Intel finalizes Core X specifications
May saw the announcement of Intel's new Core X processors, which are essentially Santa Clara's official response to the advance of AMD's Ryzen and Threadripper chips. The models belonging to the Core i9 family had incomplete specifications, but Intel decided to end the embargo yesterday, filling in the missing slots. The numbers speak of a base frequency of 2.6 GHz for the 18-core variant, and a single-core Turbo mode that can reach 4.4 GHz.
AMD held nothing back during the launch of Threadripper. Presence at conventions, special agreements, press kits... the Sunnyvale giant went looking for a fight, and found it. The surprise factor left Intel completely off balance, but it didn't take long for Intel to go on the offensive with its brand-new Core X and the X299 chipset. Now, what Intel gained in speed it lost in elegance, and at the time of the presentation, the technical information was incomplete. The four top models belonging to the Core i9 family had only revealed the number of cores and threads. With AMD's cards on the table, it's time for Intel to do its part and fill the gaps.
Let's recap: The Core X series is divided into two sub-architectures, Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X. In the case of Kaby Lake-X, we find only two models, the Core i5-7640X (4C/4T, 4.0/4.2 GHz) and the Core i7-7740X (4C/8T, 4.3/4.5 GHz), while the rest falls under the wing of Skylake-X. The other seven processors are divided into LCC (low-core-count) and HCC (high-core-count) silicon, whose specifications were confirmed yesterday. The Core i9-7920X has frequencies of 2.9/4.3/4.4 GHz and a TDP of 140 watts. The Core i9-7940X rises to 3.1 GHz base but retains the same Turbo levels, and its TDP goes up to 165 watts. In contrast, the i9-7960X and i9-7980XE must concede a bit of ground given the high core count, with 2.8 and 2.6 GHz base frequencies, and Turbos split into 4.2 GHz or 4.4 GHz single-core. Like the 7940X, their TDP is 165 watts.
If we have to analyze a potential problem in the Core X series, and set aside the cost issue (if those prices remain fixed, Core X competes more with EPYC than with Threadripper), enthusiasts will surely put pressure on the number of available PCI Express lanes. That a $600 processor delivers only 28 lanes is unacceptable for a high-performance platform, and the 44 lanes of the Core i9 pale in comparison to Threadripper's '60+4'. However, specification tables only serve as a reference, and we'll have to wait for benchmarks. Fortunately, the delay won't be that long: The Core i9-7920X will be available starting August 28, and its three older siblings will debut on September 25.
