Intel goes core-crazy with 10-core, VR-friendly Broadwell-E CPU

First consumer-grade 10-core x86 microprocessor from Intel - but at a very non-consumer price

Intel has unveiled a new Broadwell-E microprocessor family that boasts as many as 10 cores - the first consumer x86 CPU with 10 cores, as well as Hyper-Threading.

The devices were unveiled at this year's Computex trade shows and have, the company claims, been designed with applications such as virtual reality in mind.

Built on a 14-nanometre process, the four-part microprocessor family offers base clock speeds from 3GHz to 3.6GHz, which can be overclocked to between 3.5GHz to 3.8GHz. Overclocking can be done on a core-by-core basis, enabling users to specify which cores to overclock. They also support DDR4 memory and can be dropped-in to new and existing X99-based motherboards (notwithstanding a BIOS update).

The 10-core Core i7-6950X tops the range, followed by the eight-core Core i7-6900K, a six-core Core i7-6850K, and a 'budget' six -core Core i7-6800K, which is distinguished largely by the crippling of PCIe performance, cut to 28 lanes compared to the 40 lanes in the other three CPUs.

Intel claims that the deca-core top-of-the-range part offers a 35 per cent performance increase compared to the last-generation Haswell-based Core i7 5960X, and is 25 per cent faster than the previous i7 for games and 4K video editing.

Gregory Bryant, corporate vice president and general manager of the connected home and commercial client at Intel, said: "With the Intel Core i7 processor Extreme Edition, we've built a monster platform.

"It will transform the way people play, work and create. Just as consumers are expanding what they do with their PCs, the Intel Core i7 processor Extreme Edition delivers a new level of capability, now with up to 10 cores of mind-blowing performance.

"It's designed not just for multi-tasking, but for mega-tasking. Enthusiasts expect to push their systems with multiple compute-intensive applications at the same time. That's exactly what we've delivered."

Intel was keen to promote the chip for virtual reality gaming, as well as supporting the imminent shift to 4K displays.

However, the extra cores don't come cheap: the top-end, 10-core i7 6950x part weighs in at $1,723, with the eight-core i7 6900K priced at $1,089, the six-core i7 6850K at $617 and the budget six-core i7 6800K part at $434.