Intel Core i7 vs i9: What’s the difference. How much is a i9 processor

The i9 has two models. The first is the eighth generation i9-8950HK, which is already on the market. The second model, released on October 19, is the 9th Generation i9-9900K.

Intel Core i9 vs i7 vs i5: Which CPU Should You Buy?

Intel and AMD are back in the battle for processors, with the Intel Core i9 being the fastest desktop processor ever.

Core i9 is Intel’s fastest consumer processor. With up to 16 cores, these are processors designed for enthusiasts and power users alike. But what is Core i9? And is it really better than Core i7 or Core i5?

In Intel’s simple words, Core i9 is faster than Core i7 which is faster than Core i5. But faster isn’t always better, and most people don’t need extra power. So how do you know which Intel processor to choose?

Intel Core i5 vs i7 vs i9

The Core i9 series gets this extra power in the simplest way: by adding more cores. The “core” is the processor (not the chip itself), and each core adds to the overall processing performance. This is why you have dual-core and quad-core processors.

The latest Core i9 processor, the Intel Core i9-12900K, has a MSRP of $ 589. This flagship desktop processor has 16 cores – eight performance cores (P-core) for running process-intensive applications and eight performance cores (E-core) for background tasks and light tasks.

P-Core cores are best suited for applications that mainly use one or more threads, such as games and other heavy applications. In contrast, E-Core is best to run applications that run in the background, such as cloud storage applications or streaming services.

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Should you buy a Core i7 or i9?

It depends on what you do, but most users won’t notice much of a difference between the i7 and i9. In the case of the i7, the next-generation Intel processor is 11700K. It’s an octa-core processor with 16 threads that can speed up to 5 GHz. Intel sets its TDP at 125 watts, mirroring the previous generation’s 10700K. However, like this chip, the 11700K can draw significantly more power under load.

Intel recently replaced the 10900K 11900K, which looks like a strange step backwards. The newer CPU has two fewer cores and four fewer threads, but keeps the boost clock high.

The current i9 and i7 processors are very similar on desktops, which we’ll cover in the next section. Without the primary advantage, the 11900K doesn’t have the same range as the 10900K for multi-threaded workloads. The 11700K is also around $ 150 cheaper, depending on where you are looking.

For mobile devices, you have the choice between the newer i7 or the older i9. Intel rolled out its last two versions for mobile devices, porting the Comet Lake design to laptops before releasing the 11th-gen Tiger Lake platform. If you are buying a laptop, it is not about the processor you should choose, more about the design of the laptop. Thin and light laptops are equipped with 11th generation i7 processors, while powerful workstations or gaming laptops can be equipped with the Comet Lake i9.

Core i7 vs. Core i9 on desktop

Intellectual Corporation

Before we delve into the subject, it’s important to define a naming scheme for Intel’s processors. We have a full breakdown, but you only need three suffixes for this guide. “K” processors can be overclocked, “F” processors have no integrated graphics, and “T” processors draw less power at the expense of clock speed.

Intel’s current Rocket Lake lineup has five i7 processors, but they are all similar. The 11700K and 11700KF models are unlocked with eight cores and 16 threads and have a base clock of 3.6 GHz with a single core gain up to 5 GHz. Below 11700 and 11700F. These processors are clocked slightly lower with a base clock of 2.5 GHz and single-core acceleration to 4.9 GHz, and also lowered the TDP from 125 watts to 65 watts. Finally, there is the 11700T, a power-optimized processor with a TDP of just 35 watts. It can go down to 1.4 GHz, but can still go up to 4.6 GHz on a single core.

The i9 line is almost the same, with only a few differences in clock frequency. 11900K and 11900KF start at 3.5 GHz and boost up to 5.3 GHz on a single core, while 11900 and 11900F reach a maximum frequency of 5.1 GHz at just 65 watts. The 11900T is almost identical to the 11700T, only with a slightly faster boost clock (4.9 GHz).

Rocket Lake includes a new microarchitecture but still relies on the 14nm process node that Intel has been using for years. Strange then, 11900K looks like a downgrade from 10900K. While there are generational improvements, the newer i9 has two fewer cores and four fewer threads. On paper, it is identical to 11700K except for the clock rate.

We usually recommend i9s because of their primary advantage in applications that favor multiple cores. This is not the case in this generation. The 11900K might perform better than the 11700K, but it doesn’t perform any better at $ 150. You get nearly identical specs at 11700K, and after a little overclocking, exactly identical. It’s possible that Intel will limit the memory controller to 11700K, however.

Intel HEDT X-series processors offer up to 18 cores for workstation users, which can be useful for software that can use more cores. However, they are hard to recommend to anyone else as they are very expensive for what they offer (especially compared to AMD’s competitors) and are based on much older processor technology.

Core i9 processors, on the other hand, draw up to 45 watts. The Core i7 Iceland processor, 1060G7, can run at just 9 watts TDP. 11th Gen Intel Iris Plus graphics are also available.

Core Concept

Top-tier Intel i7 and i9 processors have a large number of cores, but does that really matter? All of Intel’s ninth-generation i7 and i9 models have eight physical cores, similar to the older eighth-generation i7 processors. Overall, Core i7 processors have six to eight cores, while all i9 processors ship with at least eight.

The main difference between these processors is Hyper-Threading, but we’ll get into that soon. The number of cores starts to look very different when you consider the HEDT (high-end desktop) X-series models for both processor families. These enthusiast workstation processors will feature up to 18 cores. However, if you’re looking for a gaming PC, that would be overkill, not to mention your valuables.

What’s The Cache?

Looking through the processor families, we can see a trend related to the increase in cache size. The cache is basically the internal memory of the processor and is responsible for faster access to data. The larger cache size in the multi-threaded processor helps you deal with multiple tasks more efficiently. The i7 processors have a 12MB L3 cache while the i9 CPUs are typically 16MB. X-Series processors can go even bigger with the i9-9980XE with 24.75MB Intelligent L3 Cache.

When analyzing the key differences between the i5 and i7 processor families, we touched on the fact that Intel has somewhat tarnished the brand of highly acclaimed i7 processors. This is because with the 9th generation release, they removed Hyper-Threading. Now, only the popular 9th-gen i9 models will ship with Hyper-Threading (8c / 16t) technology, making this line of processors multi-tasking, but there’s still plenty of gaming power to play nonetheless.

For comparison, large Core i9 processors consume as much as 45 watts. One Core i7 Ice Lake processor, 1060G7, can run at a low TDP of 9 watts. They also enjoy much more efficient graphics of the 11th generation Intel Iris Plus.

What’s the difference between the 8th Generation and 9th Generation Core i9?

The i9-8950HK is the eighth generation core and the i9-9900K is the ninth generation core. Both models are equipped with intelligent technology such as Intel Hyper-Threading, Intel Turbo Boost and Intel Optane, and both are unlocked processors.

The eighth generation Intel i9 processor was built primarily for use with mobile servers, while the ninth generation Core i9 was built primarily with desktop computers in mind. For this reason, there are more muscles in the new i9.

8th Generation

• 12 MB cache
• 6 cores and 12 threads
• Speeds up to 4.80 GHz

9th Generation

• 16 MB cache
• 8 cores and 16 threads
• Speeds up to 5.0 GHz
• 1.7 GHz base frequency faster than the eighth generation
• It can generate 50.0 W more heat than the eighth generation

Both are extremely powerful processors. You should invest in the 8th generation i9 if you are upgrading your laptop. You should invest in the 9th Generation i9 if you are upgrading your desktop.

Would I like Intel’s other existing processors?

The previous eighth generation Intel processors – in addition to the eighth generation Core i9 – include Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 laptops. Eighth generation cores are fast and intelligent, with the same Intel Turbo Boost and hyper-threading technology as the i9.

neither of these processors, however, have the 8 cores and 16 threads that the i9 does. The Core i9 has more muscles, so it will perform better if you’re a die-hard gamer or a creative pro.

Core i7 – The latest Core i7 variants have eight cores and 16 threads. Core i7s can use turbocharging, which allows you to increase the processor power if necessary. A Core i7 or higher processor can be used for software development and video editing.

PCWorld’s review

Core i9 is finally here and it’s doozy. You can read about it in our review of the Core i9-7980X and the 16-core Core i9-7960X. In short, it is basically Intel’s fastest consumer processor to date.

The Full Nerd team goes over what the Core i9 could mean for you, especially as Threadripper also drops to the top:

You can check out the Core i9 innovations in this video.

Here’s Gregory Bryant, Intel’s PC chip boss, announcing Core i9 pre-orders:

New features: Why you’ll want to buy a Core i9

In addition to pure performance, the Core i9 family includes something new.

In earlier Broadwell-E chipsets, Intel used something called Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0, which identified one “best core” of all available cores in the chip. If and when a chip needed to be boosted, the best core would be the one selected for dynamic overclocking. A new feature of most Core i9 chips is what Intel calls the updated Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technology, where the chip identifies not only one but two cores as the best cores.

While the Core i9 can enable this feature when needed, it will be best used when playing multi-threaded games or performing simultaneous tasks such as streaming games and playing music. However, this feature is not available on the lower Core i9 chips – only from the Core i7 7820X (8 cores, 16 threads) all the way to the 7900X, 7920X, 7940X, 7960X and 7980XE.

Here’s what sets the new Intel X299 chipset apart from older rivals.

Not everything new to the Core i9 can be found in the chip itself. The related X299 chipset provides up to 24 PCI Express 3.0 lanes compared to the 8 PCIe lanes of the Broadwell-E X99 chipset – important if you want to power your Core i9 system with multiple graphics cards. Additional PCIe lanes for high-speed PCIe NVMe drives can also be connected directly to the PCIe coming from the CPU itself. For processors with 10 cores and above, a full 44 lanes of PCIe 3.0 are available.

By the way, if you buy and connect a Core i9-7900X, the motherboard will enable 44 lanes of PCIe Gen 3 and support for quad-channel memory. Drop in a Core i7-7740K and the motherboard will go over to dual channel memory support. From what we understand, there is no technical reason for it, just “market segmentation” which is a way of saying the business school “so that we can charge you higher fees.”

All of this provides a range of options: Do you want to run four x8 graphics cards in one Intel-based computer? If so, you’ll need a Core i9 system.

The X299 chipset supports up to eight SATA 3.0 ports and 10 USB 3.0 ports. Lastly, having a Core i9 with an X299 motherboard means you’ll be able to access Optane, Intel’s cache technology that can speed up frequently accessed data.

There is one more wrinkle: Intel’s VROC, which is a virtual RAID on the processor. If enabled, it allows the user to add up to 20 NVMe PCIe drives to one boot partition. Problem? It may not be free. Intel is said to be able to charge up to $ 299 for this feature, which can be unlocked with a dedicated dongle. Worse, it won’t work with Kaby Lake-X. It’s still in the air so expect more details to come.

The latest Core i9 processor, the Intel Core i9-12900K, has a MSRP of $ 589. This flagship desktop processor has 16 cores – eight performance cores (P-core) for running process-intensive applications and eight performance cores (E-core) for background tasks and light tasks.

New XPS Desktop

Designed with an open layout, the new XPS desktop is built to keep nothing on the CPU / GPU to avoid restricting airflow. As a result, the desktop computer remains cooler compared to its predecessor.

Financing

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Interest will be charged to your account from the date the transaction is posted if the purchase balance is not fully paid within 12 months.

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Intel recently replaced the 10900K 11900K, which looks like a strange step backwards. The newer CPU has two fewer cores and four fewer threads, but keeps the boost clock high.

FAQs about i7 vs i9 processors

How much faster is i9 compared to i7?

Intel Core i9 is a much faster processor than Core i7. The i9 has a base clock of 3.5 GHz and a turbo clock of 4.8 GHz, while the i7 is 2.8 GHz and a turbo clock of 4.2 GHz. Additionally, the i9 has a maximum cache of 16 MB and a maximum memory support of 128 GB.

Can I upgrade from i7 to i9?

The i9 is not compatible with any of the older boards. You will need to install a new motherboard and processor in order to upgrade to the i9.

Which i7 generation is best?

The Intel Core i7-3770K is the best option for most people as it has four cores, offers high performance, and is not too expensive. The Intel Core i7-3770K is the best option for most people as it has four cores, offers high performance, and is not too expensive.

You can find it for under $ 300 on Amazon, making it a good choice for anyone looking to get the most power for their money.

Conclusion: Is i9 better than i7?

The question of whether a Core i9 is better than a Core i7 really depends on the use case and the consumer. The Intel Core i9 has a higher clock rate and can handle up to 18 cores and 36 threads, making it more suited to heavy workstation and gaming programs, while the Core i7 is more suitable for office work and personal computers.

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