ninth Gen Intel X-series CPUs coming in November, with as much as 18 cores of soldered silicon

Intel has formally introduced model new X-series CPUs. These HEDT (high-end desktop) processors are set to launch in November, and have a return to soldered TIM (thermal interface materials) for higher temps and better overclocking potential, as much as 68-lanes of PCIe 3.0, and as much as 18-cores of computational energy.

The new chips make up a refresh of Intel’s Skylake-X chips, and utilise the identical structure and 14nm++ course of. The structure was first launched again in 2017 alongside Kaby Lake-X chips supposed to bridge the hole between the mainstream and HEDT house. It seems to be like Intel’s ditched the four-core Kaby Lake-X chips, nevertheless, with an eight-core CPU making up the entry stage for the brand new X-series.

The high X-series chip launching earlier than the tip of the 12 months would be the i9 9980XE, an 18-core CPU. This follows on from the 18-core chip from final 12 months, the i9 7980XE Extreme Edition. The i9 7980XE launched for $2,000, however contemplating AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper chips supply comparable, or increased, core counts for much less money, Intel might want to drop its top-tier pricing down to take care of competitiveness – though that isn’t a method Intel has employed elsewhere.

But if that chip seems to be a bit of too dear, and you continue to want some severe processing energy for content material creation, streaming, or skilled work, then we do know that the entry-level chip would be the i7 9800X, an eight-core chip.

So far there’s no pricing for this processor, or any of the chips outlined in Intel’s livestream for that matter, however this processor will certainly be extra expensive than the i9 9900K – it’s not the perfect naming conference, I do know – set to deliver eight-cores to the mainstream market on October 19 for roughly $500. As such, the i9 9900Okay may make the i7 9800X, on a dearer platform, largely redundant for all however very area of interest customers.

All the chips will characteristic soldered TIM, a producing characteristic that was briefly faraway from Intel’s high HEDT chips final gen however has since resurfaced. The solder aids in thermal dissipation, and is usually most popular to the opposite materials often utilized in lieu of solder in any other case.

The lack of TIM on earlier chips had led to delidding coming to the fore, the method of eradicating the inventory warmth spreader thermal materials and changing it with one thing extra environment friendly. That will now not be an avenue for overclockers searching for higher temps, or required for prime clocks.

These chips, primarily based upon the identical Skylake-X structure as final 12 months’s X-series, don’t include {hardware} mitigations for safety vulnerabilities present in Intel chips initially of 2018. Instead, Intel is resorting to software program mitigations to maintain the likes of Spectre, Meltdown, and Foreshadow at bay.

Intel’s X-series CPUs will begin delivery this November. Previous rumours had alluded to a brand new Z399 platform, nevertheless, it seems to be like these will probably be launching onto the identical X299 platform rolled out final 12 months. Pricing will probably be key for Intel on this subsequent era of HEDT chips, as AMD’s Threadripper has upped the core counts considerably previously few years, lowered costs, and general put strain on Intel’s earlier unrivalled dominance.