Intel's latest Core-X series processors might feature some impressive overclocking capabilities as demonstrated by two overclockers. The previews posted by Der8auer and Lucky_n00b show that Intel's 10 core, Core i9-7900X can reach 5 GHz on AIO cooling.
Intel's Core-X Processors Impressive Overclocking Capabilities Previewed - Core i9-7900X With 10 Cores Hits 5 GHz on AIO Cooling
The Intel Core i9-7900X is the 10 Core, 20 thread replacement to the Core i7-6950X. This chip will come with 10 cores, 20 threads but on a new Skylake architecture. The chip will feature a total of 13.75 MB cache, that’s 1.375 MB per core. The core clocks are maintained at 3.3 GHz base, 4.3 GHz boost with Intel Turbo 2.0 and 4.5 GHz boost with Intel Turbo 3.0. That’s a vast improvement over the current models and the chip will supposedly feature good overclocking capabilities with its TDP of 140W. The chip will have 44 PCIe Gen 3.0 lanes.
The Intel Core i9-7900X will be priced at $999 US which may sound expensive but Intel was selling their Core i7-6950X for over $1500 US, a year ago. The Core i7-6950X may pack the same amount of cores and threads but featured lower clock speeds, a previous gen architecture that utilized the 14nm process node without the same refinements that we will see on Skylake X CPUs.
The chip was clocked at 3.0 GHz base (3.3 GHz on i9), 3.5 GHz boost (4.3 GHz on i9) and 4.0 GHz Boost 3.0 clock (4.5 GHz on i9). We can also expect the improvement in performance coming from clock speed enhancements but there’s also a rebalanced cache structure and slight architectural updates. While we have already seen stock performance of both 10 core processors compared to each other, the overclocking preview is also quite interesting.
Intel Core X Series Processor Family Specifications:
| CPU Name | i9-7980XE | i9-7960X | i9-7940X | i9-7920X | i9-7900X | i7-7820X | i7-7800X | i7-7740X | i5-7640X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Process | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ |
| Architecture | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | KBL-X | KBL-X |
| Cores/Threads | 18/36 | 16/32 | 14/28 | 12/24 | 10/20 | 8/16 | 6/12 | 4/8 | 4/4 |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz | 2.8 GHz | 3.1 GHz | 2.9 GHz | 3.3 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.5 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.0 GHz |
| (Turbo Boost 2.0) | 4.2 GHz | 4.2 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| (Turbo Boost Max 3.0) | 4.4 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 4.5 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| L3 Cache | 24.75 MB | 22 MB | 19.25 MB | 16.5 MB | 13.75 MB | 11 MB | 8.25 MB | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| L2 Cache | 18 MB | 16 MB | 14 MB | 12 MB | 10 MB | 8 MB | 6 MB | 4 MB | 4 MB |
| Memory | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Dual DDR4 | Dual DDR4 |
| PCIe Lanes | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 |
| Socket Type | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 |
| TDP | 165W | 165W | 165W | 140W | 140W | 140W | 140W | 112W | 112W |
| Price | $1999 US | $1699 US | $1399 US | $1189 US | $999 US | $599 US | $389 US | $349 | $242 |
Intel Core i9-7900X No Delid, AIO Cooled Hits 4.8 GHz and 5 GHz With Delid Across All 10 Cores
The demonstration posted by Der8auer shows that he was able to hit 4.8 GHz on the stock CPU interface across all 10 cores and 20 threads. A Corsair AIO 280 liquid cooler was used but nothing as aggressive as a custom loop. Liquid cooling is the go to option of many enthusiasts who purchase HEDT platforms so it makes sense previewing the overclocking capabilities with such solutions.
The chip was later delidded and the stock thermal paste was swapped with Liquid Metal. This had the CPU running 200 MHz higher at 5 GHz across all 10 active cores. Temperatures were in the 88 to 91 degrees Celsius but it's mentioned that you can gain even further headroom of 5.1 GHz if you are running a custom loop water cooling solution. It's stated that the average Core i9-7900X can hit 4.7-4.8 GHz without delid which is impressive.
Intel Core i9-7900X Can Hit 4.5 GHz on Just 1.15V, Overclocked on Single Fan Air Cooler
In another video posted by Jagat Review's 'Alva Jonathan' or famously known by his overclocker nickname 'Lucky Nob', the Core i9-7900X was overclocked to 4.5 GHz on an air cooler. The air cooler was pretty standard with a single 120mm fan for cooling. What's interesting here is that a voltage of just 1.15V was supplied to achieve 4.5 GHz across all cores and the chip scored 2445 points in Cinebench R15.
You should know that Intel will be hosting an event at the PC Gaming Show later today where they will officially release more details on their upcoming Intel Core-X processors. We have already did a full roundup of the Intel Core X 'Skylake X and Kaby Lake X' CPU family here.
