Intel Core i9-7980XE: 18-cores for 2000 USD Intel's flagship processor for 2017, the Core i9-7920XE, is an 18-core behemoth designed specifically for one reason: to beat AMD's Threadripper in core count (which is up to 16 cores by the way). The i9-7980XE is currently the most expensive modern desktop CPU you can find, at least on paper, because it is not yet on sale. Some lucky tech enthusiasts got their hands on early samples, but we don't know if those are pre-production samples or retail units.