We already know some information about AMD’s upcoming Threadripper line of CPUs, but Intel will soon be trading blows with its competitor by launching a whole new tier of processors: Core i9. The Core i9 denomination is a new thing for Intel. Previously, the Core i7 tier of processors included both the high-end processors and the more extreme, very expensive offerings. For example, in the 6th Generation series, the i7-6950X was a 10-core Broadwell-E processor that retailed for a whopping $1723 USD. This time around, Intel wants to separate those ultra-enthusiast processors from the more mainstream offerings.

This new 7th Generation Core i9 series will come in a variety of offerings, ranging from $999 for a 10-core CPU all the way up to $1999 for an 18-core monster:

• Core i9-7980XE: 18-cores/32-threads at $1,999
• Core i9-7960X: 16-cores/32-threads at $1,699
• Core i9-7940X: 14-cores/28-threads at $1,399
• Core i9-7920X: 12-cores/24-threads at $1,199
• Core i9-7900X: 10-cores/20-threads at $999

For the more modest enthusiasts out there, though, Intel also will have a new Core i7 X series available:

• Core i7-7820X: 8-cores/16-threads at $599
• Core i7-7800X: 6-cores/12-threads at $389
• Core i7-7740X: 4-cores/8-threads (4.3 GHz) at $339

All of the chips above are part of the Skylake-X family except for the 7740X, which is a Kaby Lake processor.

It looks like we’re in for quite a competition between Intel and AMD for the first time in quite a while. If nothing else, hopefully this healthy competition will help drive both innovation and a reduction in consumer prices!