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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extide - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
No, TDP should include Turbo as that is part of the base/stock operation mode of the CPU.IGTrading - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
TDP = Total Design Power by definition.This is used to design the motherboard and the cooling system to give designers a clear limit over which the system doesn't go unless it is purposely overcloked.
Wikipedia : "The thermal design power (TDP), sometimes called thermal design point, is the maximum amount of heat generated by a computer chip or component (often the CPU or GPU) that the cooling system in a computer is designed to dissipate under any workload."
Intel : "TDP (Thermal Design Power) Intel defines TDP as follows: The upper point of the thermal profile consists of the Thermal Design
Power (TDP) and the associated Tcase value. Thermal Design Power (TDP) should be used for
processor thermal solution design targets. TDP is not the maximum power that the processor can
dissipate. TDP is measured at maximum TCASE.1"
Intel : "Due to normal manufacturing variations, the exact thermal characteristics of each individual processor are unique. Within the specified parameters of the part, some processors may operate at a slightly higher or lower voltage, some may dissipate slightly higher or lower power and some may draw slightly higher or lower current. As such, no two parts have identical power and thermal characteristics.
However the TDP specifications represent a “will not exceed” value. "
This is what we've understood by TDP in the past 21 years while in IT hardware industry.
If you have a different definition, then perhaps we're talking about different things.
whatevs - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
Specification for 7980xe says "Thermal Design Power (TDP) represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload. Refer to Datasheet for thermal solution requirements."There's a different specification for electrical design. This is not your ancient Xeon TDP.
IGTrading - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
You mean the definition of TDP should change every year to suit Intel's marketing ?! :)"Ancient" Xeon TDP ?! :)
I've quoted Intel's own definition.
If the company just came up with a NEW and DIFFERENT definition just for the Core i9 series, then that's just plain deceiving marketing, changing with the wind (read : new generation of products) .
Plus, why the heck are they calling it TDP ?!
If they now claim that TDP "represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active " then they basically use AMD's ACP from 2011.
What a load of nonsense from Intel ...
https://www.intel.com/content/dam/doc/white-paper/...
whatevs - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
You have quoted 6 year old Xeon definition, different products have different operating conditions, deal with it.Spunjji - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
Your name suggests that you're kind of a dick and your comments confirm it. Your point is weak and doesn't at all do the work you think it does.whatevs - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
You may be unhappy with what Intel promised you, but to claim that you could burn a system with increased power usage from turbo clocks is ridiculous, thermal throttling is not fire, and it's ridiculous to argue on a cpu that can run overclocked at >400w power consumption.Notmyusualid - Monday, September 25, 2017 - link
+1wolfemane - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
You can't talk rationale with a loyalist sympathizer. TDP is a set definition in the industry and one Intel seems to be misleading about with their Extreme HEDT CPU. That seems to be a fact clearly made among almost all reviews of the 7980xe.I think I read a few articles yesterday talking about how the 7980xe was having major issues and wasn't boosting correctly but showing high power draw. But yesterday was a long time ago and I cant remember where I read that.
someonesomewherelse - Saturday, October 14, 2017 - link
So why not call it 'Average Design Power - ADP'?