Processors

This past year has been a real exciting one for processors. Before AMD launched their original Ryzen processors they were basically written off and dominated in the CPU world by Intel. AMD changed all of that with Ryzen, which proved to be one of the most exciting product launches in AMD history. It gave real competition to Intel in mainstream desktop space, so much so that Intel rushed out their "Coffee Lake" chips which came with increased core counts. At that time Intel remained on top with their 6-core, 12-thread Core i7-8700K, but today we are still going to see if that remains true. We have the new flagship AMD Ryzen 7 2700X which is a 8-core, 16-thread part which retails for only $329. Will this be the new king in the mainstream desktop platform? Read on as we find out!

Back when AMD launched their Ryzen 5 processors earlier this year it was the first time we saw a 6-core desktop processor in the mid-range mainstream line. At this time Intel was still on quad-core parts on their Core i7 and Core i5 SKUs. Of course just recently Intel launched their 8th Generation Core desktop processors, which do included both Core i5 and Core i7 6-core SKUs. So it seems the playing field has leveled a bit, with Intel basically being forced to add more cores to their desktop processors to catch up with AMD. So now as buying season is upon us we can give you a clear picture oh how all of the current processors stack up against each other as we just got a Ryzen 5 1600 in to review. This 6-core, 12-thread processor has a base clock of 3.2 GHz and boosts up to 3.6 GHz, it is fully unlocked as well. Let's get this chip on our test bench and see what it can do!

Yesterday we took a look at Intel's flagship 8th Generation Core Desktop processor, the Core i7-8700K. While that processor sits at the top of the product stack, today we are checking out one of the new Core i5 chips. It is the Core i5-8400 which is the only other 8th Generation Core i5 chip besides the Core i5-8600K. For the first time we are also seeing a 6-core Core i5 chips, much like the new i7's. This means we are going to see a nice performance increase over the previous generation. The Core i5-8400 has six cores, six threads (since no HyperThreading), a base clock of 2.8 GHz and boosts up to 4.0 GHz. Unlike the K-series chips you have a lower TDP of only 65W. This chip also comes in at a very attractive price point of only $182. Let's take it for a spin and see how it does!

When AMD launched their Ryzen processors back in March things were a little shaky at first with stability and memory issues, which we talked about in our review of the Ryzen 7 1700X. Over time many of those problems were solved with micro-code and BIOS updates and Ryzen proved to be a real contender in the CPU market, even <a href="http://thinkcomputers.wpengine.com/amd-cpu-sales-overtake-intel-for-the-first-time-in-over-a-decade/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">out-selling Intel parts</a> at some major retailers. Needless to say AMD really shook up the Desktop CPU market with their Ryzen processor, offering an alternative to Intel's Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 CPUs. This is the first time in a while we've seen real competition in the CPU market, and we definitely like it! Today Intel is officially launching their 8th Generation Core desktop processors with the Core i7-8700K leading the pack. These processors are Intel's first real response to Ryzen, and we finally have a core-count increase on a mainstream desktop processor! That is right, the Core i7-8700K is a 6-core, 12-thread part! It has a base-clock of 3.7 GHz, boosts up to 4.7 GHz, and being a "K" series processor it is fully unlocked. Let's dive into the new 8th Generation Core Series and see how stacks up against AMD's Ryzen Processors.

Earlier this week we took a look at Intel's flagship Core-X Series processor, the Core i9-7980XE. Sitting right below it in the Core-X product stack is the Core i9-7960X. It is $300 cheaper and offers two fewer cores at 16 and with HyperThreading that is 32 total threads. The chips runs with a base clock of 2.8 GHz and boosts up to 4.2 GHz with two cores reaching 4.4 GHz with Intel's new Turbo Boost 3.0 technology. On top of that you have 22 MB of L3 cache, the full 44 PCI-Express lanes, and support for quad channel DDR4-2666 memory. While the Core i9-7980XE beat AMD's ThreadRipper parts, this chip is the real comparison as it has the same number of cores. In this review we will explore this 16-core monster chip and see how it compares to many other chips in Intel's Core-X series.

Back when Intel announced their Core-X Series high-end desktop (HEDT) processors one really stood out. It was at the top of the product stack, having more cores and threads than any other Intel consumer desktop processor before it and with its price tag it is the most expensive Intel consumer desktop processor as well. The processor I am talking about is of course the Core i9-7980XE. It is Intel's flagship Core-X series processor packing in 18-cores, 36-threads with 27.45 MB of L3 cache. The chip has a base clock of 2.6 GHz with a boost clock of 4.2 GHz, and two cores reaching up to 4.4 GHz with the new Turbo Boost 3.0 technology. This chip like the 14 and 16 core chips in the Core-X series has a higher TDP of 165W. If you are building an X299 system this will be the ultimate processor to get, but is it worth its $1999 price tag? Read on as we find out!

We’ve already taken a look at two processors in Intel’s Core X-Series, the Core i9-7900X and the Core i7-7740X. Today we are checking out our third processor, which is the Core i7-7820X. This processor is another great entry into the Core X-Series and one that will make sense for a lot of people. It sits right below the Core i9-7900X in Intel’s HEDT product stack and is not a terribly crippled part like the Core i7-7740X. The Core i7-7820X is an 8-core, 16-thread part with a base clock of 3.6 GHz and a boost clock of 4.3 GHz, and with two cores reaching up to 4.5 GHz with the new Turbo Boost 3.0 technology. You have 11 MB of L3 cache, quad-channel DDR4 support, and a TDP of 140W. The big difference between this chip and the Core i9 chips that sits above it is the PCI-Express lanes, which get cut from 44 down to 28. This comes at a more reasonable cost than the Core i9-7900X at only $599. Let’s get this chip in our X299 test bench and see what it is all about.

Just the other day we published our review of Intel's Core i9-7900X Skylake-X processor. It was our first review of a processor in Intel's new Core X Series, and now today we have the Core i7-7740X Kaby Lake-X processor. This processor is based on a different micro-architecture than the other processors that sit above it in Intel's X Series product stack. With the i7-7740X you have Kaby Lake cores and it is the first time we've seen Intel launch two generations of processors at the same time (Kaby Lake-X / Skylake-X). The i7-7740X is a quad-core processor with a base clock speed of 4.3 GHz, boosts up to 4.5 GHz, 8 MB of cache, 16 PCI-Express lanes, and a 112W TDP. Intel is pricing this processor at only $339, not a bad price to get into Intel's HEDT platform. If you are building a new system should you be looking at the Core i7-7740X? Read on as we find out!

2017 will go down as one of the more interesting years in the CPU market. AMD released their Ryzen CPUs earlier this year and now Intel has the brand new Core X Series, which is solely aimed towards gamers and enthusiast. This high-end desktop (HEDT) series is quite interesting as when completely released there will be a total of nine processors, stating with a quad-core Core i5 ($242) and going all the way up to a 18-core Core i9 ($1999). Another new thing we are seeing here is the Core i9 Series, which is reserved for the highest-end Intel processors. Intel will release five out of the nine Core X Series processors on June 26th, and today we have the Core i9-7900X up for review. This processor right now is the current flagship until the other processors come out, and it is quite a beast! Rocking 10-cores, 20-threads, a 3.3 GHz base clock, max Turbo Boost 3.0 of 4.5 GHz, 13.75 MB of cache, 44 PCI-Express lanes, and a TDP of 140 watts. You get all of this for $999. Let's jump in and see what the i9-7900X is all about!

I have been covering the tech scene for a long time, over 10 years now. I cannot remember a time where there was so much hype for a product like we saw for AMD's Ryzen CPUs. Let's face it, for quite a while now AMD was not able to compete with Intel when it came to desktop processors. This inability to compete, especially in the enthusiast market, prompted AMD to completely redesign a new processor. This is not something that could just happen overnight, Ryzen has actually been in development for 4 years. AMD had a goal in mind, which was to bring AMD back into the minds of enthusiasts and system builders. I would say for the past 5+ years if you asked my advice on building a new PC I would have suggested an Intel processor. Can Ryzen change my opinion on that? Well today we get our first look at Ryzen, starting with the Ryzen 7 1700 processor. This is the 8-core, 16-thread processor which runs at 3.0 GHz and boosts up to 3.7 GHz with a TDP of only 65W. You get all of this for a very nice price of $329.99. Let's get this chip in a system and see what it can do!