Intel introduces Core i9-9980XE with 18 cores and clock speed of 3GHz
Intel has updated its Core X processor line for high performance desktops. It is still about Skylake X processors, but the new generation has higher clock speeds in particular.
The new Core X generation is Basin Falls Refresh, or a refresh of the Skylake X line that Intel announced last year. The most powerful model of that line was the i9-7980XE with eighteen cores and the new Core i9-9980XE also has so many cores, but with higher clock speeds. With this line, Intel focuses on premium content creation, such as people in the graphics sector who require the necessary computing power.
In total, this concerns seven new processors for the hedt platform. As with the Coffee Lake Refresh for the desktop, Intel uses a soldered ihs with the new X series for better cooling performance. The entire line supports up to 44 pci-e lanes and except for the Core i9-9980XE, 9960X and 9940, the processors have more L3 cache than their predecessors. However, those processors also consume more than their previous generation counterparts: they now all have a TDP of 165W. The multipliers are unlocked on all processors.
The arrival of the new hedt platform is not accompanied by a new chipset. The processors will be combined with the X299 chipset and for existing motherboards this means a bios update will be required for compatibility. The new Core X series will be released in November.
| Core i9-9980XE | Skylake-X | 18/36 | 3 / 4.4 / 4.5GHz | 24.75MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 165W | $1979 |
| Core i9-7980XE | Skylake-X | 18/36 | 2.6 / 4.2 / 4.4GHz | 24.75MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 165W | $1999 |
| Core i9-9960X | Skylake-X | 16/32 | 3.1 / 4.4 / 4.5GHz | 22MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 165W | $1684 |
| Core i9-7960X | Skylake-X | 16/32 | 2.8 / 4.2 / 4.4GHz | 22MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 165W | $1699 |
| Core i9-9940X | Skylake-X | 14/28 | 3.3 / 4.4 / 4.5GHz | 19.25MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 165W | $1387 |
| Core i9-7940X | Skylake-X | 14/28 | 3.1 / 4.3 / 4.4GHz | 19.25MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 165W | $1399 |
| Core i9-9920X | Skylake-X | 12/24 | 3.5 / 4.4 / 4.5GHz | 19.25MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 140W | $1189 |
| Core i9-7920X | Skylake-X | 12/24 | 2.9 / 4.3 / 4.5GHz | 16.5MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 140W | $1199 |
| Core i9-9900X | Skylake-X | 10/20 | 3.5 / 4.3 / 4.5GHz | 19.25MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 140W | $989 |
| Core i9-7900X | Skylake-X | 10/20 | 3.3 / 4.3 / 4.5GHz | 13.75MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 140W | $999 |
| Core i7-9820X | Skylake-X | 10/20 | 3.3 / 4.1 / 4.2GHz | 16.5MB | 44 | ddr4-2666 | 140W | $899 |
| Core i7-7820X | Skylake-X | 8/16 | 3.6 / 4.3 / 4.5GHz | 11MB | 28 | ddr4-2666 | 140W | $599 |
| Core i7-9800X | Skylake-X | 8/16 | 3.8 / 4.4 / 4.5GHz | 16.5MB | 44 | ddr4-2400 | 140W | $589 |
| Core i7-7800X | Skylake-X | 6/12 | 3.5 / 4.0GHz / – | 8.25MB | 28 | ddr4-2400 | 140W | $389 |