Computers continually evolve, becoming more powerful with each passing year. This is, of course, due to the increasing demands amongst the machines’ user base.
From the simple word processor to the more complicated graphics designing processes, there is a system that’s tailored specifically to perform optimally at the applications that they’re to be used for.
Central to each machine’s performance is the chipset, and, in the middle of the motherboard, is the Central Processing Unit, or CPU. This is perhaps the component of the computer that’s aggressively being improved and developed, with new models coming out every year with promising performances.
Intel seemed to have made a breakthrough in this market, with PC Games N reporting that the new Core i9 10980XE 18-core chipset can be overclocked to 5.1GHz with nothing more than a ‘standard cooling unit’ to keep the chip from being fried by the physical rigors of that performance.
Our new #CoreX processor makes power-user hobbyists feel more like pros—with automated overclocking through Intel Performance Maximizer and built-in #AI acceleration through Deep Learning Boost. https://t.co/iE3Y8iWxI2 pic.twitter.com/7dYwlkTUQG
— Intel (@intel) October 8, 2019
This was the result of a test carried out by Intel’s engineers in a laboratory. For comparison, PC Games N noted that the 10980XE, one of a line of chips in the Cascade Lake X processors, has a standard output rated at 3.8GHz only for all 10 cores.
Overclocking is the practice of tweaking a chipset’s internal settings to give it a performance boost. However, as processors produce speeds faster than the default, they also produce heat. That’s why a cooling unit outside of the internal stand fan is needed, or else the chip will be damaged over time by the enhanced performance.
The 10980XE’s pre-release performance is reminiscent of the 28-core rig that Intel revealed last year at Computex 2018. Also overclocked at 5GHz, the difference between it and the 10980XE is that, this time, Intel’s engineers, led by Mark Walton, have reportedly achieved the same speed without using a refrigeration unit.
By comparison, the 28-core behemoth was unveiled tethered to an industrial cooling box.
The Cascade Lake X processors are set to be revealed next month, TechRadar said.
In addition to the 18-core 10980XE, the series also includes the 10-core 10900X, 12-core 10920X, and the 14-core 10940X Core i9 chipsets, as well as the 12-core Ryzen 9 3900X and 2920X CPUs, and the 16-core 2950X and 24-core 2970WX processors.
Together with the Cascade Lake X processors, Intel will also roll out its heavy-duty Xeon central processing units. These CPUs are designed for computers used for video editing, graphic design, and 3D animation.
