Intel Core i7 980X review

19.03.10

The six-core Intel Core i7 980X processor is manufactured on a 32nm fabrication process, runs at a frequency of 3.33GHz with a TurboBoost speed of 3.6 GHz, and has 12MB of L2 cache. It is rated at a TDP of 130W (power consumption on average).

As with all their current processors, the Intel Core i7 980X supports TurboBoost, to run at a higher speed by disabling half the number of cores. HyperThreading whereby each core simultaneously runs two threads, is also present, thus presenting itself to the operating system as being capable of running 12 threads.

Intel deserves credit for making the top-end Intel Core i7 980X processor compatible with the X58 motherboards that are already widely available. You might have to wait for your motherboard manufacturer to release a new BIOS, to support six-core processors. Notably, unlike Intel's recent spree of releasing mainstream 32nm processors with graphics integrated onto the processor itself, this top-end unit steers clear of graphics.

Source: PC Advisor