The Intel Core i9-9980XE CPU Review: Refresh Until it Hertz
by Ian Cutress on November 13, 2018 9:00 AM ESTPower Consumption
One of the key topics in power consumption recently has been whether Intel’s approach to power, or to how it represents its Thermal Design Power (TDP) values, is valid or not. Intel’s take on TDP is that it should represent the sustained power of the processor, which unfortunately does not take into account any of the turbo modes available to the users (or disclose how long those turbo modes should be available for). Part of this is not only confusing, but motherboard manufacturers rarely use Intel specifications for these limits anyway, as you can read in our article covering the practice here.
With the Core i9-9980XE, the typical representation of power is used: stick to the turbo tables unless the system is thermally compromised. In this case the 165W TDP value is a guide, not a limit or a suggestion – it relies on the quality of the silicon and the ability of the motherboard manufacturer to be stable, performance focused, and competitive.
Comparing the Core i9-9980XE to the Core i9-7980XE, the new processor has a higher base frequency by 400 MHz, a higher single core turbo frequency by 100 MHz, and a higher all-core turbo, but uses a newer 14++ manufacturing process and soldered thermal interface material. The peak power consumption numbers are as follows:
Looking at the full chip values, the peak power consumption we observed for the Core i9-9980XE is 192W. This is 9-10W higher than our Core i9-7980XE sample.
If we remove the ‘idle’ power numbers away to see the core-only power, then the Core i9-9980XE uses around 152W just for the cores, which should be around 8.5W per core. The 32-core Threadripper 2990WX by contrast uses around 6W per core.
If we look at the efficiency of each processor, with our power numbers taken during a POV-Ray run:
The Core i9-7980XE gets a performance per watt of 43.3 POV-Ray points per watt - the new Core i9-9980XE scores a little less at 42.7, as for the extra 5% of power, we get a 3.6% increase in performance. For competition, the only HEDT processors coming close are the other Intel HEDT parts, or the 2990WX at the top right of the diagram. Obviously, this is benchmark specific, but an interesting comparison nonetheless.
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jospoortvliet - Thursday, November 15, 2018 - link
If you are so immature and clueless as to not recognize that most professionals - like anyone in sales or management or 90% of other professions have no need for more compute than a 15 watt core i5 delivers you should certainly not call others unprofessional.bigboss2077 - Saturday, November 24, 2018 - link
ohh man I think you take too much weed.PeachNCream - Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - link
It's about bragging or walking around with a puffed up chest. For some people, self-promotion through the ownership of overpriced, unnecessary computer hardware is an important element of filling up otherwise empty, meaningless lives.Spunjji - Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - link
It's weird, because you're doing that too, only inverted. Your entire argument seems to be that because it's good enough for you and your colleagues it should be good enough or everyone.PeachNCream - Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - link
Attack as a means of defense. You're implying I've listed a set of specifications that meet everyone's requirements in order to attempt to defeat an argument that contained no such implication because you can't find another way to discredit it.MisterAnon - Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - link
You look ridiculous trying to get out of admitting that you lost the argument. Interesting mental gymnastics though.MisterAnon - Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - link
>It's about bragging or walking around with a puffed up chest.That's funny, because it seems the only one doing that is you! I sense an insecurity coming from you over the fact that you use a tiny laptop. Unless your job requires you to walk around and type at the same time, there is precisely zero reason for any professional to sacrifice power and productivity for useless mobility. You're going to be in the same room all day at work.
PeachNCream - Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - link
Setting conditions for what justifies or doesn't justify a mobile computer versus a desktop is just an attempt to create "rules" for the silly Calvinball-style game you're attempting to play. "Oh, you can ONLY use X if condition Y exists, so nyah nyah! I win you big meanie!" I know that typing when you're offended tends to limit the ability to think sensibly, but at least pause for a moment or two before you let your emotions get the better of you.imaheadcase - Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - link
"intel tax" as in if you didn't want to upgrade you have to scrap motherboard/ram to upgrade anyways if already intel? Tell me more about that tax they charge.That is a silly expression, much like people saying "Gsync tax". Not even a tax in that case, you literally are going to buy a monitor with it if you have nvidia..you would actually pay MORE to buy a new gpu/monitor together for other option. lol
Spunjji - Tuesday, November 13, 2018 - link
Your post engages in little more than sophistry. It's equivalent to claiming that house prices in London aren't any higher than they are in Sheffield because you, the buyer, already live in London. You might want to live there for various reasons, but you're still paying more money for something directly comparable because of that choice. Whether you think it's worth it is up to you, but to pretend it doesn't exist is just weird.