Intel Raptor Lake Tested in Ashes of the Singularity: 32 Threads Confirmed

Intel
(Image credit: Intel)

13th generation Core 'Raptor Lake' CPUs should be released later this year, but Intel and its partners are already preparing for its launch, so samples of these processors are in the wild. Someone with access to a Raptor Lake chip ran an Ashes of the Singularity benchmark and submitted its score to the database. The result confirms some of the rumored specifications of the CPU, including its ability to process up to 32 threads simultaneously.  

The Ashes of the Singularity benchmark was run with the Min_1080p preset to eliminate the impact of GPU performance (a GeForce RTX 3090 was used) and showcase Intel's 32-thread CPU. Earlier leaks indicate that Intel's next-generation Raptor Lake CPU will pack eight (P)erformance cores with 2-way SMT as well as 16 (E)fficiency cores. So, the benchmark pretty much confirms this configuration. 

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware/Oxide Games)

However, the Ashes of the Singularity benchmark results (discovered by @Benchleaks) do not impress. The Raptor Lake processor scored 13400 points, whereas a similar machine with Intel's Core i9-12900K scored 13300 points.  

However, there may be a plausible explanation for this behavior. Ashes of the Singularity is a very old game that can barely take advantage of more than eight CPU cores (or perhaps 16 threads?), and it does not seem to benefit from Intel's efficiency cores. Since Raptor Lake has the same number of P cores as Alder Lake, but more E cores, AOTS may not demonstrate any real performance advantages for the 13th generation processor.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware/Oxide Games)

Keeping in mind that we are dealing with a CPU that identifies itself as 'Genuine Intel(R) 0000' (like all early samples do), its benchmark results should be taken with a grain of salt. 

While we are not going to make any final judgments about the performance of the Raptor Lake engineering sample, the key takeaway is that the CPU can process up to 32 threads simultaneously, which indirectly confirms 8P + 16E core configuration.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • spongiemaster
    However, the Ashes of the Singularity benchmark results (discovered by @Benchleaks) do not impress. The Raptor Lake processor scored 13400 points, whereas a similar machine with Intel's Core i9-12900K scored 13300 points.
    However, there may be a plausible explanation for this behavior. Ashes of the Singularity is a very old game that can barely take advantage of more than eight CPU cores (or perhaps 16 threads?), and it does not seem to benefit from Intel's efficiency cores.

    You guys need to do better than this. It was a fanboy free-for-all when AOTS update v3.1 released right around Alder Lake's release and "coincidently" added support for 24 threads, up from 16. So of course a 32 thread Raptor Lake CPU will score pretty much the same as Alder Lake. The extra 8 threads aren't supported by the benchmark....yet.
    Reply
  • NP
    spongiemaster said:
    You guys need to do better than this. It was a fanboy free-for-all when AOTS update v3.1 released right around Alder Lake's release and "coincidently" added support for 24 threads, up from 16. So of course a 32 thread Raptor Lake CPU will score pretty much the same as Alder Lake. The extra 8 threads aren't supported by the benchmark....yet.

    Yeah, well, it is not like anyone expects those +8 efficiency cores to be helpful in gaming benchmarks any time soon, let alone in those games. Already in the 12700K review TH pointed out that it matches 12900K performance in gaming workloads. Adding yet more efficiency cores will benefit a range of productivity workloads, though.
    Reply