first off, an i7 (of that vintage) does not have 8 real cores. It has 4 real cores and 4 virtual cores,
The new i7 has six real cores (and six virtual cores)
second, the fixes for spectre and meltdown cause performance degradations. Intel is in the process of redesigning its cpus so performance will not be degraded.
ironically, ssds are most impacted by the fixes. (you know, the same ssds that were heralded as the “single most effective upgrade” of the last couple of years.)
