Intel surprised everyone with the announcement of the i3-7350K processor, the first unlocked, overclockable Core i3 processor they’ve ever released. And while most of us where excited about the prospect of a budget CPU with big potential (like the Pentium G3258 Anniversary Edition), we didn’t think anyone would be able to release any information until after Intel lifted its embargo.
But a small Australian PC hardware review channel, Hardware Unboxed got their hands on a 7350K without going through Intel, so they weren’t bound by any non-disclosure agreement. With that, they got to work on it and found this:
That’s right, nothing but disappointment all around. It seems like an older, cheaper i5 would be a better bet than an overclocked, but expensive new i3. More and more, it’s looking like Intel may be getting the formula wrong. Years of not having proper competition on the desktop front seems to have warped their perspective. Hopefully, they get the pricing right this time, otherwise we don’t see what the point of this chip is.