Intel's New X-Series Chips to Compete Against AMD Threadripper in September
Intel wasted no time releasing the full specs of its new Extreme Edition processors, shortly after AMD Ryzen Threadripper benchmarks have begun to surface online.
Seemingly as a response to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper reviews coming up recently, Intel has laid out the specs for their Intel Core X-Series family, several of which are expected to face off against AMD's chips in a few months.
After an initial announcement at Computex 2017, Intel has now published detailed specs of their Core X-Series line of Central Processing Units, including release date and price information.
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At the top end of the new Core X-Series family is the Core i9-7980 Extreme Edition, a top-of the-line CPU with 18 cores and 36 threads running at a base frequency of 2.6 GHz, boosting up to 4.2 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0. The new Turbo Boost 3.0 feature can also increase the speed of two of the chip's fastest cores, bringing the chip up to 4.4 GHz.
This 18-core chip is expected to go against the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, with 16 cores and 32 threads running at a base clock of 3.4 GHz, boosting up to 4.0 GHz. While Intel's chip has a much lower base clock, the company expects the additional 2 cores, plus the slightly lower power consumption (15 watts less) to put it on top of its competition.
Starting at $1,999, the Core i9-7980XE costs more than twice the price of the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, which costs $999. Intel is banking that two more cores and the performance they bring could justify this price differential for buyers when the chip launches on Sep. 25.
Meanwhile, Intel also has a 12-core chip that it will release sooner, on Aug. 28. The Core i9-7920X comes with 24 threads clocked at 2.9 base speed, boosting up to 4.4 GHz with TurboBoost 3.0. Starting at $1,199, it will be more expensive by $400 to the comparable AMD Ryzen 1920X.
The video below introduces Intel's new family of processors geared for enthusiasts and content creators, the Intel Core X-Series.
