Review by Sharil Abdul Rahman. 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Performance

With 32 cores on the die, Intel is not playing around with the Intel Core i9 7960X. It is matched by the recent AMD Threadripper 1950X, in terms of core and thread count, but Intel generally has a better general computing performance when compared to AMD.

Binging on the Cores

Thanks to the 16-core count on the i9, multi-thread applications will benefit greatly. This is reflected in the test scores we got on both Cinebench and PCMark, which are benchmarks evaluating general day-to-day performance of a PC. The scores show the Core i9 faring better in the single-core tests than the multicore – but still way above general consumer processors.

No Built-in Graphics

For the first time in a long while, Intel has elected to leave out the HD Graphics out of the Core i9. While most consumers will be pairing this processor with a high-end graphics card, there is a measure of performance lost with the exclusion of the HD Graphics/Iris/Iris Pro core. Applications that require Intel’s Quick Sync technology will suffer greatly in this instance.

Pricey Performance

When the Intel Core i9 was announced, many was convinced that the price of the chip will be high. And they were right. Priced at US$1,700 (slightly under RM7,200), this over-the-top processor is targeted for the Super High-End Gamer segment, and the price befits the stature it is gunning for. That is the same price of a well-optioned gaming rig, with high-end CPU and graphics; incredible sticker price right there.

Heaty Chip, Water Needed

Thanks to the 165-watt TDP, you can’t scrape by with a simple air-cooler. A beefy air-cooled heatsink, or a liquid-cooled system needs to be installed. But when you install it, the rewards are amazing. The 32 threads work smoothly, and any game or application running on the system will feel like gliding on ice.

Verdict:

A pricey CPU that does its job tremendously