Intel · Core

Core i9-7960X

Released September 2017

An unlocked 16-core Skylake-X desktop processor with Hyper-Threading and four-channel DDR4 memory for LGA2066 enthusiast systems.

Cores: 16/32
Boost: 4.4 GHz
L3: 22 MB
Power: 165 W
Socket: LGA2066

Unlocked

What reviewers say

Reviewers praise fast rendering and encoding performance but find the modest lead over Threadripper 1950X difficult to justify at the much higher price. Both warn about power consumption and demanding cooling, particularly when overclocked. Gaming performance is workload-dependent and gives little reason to choose this platform for a gaming-only build.

From arstechnica.com and techspot.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Cores and clocks

Cores: 16
Threads: 32
Base clock: 2.8 GHz
Boost clock: 4.4 GHz
L3 cache: 22 MB
Cores: Skylake-X; 16 cores with Hyper-Threading. The unlocked multiplier is confirmed by Intel’s exact-model family product brief.
Clocks: Turbo Boost Max 3.0 up to 4.40 GHz on the preferred core; ordinary Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 4.20 GHz. The main boost field uses Intel’s highest published frequency. Intel’s August family notice explicitly states that the new fourteen- to eighteen-core processors would be available on 25 September 2017; Puget’s contemporary exact-model tests confirm availability that day.
Cache: 22 MB Intel Smart Cache (L3).

Graphics and AI

Built-in graphics: No
Graphics: No processor graphics, explicitly stated in Intel’s exact-model comparison-chart row; a separate graphics solution is required.

Platform

Socket: LGA2066
Base power: 165 W
Unlocked: Yes
Cooler in the box: No
Memory support: Up to 128 GB; four channels of DDR4-2666; 85 GB/s maximum published bandwidth; no ECC.
PCIe: 44 CPU lanes; PCIe 3.0.
Chipsets: Intel X299; LGA2066.
Process: 14 nm (Ars Technica exact-model review); Skylake-X. Current Intel specifications omit lithography.
Cooler: Intel explicitly excludes a fan and heatsink from the boxed product; a separate compatible cooler is required. Published junction limit: 98°C.

Pros and cons

Pros

16 cores and 32 threads
Four-channel memory controller
44 CPU PCIe lanes

Cons

No integrated graphics
No boxed cooler
Requires an LGA2066 motherboard

Closest rivals

Model	Cores	Boost	L3	Power	Socket	Released
AMDRyzen Threadripper 1950X	16/32	4 GHz	32 MB	180 W	sTR4	Aug 2017
AMDRyzen Threadripper 2950X	16/32	4.4 GHz	32 MB	180 W	sTR4	Aug 2018
IntelCore i9-7980XE	18/36	4.4 GHz	24.75 MB	165 W	LGA2066	Sept 2017

Newer model: Core i9-9960X.

Sources

Photo: Newegg exact BX80673I97960X listing’s generic Core i9 X retail-box artwork; no model label is visible, original VR badge retained.

Spot a mistake? Tell us