Intel counters AMD’s big-cache PC chip with 5.5GHz 16-core rival
(2022/03/28)
- Reference: 1648498444
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/03/28/intel_corei9_12900ks/
- Source link:
The CPU horse race continues between Intel and AMD, this time with the impending availability of Intel's Core i9-12900KS, which is said to be able to hit 5.5GHz on two cores.
Intel [1]announced on Monday it will expand its [2]12th-generation line of PC-grade microprocessors with the "special edition" 16-core chip, which the US giant said is the "world's fastest desktop processor," due to its 5.5GHz max turbo frequency. Intel said the component will be available from retailers and system builders starting April 5.
This means Intel's premium gaming processor will arrive two weeks earlier than AMD's latest top offering, the [3]eight-core Ryzen 7 5800X3D , which has been heralded as the "ultimate gaming processor" by its designer. While Intel is pushing the envelope for frequency with the Core i9-12900KS by using the best silicon from its fabs, AMD is relying on 3D die-stacking technology to significantly expand the cache in its processor family, to 100MB of L2 and L3, for a performance boost.
[4]
With a recommended customer price of $739, the Core i9-12900KS will cost more than the regular 16-core Core i9-12900K, which is priced by Intel at $599 maximum, and the company is not saying how much extra performance it will provide in exchange for the premium.
[5]Intel updates ATX PSU specs, eyes PCIe 5.0 horizon
[6]AMD: Our latest, pricier mega-cache Epyc processors leapfrog Intel's
[7]Intel boss presses Congress for manufacturing subsidies
[8]Microsoft, Nvidia extend Azure confidential computing to GPUs
AMD's upcoming 5800X3D, on other hand, is priced at $449, the same price as a less powerful Ryzen 7 CPU from 2020, and AMD has promised an average 15 percent performance boost for various games over the 12-core Ryzen 9 5900X from two years ago.
Despite Intel calling the Core i9-12900KS the "world's fastest desktop processor," the company did not provide any competitive comparisons with AMD's fastest Ryzen that is currently available.
[9]
[10]
It is important to note that Intel [11]has previously said that the Core i9-12900K can outperform AMD's fastest CPU in the market, the 16-core Ryzen 5950X, across a variety of games, without saying how it would compare for multi-threaded applications. So it's likely the higher-frequency Core i9-12900KS provides even better gaming performance against the Ryzen 5950X, but we don't know by how much.
Interestingly, it appears that Intel was prepared to show off how the Core i9-12900KS compared to AMD's Ryzen 9 5950X in a demo during the company's [12]investor meeting in February but ended up not doing so. [13]On Intel's website , a list of performance claims it made during the meeting mentions a match-up between the two processors, which wasn't actually shown [14]during the meeting .
[15]
Reviewers and users will inevitably publish their own performance results of the Core i9-12900KS, but until then, here is what Intel is saying about the new processor:
The processor's 16 cores consist of eight performance cores and eight efficiency cores as part of the [16]Alder Lake hybrid architecture that has defined 12th-generation Intel CPUs. These cores provide a total of 24 hardware threads for multi-threaded applications.
The processor's 5.5GHz max turbo frequency, which can happen across one or two cores, comes courtesy of the Intel Thermal Velocity Boost technology.
The processor also uses Intel Adaptive Boost Technology to boost performance "opportunistically" by increasing the turbo frequencies across multiple cores.
The processor supports DDR5 bandwidths of up to 4,800 MegaTransfers per second and DDR4 bandwidths of up to 3,200 MegaTransfers per second.
The processor is compatible with Intel's existing Z690 chipsets for motherboards, though the company recommends keeping the BIOS updated for the best performance.
The processor has 30MB of Intel Smart Cache (L3), a base power of 150 watts, and support for PCIe Gen 5 and Gen 4 connectivity.
Next we'll see what AMD has up its sleeve. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/12th-gen-intel-core-i9-12900ks-worlds-fastest-desktop-processor.html
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/10/27/intel_alder_lake/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/15/amd_ryzen_7_5800x3d_launch/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/24/intel_updates_atx_psu_specs/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/21/amd_epyc_cpu/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/24/intel_chips_subsidy/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/23/microsoft_and_nvidia_extend_azure/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/intel-debuts-groundbreaking-12th-gen-core-hybrid-cpus-for-desktop
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/18/intel_gelsinger_plan/
[13] https://edc.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/performance/benchmarks/investor-day-2022/
[14] https://youtu.be/KByyChZj064?t=5936
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/19/intel_architecture_day/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Intel [1]announced on Monday it will expand its [2]12th-generation line of PC-grade microprocessors with the "special edition" 16-core chip, which the US giant said is the "world's fastest desktop processor," due to its 5.5GHz max turbo frequency. Intel said the component will be available from retailers and system builders starting April 5.
This means Intel's premium gaming processor will arrive two weeks earlier than AMD's latest top offering, the [3]eight-core Ryzen 7 5800X3D , which has been heralded as the "ultimate gaming processor" by its designer. While Intel is pushing the envelope for frequency with the Core i9-12900KS by using the best silicon from its fabs, AMD is relying on 3D die-stacking technology to significantly expand the cache in its processor family, to 100MB of L2 and L3, for a performance boost.
[4]
With a recommended customer price of $739, the Core i9-12900KS will cost more than the regular 16-core Core i9-12900K, which is priced by Intel at $599 maximum, and the company is not saying how much extra performance it will provide in exchange for the premium.
[5]Intel updates ATX PSU specs, eyes PCIe 5.0 horizon
[6]AMD: Our latest, pricier mega-cache Epyc processors leapfrog Intel's
[7]Intel boss presses Congress for manufacturing subsidies
[8]Microsoft, Nvidia extend Azure confidential computing to GPUs
AMD's upcoming 5800X3D, on other hand, is priced at $449, the same price as a less powerful Ryzen 7 CPU from 2020, and AMD has promised an average 15 percent performance boost for various games over the 12-core Ryzen 9 5900X from two years ago.
Despite Intel calling the Core i9-12900KS the "world's fastest desktop processor," the company did not provide any competitive comparisons with AMD's fastest Ryzen that is currently available.
[9]
[10]
It is important to note that Intel [11]has previously said that the Core i9-12900K can outperform AMD's fastest CPU in the market, the 16-core Ryzen 5950X, across a variety of games, without saying how it would compare for multi-threaded applications. So it's likely the higher-frequency Core i9-12900KS provides even better gaming performance against the Ryzen 5950X, but we don't know by how much.
Interestingly, it appears that Intel was prepared to show off how the Core i9-12900KS compared to AMD's Ryzen 9 5950X in a demo during the company's [12]investor meeting in February but ended up not doing so. [13]On Intel's website , a list of performance claims it made during the meeting mentions a match-up between the two processors, which wasn't actually shown [14]during the meeting .
[15]
Reviewers and users will inevitably publish their own performance results of the Core i9-12900KS, but until then, here is what Intel is saying about the new processor:
The processor's 16 cores consist of eight performance cores and eight efficiency cores as part of the [16]Alder Lake hybrid architecture that has defined 12th-generation Intel CPUs. These cores provide a total of 24 hardware threads for multi-threaded applications.
The processor's 5.5GHz max turbo frequency, which can happen across one or two cores, comes courtesy of the Intel Thermal Velocity Boost technology.
The processor also uses Intel Adaptive Boost Technology to boost performance "opportunistically" by increasing the turbo frequencies across multiple cores.
The processor supports DDR5 bandwidths of up to 4,800 MegaTransfers per second and DDR4 bandwidths of up to 3,200 MegaTransfers per second.
The processor is compatible with Intel's existing Z690 chipsets for motherboards, though the company recommends keeping the BIOS updated for the best performance.
The processor has 30MB of Intel Smart Cache (L3), a base power of 150 watts, and support for PCIe Gen 5 and Gen 4 connectivity.
Next we'll see what AMD has up its sleeve. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/12th-gen-intel-core-i9-12900ks-worlds-fastest-desktop-processor.html
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/10/27/intel_alder_lake/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/15/amd_ryzen_7_5800x3d_launch/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/24/intel_updates_atx_psu_specs/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/21/amd_epyc_cpu/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/24/intel_chips_subsidy/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/23/microsoft_and_nvidia_extend_azure/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.crn.com/news/components-peripherals/intel-debuts-groundbreaking-12th-gen-core-hybrid-cpus-for-desktop
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/18/intel_gelsinger_plan/
[13] https://edc.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/performance/benchmarks/investor-day-2022/
[14] https://youtu.be/KByyChZj064?t=5936
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YkIwFYv7snpZeqRm05vqoAAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/19/intel_architecture_day/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Let's Qualify that 5.5GHz Figure
ShadowSystems
I just read the article over at ArsTechnica about this very CPU & came away with a "meh" impression.
It uses a hell of a lot of power to acomplish the feat, will probably need a fairly good liquid cooler system to keep it stable, and will almost certainly cause your power bills to go through the roof, all for the bragging rights of a 5.5GHz CPU.
Or you can use AMD's top CPU & run slower, cooler, & more efficiently on *all* cores instead of just two super speedy fast ones.
Intel at 14nm or AMD at 7nm, I wonder which I'd choose?
Re: Let's Qualify that 5.5GHz Figure
Grikath
For gaming purposes, it'd actually be the GPU that makes your wallet weep. Purchasing and using it.
Although for people buying this stuff, "money" is about the last consideration coming into the equation anyway.
Still reeling …
G40
From the notion of 100MB of cache …
mark l 2
I thought we had got passed the pure GHz numbers as a measure of CPU performance years ago? If it can't sustain running in 5.5GHz mode for a long period of time I can't see how that is good for gaming, as if it were to suddenly throttle mid game because the CPU starts to melt through the motherboard then the game will start to slow down as well.
hammarbtyp
If they can do it without have the power consumption of a small star and the heat output to match I'll be impressed.
The days of raw mips and GHz wars are well in the past. The frontier is getting enough performance to do the majority of everyday tasks with enough battery life for a day and without the risk of 3rd degree burns if the machine touches a piece of naked flesh
Let's Qualify that 5.5GHz Figure
So it'll run at 5.5GHz, on only 1 or 2 cores at a time, until it gets too hot. I'd be more impressed if it was 16 cores all of the time.
Getting anything running at that speed, even for a short time, is fairly impressive, especially if the memory subsystem is actually up to keeping cores fed when they're running at that pace. But it does feel a bit like a headline grabber, rather than something that truly sustains performance. The proof will be in the pudding.