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Intel Core i9-9960X X-series

Intel Core i9-9960X X-series

Intel Core i9-9960X X-Series: The Power of the Past in the Reality of 2025

A Current Review for Professionals and Enthusiasts

Key Specifications: Architecture, Process Node, Key Features

The Intel Core i9-9960X processor, released in 2018, is still in demand in niche scenarios due to its unique characteristics.

- Architecture and Process Node:

It is based on the Skylake-X microarchitecture (14nm), which appears outdated in 2025 compared to 5nm and 3nm chips. However, its 16 cores and 32 threads provide high task parallelism. The base clock speed is 3.1 GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 4.5 GHz.

- Cache and PCIe:

It has 22MB of L3 cache and supports PCIe 3.0 (up to 44 lanes), limiting compatibility with modern SSDs and graphics cards that use PCIe 4.0/5.0.

- Turbo Boost Max 3.0:

This technology automatically overclocks the two fastest cores, improving single-core performance (Geekbench 6 Single Core — 1010).

Practical Example: When rendering 4K video in DaVinci Resolve, the i9-9960X shows performance comparable to the Ryzen 9 7900X (12 cores), but falls short in energy efficiency.

Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA 2066 socket, which is only compatible with X299 series chipsets.

- Relevance in 2025:

Most motherboards (e.g., ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme, MSI X299 Gaming Pro Carbon) are no longer in production. New models are not being released, but they can be found on the secondary market at prices ranging from $200 to $400.

- Selection Features:

Check for BIOS update support for compatibility with the i9-9960X. Motherboards with a powerful power delivery system (e.g., 8+ phase VRM) are critical for stability under load.

Important: Some X299 motherboards support RAM overclocking up to DDR4-4200, which partially compensates for the lack of support for DDR5.

Supported Memory Types

The i9-9960X operates exclusively with DDR4-2666 in a quad-channel mode.

- Advantages of Quad-Channel:

It offers a bandwidth of up to 85GB/s (compared to 50GB/s for dual-channel DDR5-6000). This is beneficial for tasks sensitive to memory speed, such as 3D modeling and simulations.

- Disadvantages:

DDR4 falls short compared to DDR5 in latency and density. The maximum supported capacity is 256GB (8 slots × 32GB).

Tip: Use four DDR4-3200 modules (with overclocking) for a balance between price and performance.

Power Supply Recommendations

With a TDP of 165W and high power consumption under peak loads (up to 250W), power supply requirements are strict:

- Minimum Wattage:

From 750W (for a system with a graphics card like the RTX 4070 Ti).

- Recommended Standards:

80 Plus Gold or Platinum. Examples: Corsair RM850x (2025 price — $140) or Seasonic PRIME GX-750 ($160).

- Cable Management:

Ensure the presence of an 8-pin (or two 4+4) CPU connector.

Experience: When building a workstation with the i9-9960X and RTX 4080, there were voltage drops with a 650W PSU — upgrading to 850W resolved the issue.

Pros and Cons of the Processor

Strengths:

- High multi-threaded performance (Geekbench 6 Multi Core — 6362).

- Support for quad-channel memory and 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes.

- Affordable price on the secondary market ($400–600 for new in packaging).

Weaknesses:

- Outdated 14nm process node → high heat output.

- No support for PCIe 4.0/5.0 and DDR5.

- Competitors offer better price/performance ratios.

Use Cases

1. Work Tasks:

- Rendering in Blender, Cinema4D.

- Code compilation (e.g., Android projects).

- Virtualization (16 cores allow multiple VMs to run simultaneously).

2. Gaming:

- In AAA titles (Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield), it is limited by single-core performance. FPS is 10–15% lower than the Core i5-14600K.

- Suitable for streaming (using GPU NVENC offloads the load on the CPU).

3. Multimedia:

- Video encoding in HandBrake (H.265) — processing time for a 4K clip is ~25 minutes compared to 18 minutes for the Ryzen 9 7950X.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (2023, 16 cores, 5nm):

- +30% single-core, support for DDR5-5200 and PCIe 5.0.

- New price — $550 (as of April 2025).

- Intel Core i9-14900K (2024, 24 cores, Intel 7nm):

- Higher IPC, DDR5-5600, TDP 125W.

- Price — $600.

Conclusion: The i9-9960X is relevant only if the budget is under $500 and a compatible motherboard is available.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Cooling:

Use an AIO cooler (e.g., NZXT Kraken X63) or a top-tier air cooler (Noctua NH-D15).

2. Memory:

Install 4 DDR4-3200 modules (32GB x 4 = 128GB) to maximize bandwidth.

3. Motherboard:

Look for models with Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 3 (e.g., ASUS X299 Sage).

4. Upgrade:

Do not plan to transition to DDR5 or PCIe 5.0 — this is a dead-end platform.

Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the i9-9960X in 2025?

This processor is worth choosing if you:

- Need a powerful multi-threaded CPU for work tasks but have a limited budget.

- Already have a compatible X299 motherboard.

- New standards (DDR5, PCIe 5.0) are not critical.

Alternative: For the same $500–600, you could build a system with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0, but with fewer cores.

The Intel Core i9-9960X is a "workhorse" for professionals willing to make compromises for savings. In gaming and everyday tasks, it lags behind modern equivalents, but it remains a contender in the niche of parallel computing.

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Basic

Label Name
Intel
Platform
Desktop
Launch Date
October 2018
Model Name
?
The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.
i9-9960X
Code Name
SkyLake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores
?
Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).
16
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
32
Basic Frequency
3.10 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency
?
Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.
4.40 GHz
Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency
?
Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.
4.50 GHz
Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0
?
Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom.
Yes
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology
?
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.
Yes
Intel Turbo Boost Technology
?
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.
2.0
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
FCLGA2066
Technology
?
Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.
14 nm
TDP
165 W
Max. Operating Temperature
?
Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.
85°C
PCI Express Version
?
PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.
3.0
Number of PCI Express Lanes
?
A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.
44
Intel 64
?
Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.
Yes

Memory Specifications

Memory Type
?
Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.
DDR4-2666
Max Memory Size
?
Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.
128 GB
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
4
Bus Speed
8 GT/s
Max Memory Bandwidth
?
Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).
85 GB/s
ECC Memory Supported
?
ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.
No

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
?
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.
Yes
Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
?
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.
Yes
Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)
?
Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.
Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2 | Intel® AVX-512
Number of AVX-512 FMA Units
2
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
?
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.
Yes
Execute Disable Bit
?
Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.
Yes
Cache
?
CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.
22 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Intel AES New Instructions
?
Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.
Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6
Single Core Score
1010
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
6362
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
1031
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
12923

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
Xeon Gold 5215
1097 +8.6%
Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE
1066 +5.5%
Core i9-9960X X-series
1010
Core i7-10700TE
959 -5%
Xeon Silver 4208
906 -10.3%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
Ryzen 5 3600XT
7201 +13.2%
Xeon E5-4667 v4
6822 +7.2%
Core i9-9960X X-series
6362
Xeon Gold 5122
5923 -6.9%
Core i3-10325
5569 -12.5%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
Xeon Platinum 9282
1074 +4.2%
Core i7-8665U
1056 +2.4%
Core i9-9960X X-series
1031
Xeon W-3223
1008 -2.2%
Xeon E5-1650 v4
987 -4.3%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
EPYC 73F3
15953 +23.4%
Xeon Silver 4310T
14368 +11.2%
Core i9-9960X X-series
12923
Xeon Gold 6252N
11838 -8.4%
Xeon E5-2687W v4
10794 -16.5%