Intel Core i7 is a name that the company Intel uses for the computer processors it makes for high-end desktop and laptop computers and tablets. Intel uses this name for the fastest processors that they think will be used to build the most powerful consumer devices. The 'Core' part of the name, which refers to the processor's core, has been used by Intel since 2006, but the first Core i7 processor was released 3 years later in 2009. 