What You Should Know About the Intel® Core™ i9 Processor
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Zach Cabading
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November 22, 2018
The Intel® Core i9 is one of the most powerful Intel processors on the mainstream market. It’s faster and smarter than existing CPUs because of its expanded multi-threading capacity and better power efficiency.
It’s an optimal processor for your motherboard if you’re trying to assemble a great gaming rig, or if you dabble in programs that require a wealth of computing power. For example, it’s great if you do a lot of photo editing, digital video editing, music production, or digital animation, just to name a few.
The i9 has two models. The first is the 8th Generation i9-8950HK, which is already on the market. The second model, just released on October 19, is the 9th Generation i9-9900K.
Is the Intel Core i9 right for you? If so, which model should you choose? Read on to answer your questions about the latest processors from Intel.
What does the Intel Core i9 have that other processors don’t?
A processor’s main purpose is to read instructions, known as threads, and perform their dictated actions. The i9 CPU features Intel Hyper-Threading technology. This enables each core to process two threads simultaneously for a speedier performance.
Now consider the fact that the 9th Generation i9 has eight cores, with two threads allocated to each core; the i9 can process 16 threads at once. That’s a ton of processing speed, and is why the core is great for gaming. It can handle the abundance of threads for lightning-fast game-play.
The Intel Turbo Boost Technology is another speed-related enhancement in the i9. If the core isn’t too hot, it’ll increase the processor’s clock frequency by 200 MHz. You’ll get a temporary speed boost, but you won’t have to worry about the processor overheating because the turbo feature will end once the core reaches a certain temperature.
Another great feature of the i9 — especially for techies — is that it comes with an unlocked CPU.
This means that the processor can be overclocked; in other words, you can make it process information at a faster rate than what it was designed for. Not only does this make your computer more customizable, but it could also give you additional processing power to handle intensive applications — as if multi-core hyper-threading and turbo boosts weren’t enough. This isn’t multitasking; it’s mega-tasking.
But there’s more: the integrated Intel Optane® memory delivers even more speed.
Of course, all these speed enhancements would be useless if the Core i9 didn’t have a strong graphics card. But don’t worry, it does. The Core i9 features Intel Ultra High-Definition (UHD) Graphics. This graphics card is capable of playing 4K video, and it’s powerful enough to handle professional video and photo editing applications.
The graphics card isn’t the strongest that Intel has produced, but, supported by all the integrated speed boosts in the Core i9, it can handle any video game that features massive open world environments, or rich and immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences.
What is Intel Optane memory?
Intel Optane memory accelerates your computer’s responsiveness by remembering which documents, applications, and videos you use most frequently.
It’s basically the augmentation of RAM. All computers use Random Access Memory, which memorizes your recent computer activities — but only until the computer powers off.
Intel Optane, on the contrary, remembers your activities even after you shut off the computer. It stores that data in an area that’s physically closer to the processor, so they’ll be transferred to the core for processing in faster time — twice as fast as average speeds.
What’s the difference between the 8th Generation and 9th Generation Core i9?
The i9-8950HK is an 8th Generation Core, while the i9-9900K is a 9th Generation Core. Both models feature smart technology like Intel Hyper-Threading, Intel Turbo Boost, and Intel Optane memory, and they’re both unlocked CPUs.
The 8th Generation Intel i9 processor was built primarily for use with mobile servers, while the 9th Generation Core i9 is built primarily with desktops in mind. For that reason, there’s more muscle on the new i9.
Here are the main differences:
8th Generation
- 12MB cache
- 6 cores and 12 threads
- Speeds up to 4.80 GHz
9th Generation
- 16MB cache
- 8 cores and 16 threads
- Speeds up to 5.0 GHz
- Base frequency 1.7 GHz faster than the 8th Generation
- Can generate 50.0 W more of heat than 8th Generation
Both are extremely capable processors. You should invest in the 8th Generation i9 if you’re upgrading a laptop. You should invest in the 9th Generation i9 if you’re upgrading a desktop computer.
Would I like Intel’s other existing processors?
The previous 8th Generation of Intel processors — aside from the 8th Generation Core i9 — include the Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 laptops. The 8th Generation Cores are fast and smart, equipped with the very same Intel Turbo Boost technology and hyper-threading that the i9 has.
None of these processors, however, have the 8 cores and 16 threads that the i9 has. The Core i9 comes with more muscle, and so it’ll work better for you if you’re a hardcore gamer or creative professional.
Which HP laptops will have Intel Core i9?
Looking for an i9 laptop? These HP ZBook laptop workstations will be outfitted with the 8th Generation Intel Core i9 processors:
HP® has also announced Z Club, which will be a subscription-based service that’s aimed to help creative professionals upgrade their hardware.
Why will HP laptops benefit from Intel Core i9 processors?
The HP ZBook series was designed for creative professionals: digital and fine artists, digital video editors, photo editors, music producers, and animators. Many of these creative applications dig deep into a computer’s memory and graphics subsystems, and they require the core to process a number of complex tasks simultaneously.
The Intel i9, with its overclocking capabilities, UHD graphics card, and stability-centric speed boosts, will further enhance the HP ZBook’s ability to process intensive creative applications.
About the Author
Zach Cabading is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Zach is a content creation specialist based in Southern California, and creates a variety of content for the tech industry.
Disclosure: Our site may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.
All 14 Cores at 5.0 GHz
Within a few weeks, Intel is set to launch its most daring consumer desktop processor yet: the Core i9-9900KS, which offers eight cores all running at 5.0 GHz. There’s going to be a lot of buzz about this processor, but what people don’t know is that Intel already has an all 5.0 GHz processor, and it actually has 14 cores: the Core i9-9990XE. This ultra-rare thing isn’t sold to consumers – Intel only sells it to select partners, and even then it is only sold via an auction, once per quarter, with no warranty from Intel. How much would you pay for one? Well we got one to test.
Build It, And They Will Come
The Core i9-9990XE is the pinnacle of Intel’s 14nm process, binned to such an nth degree that Intel can neither guarantee how many it can produce nor support it in any way or fashion. Unlike other mass market processors, there is no product support on this thing, no such thing as ‘EOL’ – once a system integrator wins it at auction it’s a sunk cost to that integrator. The idea is to sell it on for a premium, before the boss wants it for his own personal system. I mean, who wouldn’t want 14 cores at 5.0 GHz?
This CPU is part of the high-end desktop family of processors, and runs in select X299 motherboards. It’s a Core i9, rather than a Xeon, which means only four memory channels and no ECC support. It does technically support overclocking, although your mileage may vary. This here is a processor for only one market, and it’s a market willing to spend big bucks to get any sort of millisecond latency advantage: high-frequency trading.
At the first auction, we initially knew of three companies that took part. The closed auction was somewhat of a mystery to those wanting to bid: they knew what the hardware was, but not how many Intel were going to offer. Out of the three companies we spoke to, one sat by and didn’t bid, the second got three processors, and a third got the rest. How many that was, we’re not sure – just like how much value these companies put in these parts. As I mentioned at the start: how much would you pay for a 14-core 5.0 GHz all-core processor?
High-Frequency Trading systems are no stranger to esoteric arrangements. Stories of companies spending 10s of millions to implement line-of-sight microwave transmitter towers to shave off 3 milliseconds from the latency time is a story I once heard. All the big financial traders have their servers located as close to the exchange as possible, because the speed of light through an optical cable still isn’t fast enough. These companies not only pay through the nose for the hardware, but also pay experts and specialists to tune those systems for low latency. That means tweaking the memory, overclocking the processor, and even implementing chillers to get a fully stable but the fastest possible system.
So how much would these people pay for a pre-binned 14-core 5.0 GHz processor? Some of them might already be running higher than that, as a standard Core i9-9980XE off the shelf, if you buy enough of them and bin them, could potentially run at this speed. In the end, we got an answer from CaseKing, the recipient of most of these Core i9-9990XE processors: $2800. In fact, since that initial price, it has actually gone up to $2850. Compared to the Core i9-9980XE ($1979), or the newly announced Core i9-10980XE ($999), then yes, traders will easily spend $1000-$2000 more for the lowest latency x86 CPU on the market.
| Intel’s HEDT CPUs | ||||||||
| AnandTech | Cores Threads |
Base Freq |
All Core |
Turbo 2.0 |
Turbo 3.0 |
TDP | PCIe 3.0 |
MSRP |
| Cascade Lake-X | ||||||||
| i9-10980XE | 18 / 36 | 3. |
3.8 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 165 W | 48 | $979 |
| i9-10940X | 14 / 28 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 165 W | 48 | $784 |
| i9-10920X | 12 / 24 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 165 W | 48 | $689 |
| i9-10900X | 10 / 24 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 165 W | 48 | $590 |
| Skylake-X | ||||||||
| i9-9990XE | 14 / 28 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5. |
255 W | 44 | $auction |
| i9-9980XE | 18 / 36 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 165 W | 44 | $1979 |
| i9-9960X | 16 / 32 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 165 W | 44 | $1684 | |
| i9-9940X | 14 / 28 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 165 W | 44 | $1387 | |
| i9-9920X | 12 / 24 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 165 W | 44 | $1189 | |
| i9-9900X | 10 / 20 | 3. |
4.4 | 4.5 | 165 W | 44 | $989 | |
| Coffee Lake Refresh | ||||||||
| i9-9900KS | 8 / 16 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 127 W? | 16 | $513 |
So where do we come in? We have a sample. Technically we have a whole system, from International Computer Concepts, or ICC. ICC is a server specialist – we first met them at Supercomputing 2015 showing off a crazy tower system with 8 different servers in side, but they work closely with Intel to provide specific solutions for different vertical markets: oil and gas, medical, high performance computing, and very importantly, financial. They will sell a system overclocked to the gills.
Unfortunately, due to some proprietary technology, we can’t show you the inside of the server they sent us. It’s a standard 1U design, with an ASUS X299 motherboard inside and 32GB of customized memory. It uses an all-copper custom liquid cooled system that is absolutely overkill for most hardware, but does enough to keep this Core i9-9990XE under control. Being a 1U system, which means 1.75-inches tall (4.45cm), and having to house this monstrous beast means the cooling has to be top class, and ICC doesn’t skimp. To that end, it is also loud. There’s no way you’re having a 1U like this in the same room as you are working, as this thing is loud. More detail inside the review.
On top of the standard out-of-the-box specifications, ICC has done further tweaks to the BIOS to ensure the lowest latency and stability. Again, we’re not able to show you what these are, but we were told not to update the BIOS as part of our testing. The 1U server does have space for two graphics cards, two M.2 drives, four SATA drives, and does come with 1200W power supply. We do have some measurements inside the review for the power as well.
Don’t Drop It
On the face of it, the Core i9-9990XE is a standard LGA2066 chip. It uses Intel’s regular 18-core ‘HCC’ Skylake silicon, however it’s geared towards the ‘consumer’ platform, which is part of Intel’s product segmentation strategy. It doesn’t have ECC support, and so is limited to 128 GB of standard DDR4 memory, although you can bet that any HFT system that uses this part will run high speed memory. The chip has 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes, in line with other LGA2066 consumer parts, and because it isn’t a Xeon, does not support RAS features or vPro for management.
One of the issues with this chip is that at this price, typically we have professional users that require in-band management features and other security elements to make sure their expensive hardware remains secure and affords appropriate manageability. By designating this part a Core i9, rather than something like a Xeon W, Intel takes those offerings off the table: OEMs that purchase and resell the part to end-users have to explain to end-users that this rare chip comes with these limitations.
At this point we do not know how many chips Intel intends to put into the market. Intel is having an auction every quarter with what chips do pass the grade, assuming that any OEMs want to actually buy them for their customers. We could be talking sub-100 units per year, which is a little odd given that Intel doesn’t need to bin these to the same strict longevity standard as other chips as it doesn’t provide a warranty. Because of all this ‘product / not a product’, the Core i9-9990XE doesn’t get its own page in Intel’s processor database, and it will never be given a strict ‘end-of-life’ program as it doesn’t fall under the standard product order/shipping regime. All the long-term support falls at the hands of the company or OEM that buys them.
The Chip and the Competition
Strictly speaking, this Core i9-9990XE is a 14-core processor with a base frequency of 4.0 GHz and a thermal design power at that frequency of 255W. The turbo frequency for this processor is 5.0 GHz on all cores. But this creates a little bit of an issue for an ‘all core 5.0 GHz turbo’ classification.
As stated in our interviews with Intel Fellows about how turbo response should be presented, we explained that how long a system has turbo enabled is dependent on the instructions being used but also by the motherboard manufacturer. Turbo is defined by a higher level power limit (PL2) and a turbo budget time (Tau) which is indicative of a percentage of a power virus. Normally Intel ‘suggests’ a turbo power of 25% higher than TDP (so for 255W, that is 319W), and anywhere from 8-200 seconds of turbo depending on the platform.
For the 1U server we were given for testing, ICC has enabled turbo for an unlimited power for an unlimited time (technically up to 4096 seconds I believe), as they want to enable this CPU to hit 5.0 GHz on all cores all the time. In order to do this, as mentioned above, requires some very effective cooling. It becomes doubly complicated for ICC, given that they want to do this in a 1U, and so have developed some proprietary cooling technology to enable this.
This is as much as I can legally show you about the cooling
Technically this chip supports Turbo Max 3.0, whereby Intel designates the best performing cores for even higher turbo frequencies. In our case, out of the 14 cores, Core 10 was considered the best. Inside Windows, the ACPI interface will detect key software (or software defined by the active window) and try to run it on these cores with an extra frequency bump (+100 MHz or so). For our system, while the TBM3 and ACPI interface did lock software to specific cores, we saw no increase in frequency, due to the way the system has been set up. One of the other key areas for ICC’s customers is low latency but consistent low latency. In order not to modify that consistency, TBM 3.0 has no effect on the processor frequencies for our testing.
The other features of the chip are the quad-channel memory support of DDR4-2666 in single rank mode. ICC supplied our system with custom memory modules and appropriate heatsinks, with the system running at DDR4-3600 CL16. This chip also has 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes, in line with other 9th series Intel HEDT processors.
Competition for the Core i9-9990XE comes from several sides.
One CPU on the books is the upcoming Core i9-9900KS, an eight-core processor that also promotes all eight cores at 5.0 GHz. This chip uses the consumer grade mainstream silicon, and thus only has two memory channels and 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes. This CPU is going to be launched in a couple of days (October 30th), with a $513 MSRP.
Another CPU is the new Cascade Lake-X 18-core flagship, the Core i9-10980XE, for $999. This is the latest high-end desktop processor, with (we assume) the latest security updates from Intel as well as a boost in some of the freuqencies from the Core i9-9980XE. Ultimately this has four more cores than the 9990XE, but lower frequencies, and is cheaper. The user that is lucky enough to get a good sample could perhaps overclock it to match the 9990XE. The Core i9-10980XE also has four more PCIe 3. 0 lanes and the same number of memory channels.
From AMD’s side, the upcoming 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X in November is one angle. Being on 7nm it is certainly more energy efficient, and the Zen 2 microarchitecture has a higher IPC than the Intel part, but the CPU won’t be able to reach the same frequencies. It is also aimed at consumers, with 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes and two memory channels. At an MSRP of $749, it will certainly cost a lot less, however.
We can also look towards AMD’s launch of the next generation of Threadripper, also based on Zen 2 and 7nm. At this point, aside from AMD announcing that they are coming in November and starting with a 24-core CPU, we don’t have many details. It is expected to have four memory channels, 64 PCIe lanes, and might come in around 4.0 GHz. It will still have the issue of not clocking as high as the Intel part, and price/power is an unknown at this point.
AMD has however launched its Zen 2 server hardware, the EPYC 7002 series. Rather than looking at a high frequency 14-core part, users might consider a 32-core CPU here, with eight memory channels, a high IPC, and 128 PCIe 4. 0 lanes. Again, the deficit is going to be in the frequency, which is something that HPC traders desire. The EPYC 7502P retails for around $3400, so in the right server if a HPC trader needs to scale out, this could be an option.
| Comparing the i9-9990XE | ||||||
| Intel | AMD | |||||
| Xeon W-3175X |
Core i9 9990XE |
Core i9 9900KS |
AnandTech | Ryzen 7 3950X |
TR 2 2990WX |
EPYC 7542 |
| 28 | 14 | 8 | Cores | 16 | 32 | 32 |
| 56 | 28 | 16 | Threads | 32 | 64 | 64 |
| 3. |
4.0 | 4.0 | Base | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| 5.0 | 5.0 | All-Core | ||||
| 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | Turbo | 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.4 |
| 255 W | 255 W | 127 W? | TDP | 105 W | 250 W | 225W |
| 6 x 2666 | 4 x 2666 | 2 x 2666 | DDR4 | 2 x 3200 | 4 x 2933 | 8 x 3200 |
| 48 | 44 | 16 | PCIe | 24 | 64 | 128 |
| $2999 | $auction | $513 | MSRP | $749 | $1799 | $3400 |
For any comparison you make, there’s no denying that the Core i9-9990XE pushes the boundaries for Intel’s binning on its 14nm process. This is why it has no MSRP, and why Intel can’t predict how many it will be able to manufacture in any given quarter. For whatever the OEMs end up paying for it at auction, the fact that CaseKing has it for sale (with 1 year OEM warranty) for 2849 Euro, means that it sits well above any other Intel high-end desktop processor, and with good reason.
Our Testbed
It should be noted that Intel’s recent updates regarding Spectre, Meltdown, and ZombieLoad may have an effect on performance. Based on data we’ve seen at Intel, the mitigations hurt the newest hardware the least (compared to say, Broadwell). The system provided by ICC does not have firmware mitigations in place, however we did use an OS version that had some of the software implemented fixes. ICC was clear that some of its customers, while concerned about these issues, just want the fastest system possible based on the way they use these systems.
As a result, our results here are ultimately not in the same ‘ilk’ as our previous reviews. Because of the custom BIOS being used, with the overclock options locked down, the benchmark data will not necessarily mirror an ‘off-the-shelf’ installation, but will mirror a pre-built system which is ultimately what these chips are aimed for. As a result, we’re putting an Asterisk by our results, to indicate that the environment for this chip was different.
CPU: Intel Core i9-9990XE, 14 Cores, 4.0 GHz Base, 5.0 GHz Turbo, 255W TDP, $Auction
DRAM: 4×8 GB Custom ICC Modules, DDR4-3600 CL16
Motherboard: ASUS X299
GPU: Sapphire Radeon RX460 2GB
Cooling: ICC Proprietary Liquid Cooling
Power Supply: Dual 1200W 1U Redundant Supplies
Storage: Micron MX500 1TB SSD
Chassis: 1U Rack Server
In our reviews, we normally take an open-air testbed with powerful cooling, a powerful motherboard, DRAM at manufacturer supported frequencies, and the latest public BIOS for that motherboard.
For our benchmarks, we ran our standard CPU suite. Due to the 1U arrangement, and where this chip is focused, we did not install a large GPU for gaming tests. Users looking at this system wanting to pair it with a large CUDA card for financial simulation will likely have a field day, but for gaming, that is best left to the Core i9-9900KS when it comes out.
Also, while this CPU is overclockable, the motherboard supplied had a locked BIOS on overclocking: ICC has configured it for performance and stability, and we were unable to even open the appropriate menus in the BIOS to perform overclocking.
If there is a sufficient request from readers, we’ll look into taking the chip and running it in a different motherboard for gaming and overclocking performance. I’ll have to see if my best cooling solution will be sufficient.
Pages In This Review
- Analysis and Competition
- The Core i9-9990XE: Compilation Champion
- CPU Performance: Rendering Tests
- CPU Performance: Encoding Tests
- CPU Performance: System Tests
- CPU Performance: Office Tests
- CPU Performance: Web and Legacy Tests
- Power Consumption and Thermals
- Conclusions and Final Words
Core i9-9990XE: The Compilation Champion
The Intel Core i9-9990XE ReviewCore i9-9990XE: The Compilation ChampionCPU Performance: Rendering TestsCPU Performance: Encoding TestsCPU Performance: System TestsCPU Performance: Office TestsCPU Performance: Web and Legacy TestsPower Consumption, Frequencies, and ThermalsIntel Core i9-9990XE Conclusion
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Intel introduced the 18-core Core i9 Extreme from the Core X line / Sudo Null IT News
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/ photo Chris Isherwood CC
The youngest model in the line is the Core i5-7640X with four cores and the same number of threads (preliminary cost $242).
The Core i7 X series has four or ten cores and eight or twenty threads. As for the Core i9 X series, it will include processors with 12 and 16 cores, 24 and 32 threads, respectively.
Also launching the first 18-core Core i9 consumer desktop processorExtreme with 36 threads (preliminary price $1999).
It was called the Intel Core i9-7980X and is a kind of response to AMD’s Ryzen chip. The chip belongs to the Skylake-X CPU family, compatible with LGA2066 motherboards (based on the X299 chipset) and has a new revised cache hierarchy: 24.75 MB L3 and 18 MB L2. The Core i9-7980XE will have a TDP of 165W.
The new Skylake-X processors will use thermal paste instead of high thermal conductivity metal solder as the material for transferring heat from the processor die to the thermal cover. Thus, Intel plans to unify the production technology of processors. nine0005
It is known that the previously introduced Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technologies will help the processor. The latter uses the power of the driver and the information stored in the CPU to distribute the workload to the fastest cores. As expected, as part of Turbo Boost 3.0, Skylake-X frequencies will increase up to 4.5 GHz.
About Intel
Intel is a manufacturer of electronic devices and computer components, including microprocessors and chipsets. The company was founded by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore at 1968 year. Intel made a significant contribution to the development of computer technology — specifications for many ports, buses, standards and command systems were developed with the participation of Intel.
P.S. More on our blog:
- vSphere Performance Optimization: Solving Major CPU Issues
- vSphere Performance Optimization: Solving Common CPU Issues (Part 2)
- OEMs and IaaS: chasing the cloud trend
- Unboxing Cisco UCS M4308 Servers
- Unboxing all-flash storage NetApp AFF A300: specifications and inside view
- DPC of an IaaS provider: IT-GRAD cloud platform in SDN
- «The Power of IaaS»: How Cloud Technologies Are Used in the Automotive Industry
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Specifications Intel Core i9-7960X Skylake-X: tests, competitors, price 9-7960X — 2.
8 GHz. The maximum frequency in Intel Turbo Boost mode reaches 4.4 GHz. Please note that the Intel Core i9-7960X cooler must cool processors with a TDP of at least 165W at stock frequencies. When overclocked, the requirements increase.
Thanks to the built-in N/A video core, the computer can work without a discrete graphics card because the monitor is connected to the video output on the motherboard.
Price in Russia
Want to buy Core i9-7960X cheap? Look at the list of stores that already sell the processor in your city. nine0006 The speed of caches and working with RAM is also important.
Speed in office use
Performance in everyday work such as browsers and office applications.
The performance of 1 core has the greatest impact on the result, since most of these applications use only one, ignoring the rest.
Similarly, many professional applications such as various CADs ignore multi-threaded performance. nine0005
Speed in heavy applications
Performance in resource-intensive tasks loading a maximum of 8 cores.
The performance of all cores and their number have the greatest impact on the result, since most of these applications willingly use all the cores and increase the speed accordingly.
At the same time, certain periods of work can be demanding on the performance of one or two cores, for example, applying filters in the editor.
Data obtained from tests by users who tested their systems with and without overclocking. Thus, you see the average values corresponding to the processor.
Speed of numerical operations
Simple household tasks |
||
| Minimum | Average | Maximum |
| 67 | Memory: 77 | 92 |
|
Memory 79. |
||
| 89 | 1 core: 124 | 151 |
|
1 core 53.4 |
||
| 180 | 2 cores: 246 | 299 |
|
2 cores 53.4 |
||
Demanding games and tasks |
||
| Minimum | Average | Maximum |
| 356 | 4 cores: 483 | 597 |
|
4 cores 52. |
||
| 712 | 8 cores: 952 | 1197 |
|
8 cores 54.7 |
Extreme |
||
| Minimum | Average | Maximum |
| 1951 | All cores: 2485 | 317 |
|
nine0006 All cores
41.3 |
Different tasks require different CPU strengths. A system with few fast cores and low memory latency will be fine for the vast majority of games, but will be inferior to a system with a lot of slow cores in a rendering scenario.
We believe that a minimum of 4/4 (4 physical cores and 4 threads) processor is suitable for a budget gaming PC. At the same time, some games can load it at 100%, slow down and freeze, and performing any tasks in the background will lead to a drop in FPS. nine0005
Ideally, the budget shopper should aim for a minimum of 4/8 and 6/6. A gamer with a big budget can choose between 6/12, 8/8 and 8/16. Processors with 10 and 12 cores can perform well in games with high frequency and fast memory, but are overkill for such tasks. Also, buying for the future is a dubious undertaking, since in a few years many slow cores may not provide sufficient gaming performance.
When choosing a processor for your work, consider how many cores your programs use. For example, photo and video editors can use 1-2 cores when working with filtering, and rendering or converting in the same editors already uses all threads. nine0005
Data obtained from tests by users who tested their systems both with overclocking (maximum value in the table) and without (minimum). A typical result is shown in the middle, the more filled in the color bar, the better the average result among all tested systems.
Compare
Benchmarks
Benchmarks were run on stock hardware, that is, without overclocking and with factory settings. Therefore, on overclocked systems, the points can noticeably differ upwards. Also, small performance changes may be due to the BIOS version. nine0005
Cinebench R23 Single Core
Intel Core i5-10400F
1120
Intel Core i7-7700
1114
Intel Core i7-9750H
1113
AMD Ryzen 3 3100
1105
AMD Ryzen TR 2990WX
1103
Intel Core i9-7960x
1103
AMD Ryzen TR 2990WX
Intel Core I7-10510U
1102
Intel Core I5-10-1035000 10
Intel COREN0002 Intel Core i5-1035G7
1092
Intel Core i7-6950X
1091
Cinebench R23 Multi Core
Intel Core i9-10980XE
24309
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
24050
Intel Core i9- 12950hx
23019
Intel Core i7-12700k
22812
Intel Core i7-12700KF
22812
Intel Core I9-7960x
22189
005
Intel Core i7-12700
21568
Intel Core i7-12700F
21568
AMD Ryzen TR 2950X
21444
Intel Core i9-10940X
21309
Cinebench R15 Single Core
Intel Core i9 -7980XE
184
Intel Core i7-8559U
184
Intel Core i9-9820x
Intel Core i7-1065g7
184
Intel Core i7-7800x 9000. 0006 Intel Core i9-7960x
184
Intel Core i9-7980xe
184
Intel Core i7-7800x
184
I7-8559U
interl.
Intel Core i7-9750H
184
Cinebench R15 Multi Core
Intel Core i7-12700K
3327
Intel Core i9-9980XE
3240
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
3192
AMD Ryzen TR 2950X
3187
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
3168
Intel Core i9-7960X
3161
Intel Core i9-10940X
3117
AMD Ryzen TR 1950X
2986
Intel Core i9-12900HX
2894
Intel Core i9-9960x
2872
Intel Core i9-7940x
2849
Geekbench 5 Single Core
. 222222222222 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000)0006 1132
Intel Core i9-9880H
1127
Intel Core i9-7920x
1126
Intel Core I9-8950HK
9000.222221 9000
1120
Intel Core i7-10510u
1118
Intel Core i3-10300
1118
Intel Core i7-7800x
1114
Intel Core i7-9850H
9000 9000 9000b 9000b 9000b 9000b 9000b 9000b 9000b0128
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
14322
Intel Core i9-9960X
14314
Intel Core i9-9940X
13946
AMD Ryzen 9 5900
13874
Intel Core i9-10940X
13831
Intel Core i9-7960x
13468
AMD RYZEN 9 3900XT
12974
Intel Core i9-7940x
12964
Intel Core I9-920x
9000 12763
I
I
I
I
I
I
. STOM0006 12703
Intel Core i9-12900H
12662
Blender 2.81 bmw27
Intel Core i9-7940X
121.7
Intel Core i9-7920X
120.9
AMD Ryzen TR 2950X
116.3
AMD Ryzen 9 3900x
115.9
Intel Core i9-10920x
115.3
Intel Core i9-7960x
111.4
Intel Core I9960X
104.3 9000
Intel I9-12
06 87
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
85.4
Intel Core i9-7980XE
77
AMD Ryzen TR 2970WX
75.3
Geekbench 3 Single Core
Intel Core i7-7700
4779
AMD Ryzen TR 2970WX
4765
AMD Ryzen TR 2920x
4765
Intel Core i9-7980xe
4763
Intel Core I7-7800x
4763
INTEL Core INTEL CORE INTEL CORE INTEL CORE INTEL CORE INTEL CORE0005
Intel Core i9-7980XE
4763
Intel Core i7-7800X
4763
Intel Core i7-6700K
4757
AMD Ryzen TR 2990WX
4721
Intel Xeon E3-1245 v6
4671
Geekbench 3 Multi Core
AMD Ryzen TR 2990WX
95261
AMD Ryzen TR 2970WX
74753
Intel Core i9-7980XE
64908
AMD Ryzen TR 2950X
60465
AMD Ryzen TR 1950X
60292
Intel Core i9-7960X
59374
Intel Core i9-7940X
53446
Intel Xeon E5-2670 v2
48560
AMD Ryzen TR 2920X
46721
AMD RYZEN TR 1920X
46506
Intel Core i9-7920x
45772
Cinebench R11.
5
Intel Core I7-87505 9000 2.15
Intel Core I7-105 9000.3000 Intel Core I7-10002 Intel Core i5-7600
2.14
Intel Core i7-7800x
2.14
Intel Core I9-7980XE
2.14
Intel Core I9000 2.4
.4
AMD RYZEN AMD RYZEN TR 1920X
2.13
Intel Core i3-8350k
2.12
Intel Core i3-7300
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 9000 2.1 9000
CineBench R111. R11111111111111111111111111111.ITEL CINEBENCH R111.00KS
49.78
AMD Ryzen TR 2970WX
43.88
Intel Core i9-7980XE
37.91
AMD Ryzen TR 2950X
35. 62
AMD Ryzen TR 1950X
35.39
Intel Core i9-7960X
34.67
Intel Core i9-7940x
31.21
AMD Ryzen TR 2920x
27.6
AMD Ryzen TR 1920x
27.1
I9-7920X
9000 26.7000 26-7900X
24.1
Passmark
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
28124
AMD Ryzen TR 1950X
27876
Intel Core i5-12600K
27745
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
27601
Intel Core i5 -12600KF
27418
Intel Core i9-7960x
26918
Intel Core i7-12700H
26757
AMD Ryzen 7 5700x
26685
Intel Core I9-10006 26485
Intel Core i9-7940X
26333
AMD Ryzen 7 5800
25834
Tests in games
Tests in games against system requirements
Intel Core i-7. Please note that the official requirements of developers in games do not always match the data of real tests. Also, the result is strongly influenced by the overclocking of the system and the graphic settings in the game. We test at high settings in FullHD resolution to get numbers close to real gameplay. nine0048
SSD
- 970 Evo Plus NVMe PCIe M.2 1TB
- 960 Evo NVMe PCIe M.2 500GB
- 960 Pro NVMe PCIe M.2 512GB
computer based on Core i9-7960X. Also with these components, the best results in tests and stable operation are achieved.
Most popular config: motherboard for Intel Core i9-7960X — Asus ROG STRIX X299-E GAMING, graphics card — GTX 1080-Ti, SSD — 970 Evo Plus NVMe PCIe M.2 1TB.
Features
Main
| Socket Installed in motherboards with a suitable socket. Note that a socket is not guaranteed to be compatible. The manufacturer may not add support to the BIOS. | LGA 2066 |
| Manufacturer Firm | Intel |
| Presentation datePresentation in mass media, official information. | 2017-09-01 |
| Code name of the Microarchitecture family. | Skylake-X |
| GenerationCode name for the microarchitecture generation. | Core i9 (X-Series) |
Performance
| Cores The total number of physical cores. | 16 |
| ThreadsNumber of threads. The number of logical processor cores that the operating system sees. | 32 |
| Multi-Threading Technology With Intel’s Hyper-threading and AMD’s SMT technology, one physical core is recognized by the operating system as two logical cores, thereby increasing processor performance in multi-threaded applications. | Hyper-threading (note that some games may not work well with Hyper-threading, for maximum FPS you can try to disable the technology in the BIOS of the motherboard). |
| Base frequencyGuaranteed frequency of all cores (P-cores in the case of the corresponding architecture) of the processor at maximum load. It is important to remember that speed and frequency are not directly related. For example, a new processor at a lower frequency may be faster than an old one at a higher one. | 2.8 GHz |
| Turbo frequency The maximum frequency of one processor core in turbo mode. Manufacturers allow modern processors to independently increase the frequency of one or more cores under low-threaded loads, due to which performance is noticeably increased. It may depend on the nature of the load, the number of loaded cores, temperature and the specified limits. Significantly affects the speed in games and applications that are demanding on the frequency of the CPU, but do not load all threads. nine0161 | 4.4 GHz |
| Free multiplier Allows you to specify any multiplier, which is convenient for manual overclocking. |
Yes |
| BCLK System bus frequency. Some motherboards allow you to achieve a good performance boost by slightly raising the bus frequency. Often this has a bad effect on the stability of the system. nine0161 | 100 |
| CPU multiplier. The final CPU frequency is determined by the simple formula BCLK * CPU multiplier. Modern processors instantly change the multiplier of each of the cores, taking into account the type of load, temperature, consumption and settings in the BIOS. | 28 |
| TDPThermal Design Power is an indicator that determines heat dissipation in standard operation. The cooler or water cooling system must be rated for a larger value. Remember that with a factory bus or manual overclocking, TDP increases significantly. nine0161 | 165 W |
Cache and RAM
| L1 Cache First level cache. |
64K (per core) |
| L2 Cache Second level cache. Holds more data, but is slower. | |
| L3 Cache L3 cache. AMD created the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with a record-breaking L3 volume, which reduced the requirements for memory frequency and significantly increased the number of frames in many games. | 22MB (shared) |
| Maximum RAM Amount of RAM that can be installed on a motherboard with this processor. | 128 GB |
| Supported type of RAM The type of RAM depends on its frequency and timings (speed), availability, price. | DDR4 Quad-channel |
| RAM Channels The multi-channel memory architecture increases data transfer speed. |
4 |
Video core
| Integrated graphics core Allows you to use your computer without a discrete graphics card. The monitor is connected to the video output on the motherboard. If earlier integrated graphics made it possible to simply work at a computer, today it can replace budget video accelerators and makes it possible to play most games at low settings. | N/A |
PCI
| PCI-E The computer bus version of PCI Express. The bandwidth and power limit depend on the version. There is backward compatibility. | Gen 3 |
Details
| Model Official name. | i9-7960X |
| ArchitectureCode name for the microarchitecture generation. |
Skylake-X |
| Chip manufacturer A company that manufactures chips in its own factory. | Intel |
| Process The manufacturing process, measured in nanometers. The smaller the technical process, the more perfect the technology, the lower the heat dissipation and power consumption. For Ryzen with a chiplet layout, the CCD process is implied. | 14 nm |
| Socket type | FC-LGA2066 |
| Spec Code | unknown |
| DescriptionInformation about the processor, taken from the official website of the manufacturer. | Intel® Core™ i9-7960X X-series Processor (22M Cache, up to 4.20 GHz) |
| Extended instruction set Allows you to speed up calculations, processing and execution of certain operations. | SSE4.1/4.2, AVX2, AVX-512 |
| Bus frequency The speed of communication with the system. | 8 GT/s DMI3 |
| Cooling system specifications | PCG 2017X |
Competitors
| Games | Office | Heavy Load | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better than | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| Worse than | AMD Ryzen 7 1700X | AMD Ryzen 7 2700 | AMD Ryzen 7 5700X |
Please note that competitors are selected automatically based on performance in a particular task.