U-selection philosophy: Computer selection starts with the processor, but does not end with the processor

Is speed important for a car? The answer is of course yes. The horsepower of a car determines how fast it can run, but in addition to speed, the car's chassis, body, handling, suspension, tires... these factors are equally important. Together with the engine, they determine the upper limit of the car and the driving experience of the vehicle.

Is performance important for a computer? The answer is yes. For many years, the performance of the processor has been the hard truth. But in addition, there are many key factors that affect the computer experience, such as network speed, interface speed, hard disk speed, and even whether the software is optimized.

Therefore, for true computer hardcore players, the philosophy of selection when assembling a computer is profound - the choice of a computer starts with the processor, but never ends with the processor. This philosophy applies to any era.

| Within your means, it is always better to choose high performance

What is the best processor at the moment? There is no standard answer to this question. In different fields and different application scenarios, the answer is not consistent. In the final analysis, it depends on the needs.

However, for creators and gamers who are more focused on high-performance computers, the top-level performance of the ninth-generation Core flagship product i9-9900K must be mentioned . I believe everyone knows what this processor with the suffix K means, 8 cores, 16 threads, 5GHz turbo acceleration, and 16MB smart cache . In addition, because it uses a new welding heat dissipation material (STIM), combined with the sophisticated tool Intel® Extreme Tuning Uzhantility (Intel® XTU) , DIY experts and overclocking enthusiasts can experience an unprecedented overclocking experience.

At the launch event for the ninth-generation Core desktop processor, a professional extreme overclocking player overclocked the i9-9900k to an ultra-high frequency of 7.1GHz , which greatly increased its performance and fully demonstrated its extremely high playability and potential.

Of course, most ordinary players do not have the conditions and skills for extreme overclocking, but that does not mean there is no opportunity to explore the limit. The 9th generation of Intel Core supports automatic overclocking software called Intel Performance Maximizer (IPM) . As long as the 9th generation of Intel Core is not locked, you can explore the overclocking performance of the processor with the help of this software. You should know that it will automatically adjust the voltage without manual settings, and automatically overclock within a safe range! As the saying goes, "Always overclocking is always fun", the already strong performance, and then overclocking, the mood when playing games will be different.

Of course, the playability of the ninth-generation Core is not limited to overclocking, but provides more choices for players with different needs. If you buy a discrete graphics card and do not need a processor core graphics card, you can choose the ninth-generation Core F series. Except for the lack of a core graphics card, other indicators are basically the same as the version with a core graphics card. It is not only more cost-effective, but also has good overclocking potential. In addition, if you are a super gamer, there is also the i9-9900KS special edition released at the end of May. This 8-core processor has a turbo frequency of 5Ghz on all cores , which basically represents the strongest sound at the desktop level.

At a time when large-scale applications and games are increasingly demanding on processors, it is always a good idea to choose the most powerful processor within your means. After all, for users who pursue the ultimate, performance is never enough.

| It is not enough to just look at the performance score, the actual combat effect can better reflect the performance

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the horsepower of the engine is only an indicator on paper. Whether the driver and the car can be integrated depends on the actual results. This principle also applies to computers. Although Benchmark scores can reflect performance to a certain extent, there are many examples that do not match the actual results. In addition to the limitations of the benchmark software, another key point is the optimization of the software/game. This performance "premium" cannot be reflected by the benchmark.

Take the games that everyone cares about the most, for example. Let's take a look at a set of data - the overall performance of the ninth-generation Core has increased the game frame rate by up to 11% compared to the previous generation of the same level products (Note 1) , and the game frame rate has increased by up to 41% compared to the old computer three years ago (Note 2) . The strength of the ninth-generation Core is not only reflected in the strong running score, but also in the actual combat.

It is worth mentioning that many AAA games in the gaming field are optimized for Intel® architecture , and the game FPS values ​​and large-scale physical effects are lifelike. Moreover, many gamers now have the need to broadcast and share games simultaneously. With the support of the ninth-generation Core, they can play games while recording, transcoding and broadcasting games smoothly without lag.

When discussing whether a processor is powerful enough, we also have to look at its coverage. A truly powerful processor family is omnipotent.

Core X series for high-end content creators

For example, the 9th generation Core family, in addition to the K, F series and KS special editions mentioned above, also has the Core X series for high-end content creators, ranging from 8 cores and 16 threads to 18 cores and 36 threads, mainly for content creators around the world, that is, those who need "computation-intensive" work, such as processing batches/large images, movie rendering, game production and other demanding tasks.

9th Generation Intel Core Processor (H Series)

Of course, we can’t forget the mobile side after talking about desktop products. The ninth-generation Core H series mobile processors can be said to be the only one in the mobile side. Like desktop products, they can fully “release your power”. There is also the i9-9980HK flagship product , which has 8 cores and 16 threads, is not locked, and the turbo frequency reaches 5.0GHz. It also supports Intel Thermal Velocity Boost and Intel Dynamic Tuning technology to help optimize the performance of the mobile side, making it more stable and powerful, and making the performance of laptops close to that of desktop computers.

| There are many factors that determine performance, and platform ecology is one of them

The most important thing that reflects the "ecological background" of a processor is its integrated platform technology advantages. After all, the user experience is the overall performance of the computer. In this regard, the ninth-generation Core can be said to be "born proud".

For example, computers with the ninth-generation Core processors natively support Thunderbolt 3. How powerful is this interface? Simply put, its speed is four times faster than USB 3.1, reaching 40Gbps. In addition to its super-fast speed, it is also the only interface that integrates display transmission, data transmission, and 100W power supply. One cable can handle everything! Want to know more? You can move to this article "Thunderbolt 3 is open, and laptops are expected to achieve "one-port"" .

For example, the emergence of the new generation of Wi-Fi 6 will completely change the Wi-Fi network we rely on every day. You should know that Wi-Fi 6 is not only fast and power-saving, but also supports more client access. In short, it is a very powerful technology. Here the editor has to emphasize again- not all Wi-Fi 6 have the same performance. The 160MHz channel used by the mobile Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) solution can achieve a true Gigabit speed, which is 2 times faster than the mainstream Wi-Fi 6 solution (Note 3) and nearly 3 times faster than the previous generation Wi-Fi 5, which is 802.11ac (Note 4) . Well, to enjoy such an excellent Wi-Fi 6 network, you still have to choose a Core processor to get this bonus. Want to know more about Wi-Fi 6? You can refer to this article "The sixth generation of Wi-Fi is coming, what kind of posture should we use to welcome it? "

In addition, there is the Optane smart acceleration black technology, which is really a black technology that aims to explore the future of memory and storage. It perfectly balances the speed and capacity of computer storage and solves the storage pain points for many years. You can read this article "Optane Soul-searching: What is it? What does it do? How to choose?" to understand the magic of this black technology.

Have you learned the philosophy of choosing U?

Having said so much, let's look at the philosophy of choosing U - the speed of the processor is very important, but it also depends on the support of many platform ecological technologies. Performance is important, but the overall practical effect, that is, the computer is easy to use, is the hard truth.

Remark:

1. As measured on Total War: WARHAMMER II using the Extreme Ultra-tasking scenario, comparing 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900K processor to 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8700K processor.

2. As measured using the Extreme Hyper-tasking scenario on Total War: WARHAMMER II, comparing 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900K processor to 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700K processor

3. Best-in-class Wi-Fi 6: Intel® Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) products support optional 160 MHz channels, achieving the highest theoretical maximum speed (2402 Mbps) for typical 2x2 802.11 AX PC Wi-Fi products. Compared with standard 2x2 (1201 Mbps) or 1x1 (600 Mbps) 802.11 AX PC Wi-Fi products (which only support the mandatory requirement of 80MHz channels), high-end Intel® Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) products achieve 2-4 times the maximum theoretical speed.

4. 802.11ax 2x2 160MHz supports a maximum theoretical data transmission rate of 2402Mbps, which is approximately 3 times (2.8 times) faster than 802.11ac 2x2 80MHz (867Mbps) recorded in the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard specification, and requires the use of a similarly configured 802.11ax wireless network router.

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