Intel Announces Core X Series Along With Core i9 Chips

Intel has unveiled its Core X series for high-end desktop CPUs along with the new X299 chipset. The Core X lineup will be available for Skylake and Kabylake processors in the name of Skylake-X and Kabylake-X, providing powerful versions of the i5 and i7 models. However, the biggest news is the announcement of the much awaited processor-i9 which is packed with extra firepower in the form of cores.

The Core X series is aimed at gaming enthusiasts and extensive graphical content creators. It is for people who want to run their games at maximum resolution and performance while taking benefit of the increased overall performance in multi-threading, possibly in the field of Photoshop and video editing.

The Core X family starts with the i5-7640X with 4 cores and 4 threads at $242. The i7 has 3 models- the 7740X, the 7800X and the 7830X at 4/8, 6/12 and 8/16 (core/thread) respectively. The price ranges from $339 to $599 depending upon the model.

The i9 is Intel's new monster CPU. It provides 4 models with staggering number of cores. It starts with the 7900X (priced at $999) for 10 cores and 20 threads and extends up to 7960X (priced at $1699) for 16 cores and 32 threads.

However, there is a 5th model of i9- the ultimate processor which claims to provide an astonishing combination of 18 cores and 36 threads- the Core i9 Extreme (7980XE). Its "extreme" specs have valued its price at $2000.

Intel has also thrown in a new feature- Turbo Boost Max Technology for the higher versions of the Core X series. This feature enables the processors to hit the 4.5GHz mark. Intel also claims that the Core X will provide 10% faster multi-thread performance compared to the previous generations, offering the best performance during extensive gaming sessions. The i9 extreme which boasts of its 36 threads and quad channel memory enhances content creation and extreme mega-tasking abilities.

Intel also revealed the new X299 chipset which claims to provide enhanced I/O functionality. It is provided with a LGA 2066 socket which is compatible with the Core X series. The chipset also supports the recently launched Intel Optane memory for faster I/O. The X299 will hit the markets in the second quarter of 2017.

Intel is back in the game after the announcement of the Core X serious. It has also marked the beginning of a fierce battle between Intel and AMD as Intel's Core X series and AMD's Ryzen Threadripper clash head on. However, Since the best Ryzen Threadripper contains 16 cores (Lesser than Intel's i9 Extreme which has 18 cores), it is possible that it can be launched in a more appealing price to divert people's attention to AMD. Also, the number of cores depends on what you do. For example, if you are a gamer, a mega-core CPU will not bring a huge increase in performance. So, the market for these mega-core processors is narrow. Nevertheless, both, AMD and Intel continue to indulge each other in these so called "core wars".