Core i7-10700T vs Core i7-8700

The Core i7-10700T packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-8700 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-10700T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i7-10700T versus 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-8700 — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-8700 (base: 2 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i7-8700 is built on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-10700T scores 12,891 against the Core i7-8700's 12,747 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i7-10700T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,531 vs 1,535, a 0.3% lead for the Core i7-8700 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 6,814 vs 6,200 (9.4% advantage for the Core i7-10700T). L3 cache: 16 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Core i7-10700T vs 12288 kB on the Core i7-8700.

The Core i7-10700T uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-8700 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: LGA1200 (Core i7-10700T) and 300-series (Core i7-8700).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-10700T) and UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-8700) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-8700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-8700 rivals Ryzen 5 2600.

The Core i7-10700T launched at $355 MSRP, while the Core i7-8700 debuted at $303. At current prices ($200 vs $110), the Core i7-8700 is $90 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-10700T delivers 64.5 pts/$ vs 115.9 pts/$ for the Core i7-8700 — making the Core i7-8700 the 57% better value option.