5 and i7 sections. The m designation remains for the i3 processors. This makes it impossible to know if you bought an m / Y class or a U class i5 processor without reading the full name.
Speed comparison
The m3-6Y30 Skylake processor has the base speed of 900 MHz, with a turbo of 2.2 GHz. The m3-7Y30 Kaby Lake normally runs at 1 GHz, with turbo at 2.6 GHz. The m5-6Y74 Skylake operates at 1.2 GHz and reaches a turbo speed at 2.7 GHz. Kaby Lake i5-6Y74 runs at 1.2 GHz, with turbo at 3.2 GHz. Skylake m7-6Y75 normally runs at 1.2 GHz, with turbo set at 3.1 GHz. On the other hand, Kaby Lake i7-7Y75 starts at 1.3GHz and goes up up to 3.6 GHz. The base speed of the Skylake i5-6200U is 2.3GHz, with a 2.8GHz turbo. The Kaby Lake counterpart (i5-7200U) runs at 2.5 GHz, with turbo at 3.1 GHz. The base speed of the Skylake i7-6500U is 2.5 GHz, with a turbo speed of 3.1 GHz. On the other hand, Kaby Lake i7-7500U has the base speed of 2.7 GHz, with turbo at 3.5 GHz.
Optane support
Another big difference between the sixth generation Skylake and seventh generation Kaby Lake processors is that the latter support the innovative Optane memory. It is Intel’s version of the SSD concept that plugs directly into the motherboard. It uses M.2 slots and is not compatible with Sunrise Point 100 series chipsets. Likewise, if you install a Skylake chip on a 200 Union Point series chipset, you still cannot use the Optane.
PCIe lanes
The number of PCIe lanes has also improved from Skylake to Kaby Lake. Although both processors up up to 16 PCIe 3.0 routed from the CPU, seventh-generation Kaby Lake models can support up to 24 lanes from the Platform Controller Hub (PCH). This is increasing up the total number of PCIe lanes supported by Kaby Lake chips up to 40.
Final Verdict
While a significant improvement over the sixth generation, the seventh generation Kaby Lake processors just aren’t compelling enough to affect the casual users already running Skylake powered machines. The native 4K video support, improved 3D graphics, and faster clock speeds may appeal enough to gamers and multimedia junkies, but they don’t mean much to the general public. The same goes for the Optane support and a slightly higher number of PCIe lanes.
Skylake vs Kaby Lake Comparison: benefits
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