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Intel Core i9-9980XE Extreme Edition claims to be a 9th Generation CPU, however it is clearly a repackaged Core i9-7980XE with different voltage and speed curves that has been topped off with a soldered heat spreader. When we compare the two CPUs on Auto settings you can see the new model runs slightly faster, draws more power and is hotter.
When you overclock both CPUs to 4.6GHz it is very difficult to tell the two chips apart although the thermals of the i9-9980XE are somewhat better under extreme load.
We are not clear why Intel released this family of ‘9th Gen.’ Core X processors, although it seems likely the explanation is that 7th Gen. looks rather elderly now that Coffee Lake Refresh has led the way to 9th Gen. Intel required a new range of Core X CPUs and their well documented problems with 10nm meant we were looking at a rebadging job, rather than a complete overhaul.
The disappointing thing here is that comparing one 18-core CPU with another highlights how similar they are, and also begs comparison with Threadripper 2950X and 2990WX, which doesn’t end well for Intel. That same comparison ignores the changes Intel has made further down the stack where we understand they have moved from LCC silicon to HCC.
For example the 10-core Core i9-9900X now comes with 19.25MB cache which must surely yield some advantage over the Core i9-7900X with 13.75MB, and in addition you get those slightly higher clock speeds and the soldered heat spreader.
The other problem with the Core i9-9980XE is that the price completely ignores the existence of Threadripper. On the one hand you can buy the 16-core Threadripper 2950X for about 40 percent of the price of i9-9980XE or you can buy the 32-core 2990WX and a high end X399 motherboard for the same price as the bare Intel CPU.
It is quite easy to make the case that Core i9-9980XE is a better all-round CPU than Threadripper but who the heck would buy this 18-core monster for email, browsing and shopping on Amazon? It is clearly a CPU that is intended for serious work so you should have no difficulty deciding which specific Threadripper suits your use case. If you have any interest in the value of money we doubt that Core i9-9980XE will be the answer to your particular question.
Looking at the bigger picture we have to think the days of monolithic chips are numbered. We have yet to see the 28-core Intel Xeon W-3175X or the 48-core Cascade Lake AP but these will surely be the end of that technical approach.
Perhaps Intel will work some magic with a new fabrication process but right now it seems their new Foveros approach with 3D chip stacking is the future, while Core i9-9980XE belongs in the past.
You can currently pre-order the i9-9980XE from Overclockers UK for £2269.99 HERE.
Pros:
- Massive all-round performance.
- A simple upgrade for anyone currently using the X299 platform.
- Excellent compatibility with a range of DDR4 memory.
- Supports AVX-512 instructions.
- Better thermals than i9-7980XE when you overclock.
Cons:
- Offers minimal performance benefits over i9-7980XE.
- Pure CPU tests show the advantage of Threadripper 2990WX.
- Brutal power draw when you overclock to the maximum.
- Very expensive when compared with AMD Threadripper.
KitGuru says: Intel has created Core i9-9980XE by giving 7980XE a couple of minor updates. In the meantime AMD has given Threadripper a radical overhaul and the result is that Core i9-9980XE looks outdated and expensive.
