What is 8th Generation Processor? Pros, Cons & More

What is 8^th Generation Processor?

The 8^th generation signifies the family of processors that are built on the latest technology and on a 14 nm manufacturing process.

The advanced features of these processors such as Turbo Boost 2.0 and Hyper Threading enable them to offer exceptional performance with their extended capabilities.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The design and features of the 8^th generation processors allow varied input such as voice, touch and stylus which improves interaction and enhances productivity and creative skills.
• With higher processing power due to Turbo Boost 2.0 technology and better base clock tuning, the 8^th generation processors are more responsive and better in performance due to the higher number of cores.
• Reliable graphics performance with VR support of this processor will not only offer an immersive visual experience but will also allow integrating the system with more progressive media to get premium content.

Understanding 8^th Generation Processor

The 8^th generation processor has the unique ability to meet the diverse needs of the users.

Whether it is the general users or the IT professionals and gamers who are always looking for better performance and higher user experience, this is the processor that one should surely rely on.

The carefully designed architecture not only meets with various computing needs but also fits into any budget.

With the latest technologies and features of the processor, the benefits provided have helped the manufacturer to redefine the performance of the mainstream computers.

This processor comes with more cores that enhances the performance power of it and at the same time significantly extends its capabilities.

The exciting new features and advanced innovations have raised the expectations of the users which this processor has met with successfully.

There are different variants of Intel core 8^th generation processors such as i7, i5, and i3.

All these have its significant merits and demerits that are based on the features included in each of them.

Here is the comparison of the specifications of these three processors.

The 8^th generation Intel core i7 processors come with:

• Maximum processor frequency of 4.7 GHz
• 6 cores
• 12 threads
• 12 MB cache size
• Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology
• Intel hyper-threading technology
• CPU, memory and graphics overclocking, though in select SKU models
• DDR4 2666 memory type
• 2 memory channels and
• Intel Optane Memory support.

On the other hand, the 8^th generation Intel core i5 processors come with:

• Maximum processor frequency of 4.3 GHz
• 6 cores
• 6 threads
• 9 MB cache size
• Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology
• CPU, memory and graphics overclocking in select SKU models
• DDR4 2666 memory type
• 2 memory channels and
• Intel Optane Memory support.

Finally, the 8^th generation Intel core i3 processors come with:

• Maximum processor frequency of 4.0 GHz
• 4 cores
• 4 threads
• Up to 8 MB cache size
• CPU, memory and graphics overclocking in select SKU models
• DDR4 2400 memory type
• 2 memory channels and
• Intel Optane Memory support.

On the other hand, the new 8^th generation Intel core processors for mobile fall under the U series.

These are compatible with two-in-ones and notebooks due to its sleek design.

These specific processors will enhance your computing experience as well as the productivity and performance by 40%, as compared to the 7th generation Intel Core U-series processors.

These processors also ensure:

• An exceptional 4K UHD entertainment
• An easier and more convenient interaction with the systems
• A nearly a 10-hour battery life without needing to recharge and
• A robust I/O support.

The mobile quad-core U-series processors of Intel, on the other hand, are extremely portable and thin but are considered to be a powerhouse that will allow you to accomplish more tasks easily and effectively on the go.

Whether you use a specific variant of the 8^th generation processor for your desktop, laptop or mobile, you will be assured of a highly immersive entertainment and gaming pleasure.

This is all due to the impressive multimedia features that are built in the processor. It will also help you in editing complex videos, photos and graphics.

In addition to that, the processor will help you in other different aspects based on the type you use, such as:

• 360° video
• Full 4K UHD display and
• Premium content streaming.

You will also be able to play, share, edit, watch, and even create content with visual brilliance using the VP9 and HEVC 10-bit hardware.

This will help you to add graphics that are rich in texture and more fluid that will meet the demands of the ever-expanding content ecosystem.

Fundamentals

The 8^th generation processors will enhance your computing as well as gaming experience.

The technologies used in the making of these processors are the latest and will help you to connect to any external graphics dock.

For example, the Thunderbolt 3 technology will help in making a single and simple connection that will provide a spectacular performance in computing and gaming.

The uniqueness of the 8^th generation processors lies in its multiple architecture. This makes it different from the earlier generations of processors.

The first batch of these processors had the 14 nm ‘Kaby Lake refresh’ platform.

There are also two other different architectures that these processors come with. These are:

• The refined version of Coffee Lake platform and
• The smaller 10 nm CannonLake platform.

However, it may need a little bit more insight to understand how exactly all these different platforms fall under the same architecture of the 8^th generation Intel core processors.

According to the announcement of Intel, these 15-watt processors that typically come with four cores will perform at a rate 40% faster than the other processors.

This is ideally due to the quad-core that increases the performance of the processor by 25% alone.

The remaining 15% increment in performance level is due to the tweaks made in the design and manufacturing of these processors.

Going by the announcement and statistics of the company, it is revealed that:

• There will be a 28% increase in the performance rate when you work on the Adobe Lightroom platform for editing photos as compared to the 5-year old processors and
• It will take just about three minutes to export any 4K video as compared to 45 minutes of the time taken by the same old processors.

The first batch of Intel 8^th generation processors belong to the U-series. These processors come with the different base clock and maximum clock speed. For example:

• The base clock speed  of the i7 8650U processor is 1.9 GHz while the maximum clock speed of it is 4.2 GHz
• The base clock speed  of the i7 8550U processor, on the other hand, is 1.8 GHz and the maximum clock speed of it is 4.0 GHz
• The base clock speed  of the i5 8350U processor is 1.7 GHz while the maximum clock speed of it is 3.6 GHz and
• The base clock speed  of the i5 8250U processor will be 1.6 GHz and the maximum clock speed of it is 3.4 GHz.

Irrespective of these differences in the maximum and base clock speeds, all these different types of 8^th generation core processors are very intuitive making them very convenient to use.

The design of these 8^th generation processors supports all diverse designs and needs of the modern computing systems. It will support different types of input such as:

• Voice
• Touch and
• Stylus.

This feature of these processors will simplify interactions and at the same time will help you to show your creative skills.

It has also got the technology and feature that will help it to support different digital assistants such as Windows Ink and Windows Cortana.

It will also support those notebooks that come with the latest features such as fingerprint sensors to unlock the system and cameras that support facial recognition ability of Windows Hello.

Apart from ensuring that you safely, securely and more conveniently log into your computer as well as the websites, the processor will also ensure that you make secure payments online while shopping with the use of the Intel Online Connect technology.

This is the technology that helps in:

• Enabling password managers and
• Providing a 2-factor authentication built in it.

The technologies used in making the processor also extends the battery life, efficiency at the platform level and reduces consumption of power.

The I/O support provided by these processors, especially to the Core U-series processors, include PCIe 3.0. This feature increases the data transfer speed to 8 GT/s as compared to 5 GT/s of the PCIe 2.0 variant.

The other features and technologies that make this processor even more useful are:

• The state-of-the-art Intel Rapid Storage technology that supports NVMe PCIe 3.0×4 Solid State Drives or SSDs,
• The Intel Context Sensing SDK technology along with the Intel Integrated Sensor Solution that helps the third-party software vendors in developing more exciting apps that are sensor enhanced,
• The Thunderbolt 3 technology that provides unbelievable I/O performance with 40 Gb/s transfer speed to reinforce the productivity rate, and
• A better Thermal Design Power or TDP that allows to squeeze in more devices into the systems for performing more tasks concurrently.

You can use this processor in any traditional desktops, laptops, or even the thinnest and lightest of notebooks. The specific 8^th generation Intel core U-series processors can be used in mobile devices most effectively.

This will provide the best results and a lot of ease in using the system since these come with a combination of the Microsoft Mixed Reality-Ready feature.

This will ensure that you enjoy great 360° photos and videos. Check out Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium Processors.

The Pros of 8^th Generation Processor

1. Highly responsive

The 8^th generation processor is amazingly responsive to a wide range of systems because it is compatible with the Intel Optane Memory System Accelerator.

This ensures better performance and higher productivity for the computing devices.

2. More cores

The processors come with six cores – two more than the previous generations. This ensures higher processing power and better desktop performance while computing.

3. Higher power

With the Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology, this processor will provide your desktop computer with that additional boost in power as and when you need.

4. Base clock tuning

With the improved full range tuning of the base clock you will have a better and more granular control over the platform. This is all due to the unlocked cores in this processor.

5. Virtual Reality

Being VR or Virtual Reality ready, the 8^th generation processors will deliver more balanced performance for different platforms. This will raise your VR expectations as well.

6. Immersive visuals

The processor comes with HEVC 10-bit encoding and decoding feature that helps in providing more immersive and stunning 4K UHD visuals.

Furthermore, with the VP9 10-bit decoding feature, the processor will produce images that will have more clarity and sharper edges.

7. Premium content

The useful features of the processor will also allow you to integrate your system with more progressive media technologies. This will help you to bring, high quality, premium content to your computer.

8. Extraordinary performance

If you are looking for a processor that is highly responsive and high on performance then these latest power-efficient processors are the ones you should use.

With the best microarchitecture, silicon optimizations, and unconventional process technology, this is the fastest 15-watt processor.

9. Faster web browsing

The Intel Speed Shift technology found in the new 8^th generation processors will allow faster and more responsive web browsing.

10. Control on frequency

You will also have a far better and more control over the frequency of the processor across the graphics and cores.

This is due to the Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technology which will dynamically increase your productivity at the same time.

11. Better mobile functionality

The 8^th generation Intel core U-series processors for the mobile comes with Intel Hyper-Threading technology that supports up to eight sets of instructions or threads.

This makes content creation more compelling and a better experience, specifically when you use those clamshells and two-in-ones to create your everyday content.

12. Instant wake up

The Microsoft Windows Modern Standby feature of these U series processors ensure instant wake up of the mobile devices with just a simple push at a single button.

This is very helpful when you work on the go, because you will not have to wait for several minutes for your mobile phone to start up.

The Cons of 8th Generation Processor

13. Performance

Considering the performance of the 8^th generation processors and other similar multicore processors, this processor ranks slightly lower.

14. Unsuitable for video encoding

The 8^th generation processor is not suitable for video encoding. If you do a lot of it, then it is better to use a 9^th generation 8-core processor. This will provide much better results.

15. CPU generation

You should not bother much about the CPU generation of this processor. When you compare an 8^th generation processor with a 9^th generation variant, you will see that there is not much difference.

You should, instead, focus more on the features of the system you are using and the cooling design. Also, consider the difference of RAM, graphics card and SSD.

To Wrap up

The benefits of the 8^th generation core processors are many, which is why you should use it for your desktop or laptop computers, especially if you use the system for your general purpose.

Depending on your needs and use, these processors will provide you with a significantly high return on your investment.