Review: Intel Core i9-10980XE

Conclusion

It is patently clear that Intel hasn't made the expected performance strides in the HEDT space. The latest processors bear the 10th Gen Core branding but can trace their silicon lineage back to the 14nm Skylake generation.

Intel's leading-edge manufacturing problems have exacerbated the problem, as the Core i9-10980XE continues to use the same 18C36T topology as 2017's Core i9-7980XE. Intel will argue there are manifest improvements in many areas, including higher frequencies, better IPC, and a more robust feature-set, and many of those thoughts are true, yet the HEDT game has moved on significantly in that time. Intel's finest Core i9 processor is now an entry-level HEDT chip, not the champion.

Rival AMD's mainstream Ryzen 9 3950X generally matches the best that Intel has to offer, in a package that draws oodles less power and requires less motherboard and memory investment to boot. In fact, it's difficult to make a compelling case for the Core i9-10980XE, even at $979, against the best regular Ryzen, let alone when compared to the new 'rippers.

And if it's performance you want, 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper is the way to go. Offering up to 2x the performance in CPU-bound applications and offering more feature-rich motherboard support, AMD now occupies the HEDT position that was so familiar to Intel for many years.

Core i9-10980XE is still a solid chip whose sub-$1,000 price can only be good for the HEDT user, but for the sake of genuine competition, Intel's 2020 more-core processors can't come soon enough.

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The Intel Core i9-10980XE will be available to purchase at Scan Computers.

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