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How much does your CPU matter for gaming?
For the latest episode of our explainer show Upscaled, we compared Intel’s new flagship 10-core chip, the i9-10900K, with AMD’s budget-level Ryzen 3 3300X. We were trying to answer one question: How much does your CPU matter in gaming performance?
Intel's Performance Maximizer tool overclocks CPUs with one click
Intel has launched a new feature designed to make overclocking more straightforward. Called the "Intel Performance Maximizer," the tool examines your processor's individual settings, then uses what Intel calls "hyper-intelligent automation" to tweak them for a performance boost. Basically, it's overclocking without having to fiddle around with custom settings in BIOS yourself.
Intel i9-9900K explained: The road to 5GHz
Intel has released its new line of desktop processors, including the i9-9900K, an eight-core CPU which can boost up to 5GHz. These chips are certainly fast, but they also showcase some of the challenges Intel and entire chip industry has had in crafting speedier processors. In the 2000s, most people would have predicted we'd have 5GHz chips by around 2008. Though the first 5GHz chips did finally appear in 2013, they were outperformed by most other high-end chips on the market. So how can a processor that runs faster perform worse than a slower chip, and how fast will the i9-9900K really be?
Apple's slim MacBook Pro design could be holding back its i9 CPU
The 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro lets you crank up the processor power by swapping in an Intel 2.9GHz six-core Core i9 CPU for an extra $300. But the chip seems to be struggling when it's handling power-hungry tasks, to the point where the average clock speed is vastly below the advertised performance of the CPU. Some tests even showed that it fared worse than the i7 model.
ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 packs Intel i9 power and 4K display
ASUS is adding some extra punch to its new ZenBook Pro 15 while still keeping the laptop slim and light. It's one of the first portable computers to offer Intel's new 8th-generation, six-core i9-8950HK processor even though it's just 18.9mm thick and weighs 1.86kg.
Intel brings a six-core i9 CPU to laptops
With its latest batch of 8th-generation Core chips for laptops, Intel is focused on delivering even more desktop-like performance. Just take a look at its new six-core monster processor, the Core i9-8950HK. We were impressed that the company was able to bring quad-core chips to ultraportables with its first batch of 8th-gen CPUs, but the 8950HK lives up to the crazy specifications we'd expect from the i9 lineup (which includes Intel's insane 18-core desktop chip).
Gulftown processor dubbed Core i7-980X, making its debut Q1 2010?
If you didn't make it to eBay in time to put down $1,200 or so for your very own pre-release Gulftown chip, cheer up! The countdown to the six core wonder continues apace, with more news each passing day. According to a purportedly leaked slide that popped up on China's PC Online, the 32nm chip will be known as the Core i7-980X and not the Core i9, as previously rumored. Part of the i7 "Extreme Edition" series (so extreme!). If everything goes as leaked, the 3.33GHz processor could be included in new Mac Pro systems come early 2010 -- which more or less jibes with rumors that the processor will be available sometime in March. See the new product name appear on the roadmap after the break.
Leaked details of Intel's Core i7-980X Processor
You'd think we were on the verge of an old-school Macworld Expo Keynote with all the rumors about this morning. Chinese site PCOnline.com.cn has spilled the beans on Intel's forthcoming Core i7-980x Processor. We're guessing that this processor could reside in future Mac Pros. Code-named "Gulftown" the 32nm, six-core i7-980X will be labeled as the i7x ("Extreme Edition"), not the i9 as many expected. It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor from Intel. The image reveals that, with 6 cores and 12 threads, a dual-configured, i7-980X Mac Pro will sport 12 physical cores and 24 logical cores. Expect a top frequency of 3.33GHz. It's a guess as to if and when these processors will appear in Mac Pros, so we'll keep our eyes peeled. That's going to be one nasty machine. Earlier this month, the the quad-core Mac Pro was updated to include a 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor. [Via HardMac]
Leaked Intel Core i9 chip makes its way to eBay?
Would you pay $1,200 for an as-of-yet unreleased Intel Core i9 chip? Hard to say if the transaction actually occurred, but an auction recently ended from a Taiwanese eBay user who claims to be selling a six-core, 2.4GHz Xeon Westmere Gulftown processor. We can't vouch for the validity of the listing, but those are some pretty convincing pictures being tossed around -- ones that aren't blurred, which might give Intel an advantage in snooping out the leak. That's not all, though -- Nordic Hardware (via Tom's Hardware) also reports that the OCTeamDenmark forums had it listed for on sale for $850. The 32nm fella had some promising benchmarks released recently, although its release isn't slated until at best sometime early 2010. Sure, it's great to be first, but with early adopter prices like that, we don't mind waiting until it goes official. %Gallery-79549%
Boost Mobile repaints Motorola Stature i9 in red
Boost Mobile's i9 stands head and shoulders above the rest of the carrier's line as its clear-cut hero device, but there's a problem -- the launch color, kind of a dark bronze, was a little bland. That's not cool for an iDEN flip this far up into the rare air, is it? Of course not, so we're glad to see that they've partnered up with Moto to bring out the so-called Stature in a second (more fitting) color, red. It's available now for exactly the same price as the original that's been available since February, $299.99.
Sprint puts the Motorola Stature i9 on sale, too
Following its earlier launch on subsidiary Boost, Sprint Nextel proper has now seen fit -- as expected -- to launch the hottest iDEN phone ever created, Motorola's Stature i9. $199.99 on contract after rebate will buy you a 3.1 megapixel cam, GPS, Bluetooth, microSD expansion, and all the iDEN-powered Direct Connect action you can handle; why these guys opted to push this thing down to Boost first is totally unclear to us, but hey, it's available to the traditional Nextel cats now too, so no hard feelings. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Motorola i9, others coming to Sprint this week?
We've seen a number of launch date leaks for Sprint courtesy of partner Brightpoint in the past; generally, they tend to be pretty accurate, so we're going to go ahead and put some weight to this latest one. Looks like we can expect Nextel to pick up the Motorola i9 on Wednesday -- Boost got it a little over a month ago, you might recall -- along with the ancient i580 in yellow. Brightpoint also reels in the Palm Treo Pro a few days earlier than Sprint's official date, while the LG Rumor 2 launches a few days later on the 15th or the 29th; Brightpoint's wording is a little odd here, so it's hard to tell exactly how it'll shake out. Finally, we have a camera-free version of the BlackBerry 8350i in the works, a logical product for RIM to be taking on considering the phone's all-business roots.[Via phoneArena]
Motorola's i9 gets shown off on video
So, you already know all there is to know about Motorola's i9 (on paper, at least), but wouldn't you like to see it toyed with on video? If you've found yourself shaking that noggin' to and fro, we'd recommend that you have a look past the break. There, you'll find a three minute walkthrough of the flip phone on Boost Mobile, and while no surprises await you (no shower scenes or anything of that nature), it's still a worthwhile use of your time if this one's on your "maybe" list.
Motorola i9 "Stature" gets real on Boost Mobile
We caught sight of the iDEN Motorola i9 Stature a week or so ago, but it was sitting comfortably in limbo until today. The Motorola i9 Stature will be arriving for your walking / talking pleasure at Boost Mobile by the end of February and sliding into Sprint shops shortly after that. Touted as the thinnest phone in the Direct Connect line (a tiny 15mm) it comes equipped with a 3.1 megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus, GPS, up to 8GB of memory, haptics, and Bluetooth. Pricing on Boost will be $299 and $199 on Sprint if a two-year carrier commitment is more your thing.[Via phonescoop]
Boost Mobile touts Motorola's i9 iDEN as coming soon
Remember the Motorola i9 iDEN set destined for Sprint? Well, if the flyer above is anything to go by, Boost Mobile may well get it first. In the ad for Boost's unlimited $50 plan -- which is a killer deal by the by -- Motorola's i9 is listed as coming soon. How soon? Sadly, no word on that or what it'll cost, but we're confident if Boost has it up on the site, an announcement can't be too far off.[Via TheBoyGeniusReport]
Motorola i9 gets detailed in official shots
If this were anything but an iDEN phone, we'd be laying into it for looking like a circa-2007 RAZR 2 clone (which it essentially is), but for a Nextel Direct Connect piece, this is as good as it's ever gotten. Official pictures of the i9 are now available from Motorola, some of which clearly show Nextel branding -- not to say that we'd expect iDEN's single biggest customer to bypass Motorola's single awesomest iDEN phone, but it's a reassuring confirmation for potential buyers nonetheless. We don't have a release date handy yet, so let's hope we can get some hands-on time at CES, especially since it's been just about a year since we first saw this thing.[Via Unwired View]%Gallery-39420%
Sprint's Motorola i9 and BlackBerry 8350i team up for photo shoot
It's hard to believe that iDEN's having a bit of a renaissance so late in its life, but if these two handsets aren't evidence of that, we really don't know what would be. The Motorola i9 and BlackBerry 8350i will represent the very best that Sprint's Direct Connect network has to offer when they're finally released; the i9 hasn't been officially announced in any capacity yet, but the 8350i is on track for a launch some time this quarter (and with the still-sold 7100i three frickin' years old now, that's a damn good thing). We've also heard that Moto's got an i465 in the works, too, but we don't know anything about it just yet. Check out a few shots below while you wait for Sprint to get its push-to-talk butt in gear.[Thanks, Manny P.]%Gallery-36363%
Motorola's i9 in the wild, presumably chirping
Okay, we're going to say this only once, so pay attention because you're not likely to ever hear it again: this is a good-looking iDEN phone. There, we said it. We feel good about it, no regrets. When are you gonna hit up Sprint for us, i9?[Thanks, djSD]%Gallery-35418%
Motorola's iDEN RAZR-alike gets FCC approval: meet the i9
We broke this sucker in its codename form of "Cabo" at some point before the last ice age -- our memory's kinda hazy going back that far -- but it's just now getting around to reality, and it's looking every bit as good (by iDEN standards, anyway) as it did back in the day. The i9 (as it turns out the official branding will be) features a 3.1-megapixel cam, GPS, morphing touch-sensitive keys on the front that change based on the current application (say, cam or media player) and the phone's orientation, and of course, push-to-talk -- in other words, this could end up being the ultimate execution in Moto's long, storied iDEN line. A last gasp, perhaps? An opportunity to go out with a bang? No word on a release timeframe yet, but we're figuring Sprint is going to make a big stink about this one when it materializes, so we're not too worried about it sneaking under the radar.
