Let’s fake for a second that you just’re the kind of one that has a grand to spend in your CPU. Your longing for cores is aware of no bounds, and also you gobble up threads like bowls of digital spaghetti. You’re the form of one that takes one take a look at my best gaming CPU record and laughs as a result of chips like Intel’s Core i7-9700K simply don’t have the uncooked pace and energy you starvation for. You, my buddy, need the X-rated stuff. The XTREME. Well, you’ll be very happy to listen to, then, that not solely are Intel releasing a 4 new Core X-series desktop processors someday later subsequent month in November, however that the top-end (and oh so memorably named) Intel Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition additionally (lastly) prices lower than a thousand bucks. Rejoice!
Previously, Intel’s X-series chips got here in nicely above that $1000-odd value level. Indeed, its rapid predecessor, the Core i9-9980XE at the moment goes for nearly double that – a cool £1885 / $1990, to be exact. The new Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition, however, is slated to price “just” $979 (UK pricing TBC) when it launches in November, placing Intel’s very prime desktop processors inside a lot larger attain of hardcore fanatics.
They’re nonetheless far too costly for somebody like me to ever take into account getting one, after all. I simply don’t have the necessity for that form of energy. However, if you happen to’re the form of one that hears the phrases “18 cores, 36 threads and a max turbo boost speed of 4.8GHz” (which is so much for a CPU with so many cores) and finds your self getting a little bit scorching underneath the collar, then it’s possible you’ll assume it’s value scraping collectively the money for it. For extra key specs, take a look on the desk under.
| CPU | Cores / Threads | Base Clock Speed | Turbo Boost pace (2.zero tech) | Turbo Boost Max pace (3.zero tech) | All Core Turbo Speed | TDP | Pricing (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9-10980XE Extreme Edition | 18 / 36 | 3.0GHz | 4.6GHz | 4.8GHz | 3.8GHz | 165W | $979 |
| Intel Core i9-10940X X-Series | 14 / 28 | 3.3GHz | 4.6GHz | 4.8GHz | 4.1GHz | 165W | $784 |
| Intel Core i9-10920X X-Series | 12 / 24 | 3.5GHz | 4.6GHz | 4.8GHz | 4.3GHz | 165W | $689 |
| Intel Core i9-10900X X-Series | 10 / 20 | 3.7GHz | 4.5GHz | 4.7GHz | 4.3GHz | 165W | $590 |
Other essential new options embody assist for as much as a whopping 256GB of DDR4-2933 RAM, Wi-Fi 6 assist, and Intel’s Deep Learning Boost expertise, the latter of which helps to speed up AI workloads – useful, say, if you happen to’re a game developer or animator or another such artistic skilled who frequently offers with this sort of factor.
Needless to say, you’ll want some severe cooling equipment to go along with these processors, however Intel additionally advised me that they managed to get the Core i9-10980XE working at a nippy 5.1GHz when overclocked with simply “standard liquid cooling in the lab”. No swimming pools of liquid nitrogen required. Of course, their interpretation of “standard” liquid cooling is perhaps utterly totally different to an everyday PC individual’s definition of ordinary liquid cooling (Intel didn’t elaborate on what that truly meant in observe), nevertheless it’s clear that avid overclockers could have lots to sink their enamel into right here.
There’s nonetheless no phrase on a precise launch date but – even Intel’s present November launch window remains to be a bit tentative, all advised – but when any of the above sound like your form of processors, then you definitely higher begin saving up now.
