Intel Core i7 X-Series 7740X 4-core LGA 2066

The Core i7-7740X is a quad-core chip on a high-end platform, which makes it an odd duck. Single-thread speed is solid, but multi-thread is mediocre and the 112W TDP is steep for four cores. Only worth it if you already own an X299 board and can grab one for around USD 116.

Single-thread performance is actually decent, landing in the 76th percentile of our database. The 4.5GHz boost helps there, and the 2704 single-core PassMark score backs that up. Multi-thread is a different story. The 9705 multi-core score puts it at 59th percentile, which is middle of the pack at best. Four cores just don't stretch far in 2024 workloads. Power draw sits at 112W TDP, which is a lot for a quad-core, and efficiency lands at 52nd percentile. You're paying a power and platform tax for cores you don't get.

Against something like the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, this chip gets absolutely demolished. The 9800X3D has eight cores, modern architecture, and gaming performance that's in a different universe. The 7740X's single-thread score is respectable, but multi-thread is where it falls apart. Even compared to older Xeons like the E5-2637 V2, the value proposition is murky. The 7740X only makes sense if you already own an X299 board and need a cheap drop-in chip. Otherwise, a modern budget Ryzen or Core i5 will run circles around it for less total platform cost.

Pricing is all over the place. US listings range from USD 116 to USD 229, which is a massive spread for a chip this old. At the low end, it's almost tempting as a budget X299 starter. At the high end, you're getting robbed. The best deal we see is on Amazon at USD 116, and honestly, that's the only price where this makes any sense. Even then, you still need an X299 board, which costs more than the CPU itself on the used market.

The Core i7-7740X is a weird chip. It's a quad-core Kaby Lake CPU bolted onto Intel's high-end X299 platform, which was built for chips with way more cores. You get the expensive motherboard and socket, but only four cores and eight threads to show for it. The base clock is a healthy 4.3GHz with a 4.5GHz boost, and it's unlocked for overclocking, but that's about where the excitement ends.

Skip this if you're building a new PC from scratch. The X299 platform is dead, motherboards are expensive, and you can get a modern six-core CPU with a cheaper board for less total money. Also skip it if you do heavy multi-threaded work like video editing or streaming, four cores will choke.

Buy this only if you already have an X299 motherboard and need a cheap CPU to get it running. It's a fine chip for basic gaming and light productivity at the USD 116 price point, but the platform costs kill it for new builds. Anyone starting fresh should look at modern budget options instead.