Intel has just revealed an all-new Core-X lineup of chips for desktop computers at Computex 2017 along with a monster Core i9 processor which is offered in four models. The new Core-X series caters to hard-core gamers or video editors who want the latest and the best performance from their computers.
The Core-X lineup consists of the base model which has 4 cores all the way to the top with the i9 which has 18 cores and 36 threads – a first for any desktop processor.
The base models are the Core i5-7640X and the Core i7-7740X which are built on Kaby Lake-X, while the others are solely based on the new Skylake-X architecture. The whole Core-X series is designed to work with the new Intel X299/LGA2066 “Basin Falls” platform which should roll out to partner products soon.
Now coming to the lowest model, the Core i5-7640X costs $242, offers 4-cores and 4-threads. It is clocked at 4.0GHz base speed and can be boosted up to 4.2 GHz. Also, it has 6MB L3 cache. The chip supports two-channel DDR4-2666 memory and has a TDP of 112W.
The Core i7-7740x also has 4-cores but it doubles the threads of the previous i5 model. It can be Turbo Boosted up to 4.2GHz. The L3 cache here is 8MB L3 cache. This is the base variant of the i7 series we are talking about, costing $339. There are other variants all the way up to $599 with 10-core / 20-thread model.
King of the Hill is the Core i9 which has four models namely, the i9-7920X, i9-7940X, i9-7960X, and i9-7980XE. This range starts with a 10-core/24-thread variant with Hyper-Threading. It is clocked at 3.3 GHz and with Turbo Boost 3.0 it can go up to 4.5 GHz. The cache allotment is 13.75Mb. It is priced at $999. Other higher models include 12/24, 14/28, 16/32, and 18/36 core/thread counts which are priced at $1199, $1399, $1699, and $1999, respectively.
