Intel Core i7-7740X Processor

The Intel Core i7-7740X Processor — 4 cores and 8 threads, 4.3 GHz base rising to 4.5 GHz with Turbo Boost, 8 MB Intel Smart Cache, 112 W processor base power, LGA2066. Supplied from stock with a 1-year warranty.

The Kaby Lake-X quad-core for X299

The i7-7740X is the Core X part of the Kaby Lake generation: four cores with Hyper-Threading at 4.30 GHz with a 4.50 GHz Turbo, an unlocked multiplier and a 112 W envelope, launched Q2 2017 alongside the first X299 boards. It shares the architecture of the 7700K but lives on the HEDT platform.

The platform, not the core count, is the point: X299 brings more PCIe lanes and an upgrade path to Core X parts up to 18 cores. Note the memory is dual-channel DDR4-2666 — unlike Skylake-X parts — and there is no integrated graphics, so a discrete card is required.

Technical specifications

Instruction set extensions: Intel SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX and AVX2. AVX-512 is not present on this generation. Security and virtualisation: AES-NI, Intel VT-x with EPT and VT-d, Intel Boot Guard.

Which systems take this processor

Anything on the LGA2066 socket with an Intel X299 chipset. This is the HEDT (high-end desktop) platform: physically larger boards, more PCIe lanes than the mainstream line and an upgrade path that LGA1151 does not offer.

• Platform, not core count — Kaby Lake-X silicon keeps the mainstream two-channel memory controller, so this processor runs dual-channel DDR4-2666 rather than the four channels of the Skylake-X parts on the same socket. Sixteen PCIe 3.0 lanes come from the CPU and the rest are supplied by the X299 chipset.
• Upgrade path — an X299 board also accepts Skylake-X and Cascade Lake-X Core X processors with four memory channels and more cores, so a build started here can be scaled up later without changing the platform.

One caveat: LGA2066 boards and coolers are not interchangeable with LGA1151 — the socket, the cooler mounting and the memory layout are all different. Make sure your chassis supports an ATX or E-ATX board before ordering. Tell us the board model when you enquire and we will confirm.

How it compares across the i7 line

Against the 7700K it offers the X299 upgrade path at a higher platform cost. The 9800X is the Skylake-X step up: eight cores, AVX-512 and quad-channel memory on the same socket.

How each processor is tested before it ships

1. Visual inspection of the integrated heat spreader, substrate and contact pads; the sSpec laser marking (SR3FP on our i7-7740X stock) is verified against the Intel specification sheet.
2. Burn-in on a matched diagnostic board with a pair of memory modules of the correct type for this platform.
3. All populated memory channels and the primary PCIe lanes are validated, then the processor is identified in the BIOS and in the operating system.
4. A sustained multi-threaded load test at full core count, with the clock and thermal readings recorded.
5. Thermal paste cleaned off, final inspection, then packaging in an anti-static tray with foam — which is how it arrives to you.

Warranty and lead time

Every processor is covered by a 1-year warranty against defects in workmanship and function. If a part fails within the period we replace it or refund it, and we cover return shipping on a verified fault. Stock is held in our own warehouse and normally dispatches within three to seven working days; tracking is issued at dispatch.

Purchasing and volume enquiries

The minimum order quantity for this processor is 2 units. Price is quotation-based rather than listed, because CPU pricing moves with each incoming batch — send us the quantity you need and we will come back with a firm quote and the current lead time. Larger quantities ship from the same production batch so the sSpec and the stepping stay consistent across your order.