Benchmarks: CPU
The 4.2GHz top speed of the Core i7-7700 ought to give the GR8 II an advantage over the Core i7-6700-based ROG G20CB in all the benchmarks. We see the benefit of the newer chip in PiFast and Cinebench, but not in Handbrake. Digging into the log files reveals that the CPU couldn't maintain 4.0GHz across all cores during a demanding workload, as actual speed often dropped to 3.7GHz when working flat-out.
Still, the Kaby Lake chip is hardly slow and delivers a sizeable punch for a diminutive machine - it hasn't escaped our attention that it's faster than a towering X99 rig in the single-threaded stakes.