With up to 18 cores, the Intel® Core™ X-series processor family delivers amazing performance for content creation. Easily handle massive 4K files, rendering effects and other compute intensive workloads thanks to Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, quad channel memory and much more.
| Unlocked & Overclockable1: | Yes |
| Base Clock Speed (GHz): | 3.3 |
| Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency2 (GHz): | 4.3 |
| Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 3.0 Frequency3 (GHz): | 4.5 |
| Core/Threads: | 10/20 |
| L3 Cache: | 13.75 MB |
| TDP: | 140 W |
| PCI Express* 3.0 Lanes: | 44 |
| Socket (LGA): | 2066 |
| Memory Support: | Quad-channel DDR4-2666 |
| Chipset: | X299 |
Fine-tune your system to run at higher speeds/frequencies so you can accomplish more and unleash more creativity.1
When paired with the latest processors, Intel® Optane™ technology sets a new precedent for high-performance desktops and workstations.
Intel technologies’ features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No computer system can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at the Intel offical website.
1 Altering clock frequency or voltage may damage or reduce the useful life of the processor and other system components, and may reduce system stability and performance. Product warranties may not apply if the processor is operated beyond its specifications. Check with the manufacturers of system and components for additional details.
2 Refers to the maximum dual-core frequency that can be achieved with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.
3 Refers to the maximum dual-core frequency that can be achieved with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 3.0.
© 2018 Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Core, and Intel Optane are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Pros: - I got a lucky chip -- for many months now, it's been completely stable at 4.5Ghz with just 1.10V! I can push it even faster, but my Kraken X62 is unable to cool the temperatures that are produced at those speeds. To be conservative and ensure good longevity, I'm sticking with 4.5Ghz. - Excellent rendering performance; it renders 4K at high bitrates in a very respectable amount of time. - Great for VMs; lots of cores to throw at each machine! - Very good gaming performance; it does get outpaced in gaming by Intel's mainstream i7 processors thanks to its slower mesh design, but I run a 1440p 144Hz monitor and I am yet to be CPU-bottlenecked!
Cons: - It's difficult to argue bang for buck with this processor, especially considering the fact that the mainstream i7 is currently 6 cores. For someone like me (who games/uses VMs 90% of the time and renders video 10% of the time), the 8700K is the better choice. If you're not a huge gamer but you need a lot of cores for your work, then Ryzen 7 may be the CPU you should consider.
Overall Review: Many people believe that Ryzen 7 is a better value, and I agree with them. It offers very similar performance at a much lower price, and there are many benchmarks available on YouTube to support this idea. I think it is 100% understandable to choose Ryzen 7, but I personally chose this CPU because I really wanted the higher overclocking capabilities and single-core performance that it offers. I do not regret my decision at all. If you are looking for the best 8 core chip (ignoring price), this CPU beats anything else on the market right now. The ability to overclock all 8 cores to 4.5+Ghz is amazing, and allows you to enjoy great gaming AND rendering performance. Other thoughts: In just a few years, Intel is expected to release mainstream 8 and 10 core processors (thanks to AMD's competitive products). If you haven't bought a CPU yet, I would suggest that you grab the cheaper i7-8700K to hold you over until the 8/10 core CPUs drop. This way you can save some money instead of going all-in on the X299 platform.