The Intel Core i9-7980XE and Core i9-7960X CPU Review Part 1: Workstation
by Ian Cutress on September 25, 2017 3:01 AM ESTBenchmarking Performance: SPECwpc v2.1
Anyone can run wPrime (why would you?) or Geekbench, but more often than not these pre-built synthetic tests are not representative of any user’s workload. This applies even more to professional environments or prosumer workloads, where time is money: if someone interested in hardware cannot pinpoint exactly how the new hardware is going to benefit them, that is $20 of billable time down the drain.
One of the difficulties of a benchmark reviewer is finding relevant benchmarks for the audience at hand. I’ve discussed what AnandTech is and our audience to several high profile software vendors who are in the business of supplying professional grade, critical programs that top technology companies use to produce the next $700 smartphone. These engineers are our readers, and it only seems best that we benchmark something that can assist them in accelerating our workflow. Unfortunately, the almost blanket response from these ISVs is negative, even if the request is for a limited software license in exchange for repeated discussion of the software on AnandTech (and third party benchmark data to assist their customers in hardware purchasing). My last discussions with two major ISVs led to a ‘interesting but we don’t see the value’ response and a ‘we’re doing our own in-house thing’ response respectively. No-one wants to know. Unless you work at one of these companies and want to get in touch.
The fall-back position in this case is to call on SPEC for their Workstation benchmark series. SPECwpc has existed in one form or another for several years, using pre-compiled binaries for a mix of medical, oil-and-gas, engineering, visualization and system level benchmarks. There are over 30 benchmarks, some running multiple copies to keep all the cores busy, and repeated runs offer very good consistency. A full run can take over six hours, making a sizeable increase to even our CPU workflow.
We’re reporting almost all of the subset scores in our benchmarking. Some tests require a GPU, and so we maintain the same RX 460 graphics card on each processor we test, along with the same screen resolution and driver. Ideally we would use professional graphics cards, like AMD’s FirePro range or NVIDIA’s Quadro range, however we currently use four identical RX 460 cards to keep the benchmarks on our test beds continually flowing, and sourcing four of the same pro card on long-term loan is actually fairly difficult.
Because SPECwpc takes so long and is fairly new, we only have results for a few processors so far. This should expand as we continue using this test. We’re likely to limit this test to HEDT processors and above, along with one or two mainstream processors (i7-K, Ryzen 7). For this review, out of the two Intel processors in the title, we only had time to run it on the Core i9-7980XE.
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ddriver - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
Don't worry, they get plenty of support from the big boys for all those shamelessly biassed reviews. And don't act like your pennies will go to feed someone's starving children. So yeah, uBlock FTW.pedrostee - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
just curious but do you have any evidence, even a small bit, to support your claim that “they get plenty of support from the big boys for all those...”i think it is possible, and you seem a man of science - evidence can support any statement no matter how outlandish — so please present such if you would.
thnks
ddriver - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
Obvious stuff is obvious, as are you ;) Nice try thou. Are you the one who is going to pay for evidence searching investigation? I personally don't feel like obvious things need evidence, but if you do, go ahead and investigate.ddriver - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
But the ugliest part is intel went cheap even on a 2000$ CPU, taking a literal dump on it by going for the same old lousy TIM implementation.After this reveal from intel, TR looks even better than it did before.
Notmyusualid - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
@ pedrosteeIt seems you've finally met the 'village idi0t'. He will provide no evidence, as you likely expected, and we have to endure his bizarre views on ever major article.
Reflex - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
He's 2017's version of LordRaiden from around 2004 in these forums. Knows just enough to sound knowledgeable to those not in the industry, but is incapable of supporting his assertions because he is running on the theory that if he believes it in his mind it must be true.Look up LordRaiden in the AT forums if you want to see when this last happened.
mkaibear - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
Yeah, it's hilarious. Anyone who's actually in the IT industry knows he's talking out of his lower orifices and it's always funny to watch him huff about like anyone actually takes him seriously.It's like the cat tax. No article is complete without a good laugh at ddriver.
Reflex - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
It is unfortunate however because he often derails actually interesting conversations.ddriver - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
Oh wow, the fanclub is sure gradually moving down, and just when it seemed it already hit the bottom. But hey, if pretending that you are not a completely clueless wannabes works for you, by all means, know yourselves out :)ddriver - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
You know, I complete agree, however you have mistyped "lame suckers" and typed "IT industry" instead.Here is a hint - you cannot take seriously that which you don't have the capacity to understand. Your "best" boils down to clapping and cheering at the mainstream mediocrity to cultivate the illusion that you are smart. And when someone comes along and tears that illusion down, you are sore to realize the reality about you. And you are only left with denial in the form of those pathetically anemic attempts at intimidation through ridicule. But suckers will be suckers, and as suck, always failing to make a valid argument in their favor :)