Skylake-X review: Intel Core i9-7900X and the X299 platform

Introduction Intel's new X-Series consists of i5, i7, and reissued i9 processors, all of which require the same X299 chipset that comes with the LGA2066 socket. The S-series processors will continue to be used with the 200 chipset. In some applications and games, we've encountered performance trends that didn't match our expectations. Considering that Skylake X has a speed advantage due to higher clock speeds as well as new architectural... Intel has reduced the shared Last Level Cache (LLC-L3) and transferred it from an inclusive to a non-inclusive (but exclusive) approach. This was done with the help of an efficient caching algorithm that improves the hit rate of the L2 cache ... The Basin Falls X299 chipset The Kaby Lake-X and Skylake-X processors sit in an LGA2066 socket (R4), powered by an X299 chipset with 6 watts of power, underscoring Intel's strategy of using server chipsets for their HEDT- Li... Why should it always only hit AMD when a change of architecture leads to application-specific "collapses" in the expected performance or, more simply put, the CPU in certain applications simply does not... Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation Because we were just so nice, we continue the high-altitude flight of the overclocked Core i7-6950X, because even with this benchmark the optimization problem described above is very clear:... Grand Theft Auto V (DX11) GTA V restores the old pecking order and also shows two things. First, it's still an Intel domain, but AMD has made up for it with the Ryzen CPUs! It's really amazing how to deal with some fine... Project Cars (DX11) Even with Project Cars, the chemistry between the new CPU and the engine is right, even though it was observed time and again that all 10 cores clocked up to 4.0 GHz, even though they were not all busy. But we would... Introduction During the launch article of AMD's Ryzen 7 CPUs, we had already explained all workstation and HPC benchmarks in great detail and also questioned the background for many results in some cases even down to the last detail. En... Important preliminary remark Since Intel no longer realizes the contact between Die and Heatspreader by metallic solder at Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X, but also uses cheaper TIM (Thermal Interface Material) to use the same way. Cooling with the Chiller crowbar In order to be able to achieve usable (overclocking) results, we had to switch from the normal water cooling to the Alphacool Ice Age Chiller 2000, as already mentioned in the previous chapter. ... What is left for us after all these pages as a summary? Intel's market leadership in recent years is ultimately based on a continuous offer of more or less large updates, which of course also this time a certain amount of expected...

Introduction

During the launch article of AMD's Ryzen 7 CPUs, we had already explained all workstation and HPC benchmarks in great detail and also questioned the background for many results in some cases even down to the last detail. Therefore, as with the two follow-ups to Ryzen, we will simply summarize the countless benchmarks for clarity in a spare way and thus also tighten up a bit.

However, we haven't simply copied the older results, but also take into account AMD's efforts to improve performance through improved firmware and drivers, making them more realistic. The resulting power boost of up to 15% is remarkable and must be included in any case.

What also needs to be taken into account is the fact that in the semi-professional sector almost never overclocked systems are used and CPUs like Intel's Core i9-7900X are not so easy to cool anyway in factory condition. That's why all of the processors tested here, which also correspond to the selection of gaming benchmarks, run with the delivery clock ex works.

2D Bechmarks: DirectX and GDI/GDI+

We first added the new CPUs to AutoCAD 2D and our graphics throughput benchmark for the GDI/GDI+ functions and combined them into a common gallery. The "new" ranks exactly where one could have expected it, based on the bar. So there are no surprises for the time being.

2D benchmarks: Adobe Creative Cloud

In this suite, the result is similarly predictable, which is of course above all a question of the beat. However, two of the sub-benchmarks also show that Intel certainly still needs optimization of the Skylake-X. As soon as you really need to have a lot more than four cores, the new CPU will be well-liked, but it will be exactly the phenomenon that we identified and described as the skylake-X optimization gap in the introduction.

3D benchmarks: DirectX and OpenGL

The graphics performance of the CPUs in the individual programs and suites now gives an overall picture, which is hardly different from the previous tests. However, the Core i9-7900X again benefits greatly from Intel's Turbo Boost, as many of the standard applications rarely use (can) really significantly more than two cores. Then the highest possible IPC is required, which the Core i9-7900X can offer much better than the Core i7-6950X.

CPU Performance: Workstation

Of course, in the production area, not only 3D graphics performance is important in the application, because many things are calculated by the CPU in parallel within these applications (simulations, compute tasks, preview rendering, etc.). In order to get a truly objective impression, you always have to look at both in context.

But that's exactly where all Ryzen CPUs aren't so bad, and the Core i9-7900X has to stretch itself in places to justify its price at all.

CPU Performance: Photorealistic Rendering

In final rendering, it is no longer so much universality that matters, but the most efficient and fast, parallelized processing. That's why we're looking at this section now. The Intel Core i9-7900X is in this category even superior to all other CPUs, but sometimes the significantly cheaper AMD Ryzen 7 1800X still sticks to its heels, which is quite positively surprising. In any case, the Core i7-6950X is clearly off.

CPU Performance: Encoding and Compression/Decompression

This task is still such an area in which Intel's new Core i9-7900X obviously feels poodle-like. Only when unpacking the whole thing weakens a bit, but the problem does not only have the new CPU, because there is no such thing as parallelization here.

HPC High Performance Computing

In this section, the Core i9 7900X can once again show what it is all about, with the Ryzen 7 1800X still tentatively tapping on the broad shoulders of the Core i9 7900X from time to time. In most tests, however, Intel's new Core i9 clearly dominates, which could make it really interesting for semi-professional use outside expensive Xeon workstations.

Intermediate conclusion

Intel's Core i9-7900X is a very usable CPU in semi-professional use when a Xeon-based workstation is too expensive in the end or is not needed in this form. Intel has also managed to be fast whenever only a few cores are needed and a high IPC is more important thanks to Turbo Boost.

Thus, in contrast to the predecessor model Core i7-6950X, two birds with one stone are now beaten: the highest possible clock speed for applications with few busy cores and a plump multi-threading performance when there are really well parallelizable tasks. is the most important

However, for the sake of fairness, we also have to note that in many areas even AMD's much cheaper Ryzen 7 1800X was within striking distance, which surprised us, because after the launch many benchmark results were even worse. The full roar is now available from Intel, but not always as clearly as the price itself would suggest.

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