Intel Core i9-7980XE vs Google Tensor

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-7980XE CPU1 vs CPU2 Google Tensor
Intel Core i9-7980XE Google Tensor

CPU comparison

Intel Core i9-7980XE or Google Tensor - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Intel Core i9-7980XE has 18 cores with 36 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.20 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 4 memory channels. The Intel Core i9-7980XE was released in Q4/2017.

The Google Tensor has 8 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 2.80 GHz. The CPU supports up to 12 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Google Tensor was released in Q4/2021.
Intel Core i9 (78) Family Google Tensor (3)
Intel Core i 7000X (9) CPU group Google Tensor (1)
7 Generation 1
Skylake X Architecture G1
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
-- Predecessor --
Intel Core i9-9980XE Successor Google Tensor G2

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-7980XE is a 18 core processor with a clock frequency of 2.60 GHz (4.20 GHz). The Google Tensor has 8 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 2.80 GHz.

Intel Core i9-7980XE Characteristic Google Tensor
18 Cores 8
36 Threads 8
normal Core architecture hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE)
Yes Hyperthreading No
Yes Overclocking ? No
2.60 GHz (4.20 GHz) A-Core 2.80 GHz
2x Cortex-X1
-- B-Core 2.25 GHz
2x Cortex-A76
-- C-Core 1.80 GHz
4x Cortex-A55

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

Intel Core i9-7980XE Characteristic Google Tensor
-- AI hardware Google Tensor AI
-- AI specifications Google Edge TPU @ 1.6 TOPS

Internal Graphics

The integrated graphics unit of a processor is not only responsible for the pure image output on the system, but can also significantly increase the efficiency of the system with the support of modern video codecs.

no iGPU GPU ARM Mali-G78 MP20
GPU frequency 0.76 GHz
-- GPU (Turbo) --
-- GPU Generation Vallhall 2
Technology 5 nm
Max. displays 1
-- Compute units 20
-- Shader 320
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
-- Max. GPU Memory --
-- DirectX Version 12

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

no iGPU GPU ARM Mali-G78 MP20
No Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
No Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
No Codec h264 Decode / Encode
No Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
No Codec VP8 Decode / Encode
No Codec AV1 Decode
No Codec AVC Decode / Encode
No Codec VC-1 Decode / Encode
No Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

The Intel Core i9-7980XE supports a maximum of 128 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The Google Tensor can connect up to 12 GB of memory in 2 memory channels.

Intel Core i9-7980XE Characteristic Google Tensor
DDR4-2666 Memory LPDDR5-5500
128 GB Max. Memory 12 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
85.4 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 53.0 GB/s
No ECC No
-- L2 Cache 8.00 MB
25.00 MB L3 Cache --
3.0 PCIe version --
44 PCIe lanes --
43.3 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The Intel Core i9-7980XE has a TDP of 165 W, that of the Google Tensor is 10 W.

Intel Core i9-7980XE Characteristic Google Tensor
165 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 10 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. --

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-7980XE has a 25.00 MB cache, while the Google Tensor cache has a total of 8.00 MB.

Intel Core i9-7980XE Characteristic Google Tensor
14 nm Technology 5 nm
Monolithic Chip design Unknown
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8-A (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512 ISA extensions --
LGA 2066 Socket --
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization None
Yes AES-NI No
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Android
Q4/2017 Release date Q4/2021
1999 $ Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Intel Core i9-7980XE to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.5 stars (2 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Google Tensor to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.3 stars (13 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-7980XE (97%)
Google Tensor (97%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-7980XE (100%)
Google Tensor (25%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 4.20 GHz
1121 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
1043 (93%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 3.50 GHz
16495 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
2915 (18%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 4.20 GHz
1394 (93%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
1494 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 3.50 GHz
11708 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
3639 (31%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 4.20 GHz
1281 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 3.50 GHz
28196 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 4.20 GHz
446 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 3.50 GHz
7671 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
@ 0.00 GHz
0 (0%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
ARM Mali-G78 MP20 @ 0.76 GHz
1943 (100%)

AnTuTu 9 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 9 benchmark is very well suited to measuring the performance of a smartphone. AnTuTu 9 is quite heavy on 3D graphics and can now also use the "Metal" graphics interface. In AnTuTu, memory and UX (user experience) are also tested by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu version 9 can compare any ARM CPU running on Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly comparable when benchmarked on different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 9 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The rating is made up of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the working memory, and the performance of the internal graphics.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 2.60 GHz
0 (0%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
691770 (100%)

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 8 Benchmark measures the performance of a SoC. AnTuTu benchmarks the CPU, GPU, Memory as well as the UX (User Experience) by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu can benchmark any ARM CPU that runs under Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly compareable if the benchmark has been performed under different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 8 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The evaluation consists of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the RAM and the performance of the internal graphics.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 2.60 GHz
0 (0%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
612494 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 3.50 GHz
30321 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 3.50 GHz
77 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 2.60 GHz
10563 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 4.20 GHz
184 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 3.50 GHz
3455 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Performance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Intel Core i9-7980XE Intel Core i9-7980XE
18C 36T @ 2.60 GHz
0 (0%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
1.6 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Intel Core i9-7980XE Google Tensor
Unknown Google Pixel 6
Google Pixel 6 Pro

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