Intel i9 9980XE Extreme Edition 18 Core CPU Review

Overclocking

Settings

Overclocking on this CPU is about as easy as it could have been. When it comes to overclocking something like a Threadripper CPU, I clear my afternoon to deal with the boot loops. However, Intel’s platform has always proven a lot easier for pushing those clocks up. I dialled up the CPU to 4.4 GHz, only having to increase the CPU voltage about around 1.125v. I did add a little to the Vcore which improved stability. The whole process is something anyone can do. The only issue you have to fight is heat; and plenty of it. The CPU seemed to shut down around 95c, so fan profiles were set to 100% and then everything was fine to sit around 92c at load.

Interestingly, I hit 4.6 GHz on the older i9-7980XE, but the CPU lottery is a very real and fickle beast, so that is what it is. Either way, the performance remained pretty competitive despite the 0.2 GHz deficit. This is still an extremely fast CPU by any measure. However, ThreadRipper still blasted into the lead with WPrime and CineBench, even if the i9 did see some huge performance gains from overclocking.

3DMark Firestrike

WPrime

Cinebench R15

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Power Consumption

Stock

Overclocked

Temperatures

Stock

Overclocked