Intel debuted a new range of chipsets at Computex 2017, the Core X series. The star of the range is the Core i9, that goes all the way up to an 18 core behemoth. These chipsets are powerful enough to give the AMD Threadripper ones a run for their money.
The highest end model of the bunch is the Core i9 Extreme, Inte’s first desktop processor with 18 cores and 36 threads, priced at $1999. The Core X series starts with the Core i5-7640X at $242, offering 4 cores and 4 threads. Then there’s the Core i7 X-series, starting at $339 with 4 cores and 8 threads. There’s also an octa core/16 thread $599 Core i7 version in the mix.
The star remains the Core i9, with 4 versions, ranging from $999 for a 10 core/ 20 thread unit to a $1699 16 core/ 32 thread chip. These are all Core X desktop processors, supposed to work perfectly in tandem with the new Intel X299 motherboard chipset. Other novelties were announced at Computex, like the Turbo Boost technology, that has been upgraded on some of the higher end models of the Core X lineup.
There’s now Turbo Boost Max 3.0 available and Intel promised a 30% bump over the Kaby Lake seventh gen chipsets. The Core i9 CPUs will feature 140W TDP, so they’ll be some pretty hungry and hot beasts. That’s why Intel also proposes its own liquid cooling solution, working across the new chipsets. Looking forward to seeing the first devices with these solutions.
