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Raptor Lake Refresh Desktop CPUs Rumored to Be Due in Week 42
A credible source has indicated that Intel will launch the first Raptor Lake Refresh chips for desktop PCs during week 42 this year. A quick Google reveals that this timeframe spans from October 16 to 22, 2023. Unsurprisingly, the first batch of Intel 14th Gen Core processors for desktops which are claimed to be in line for launch will be the unlocked 'K' suffixed parts. China's ECSM_Official adds that he expects the mainstream non-K chips to launch in the first week of 2024, probably timed for exposure at the CES in Las Vegas.
Regular readers might know ECSM_Official by his longer, and more humorous, tech vlog moniker of the Enthusiastic Citizen. He has a good track record for Intel leaks in recent years, bringing us some of the first Core i5-13600K benchmarks, and exposing the original Raptor Lake launch and retail dates around this time last year. Actually, his RPL availability forecast last year was just two or three days stray - perhaps that's why he has given a date range this time.
(Image credit: Intel)
Circling back to the leak du jour, the Enthusiastic Citizen is really spoiling us with details not just about launch timings, but specific SKUs, motherboards, and BIOS information. In the intro we mention the dates of October 16 to 22, 2023 for 'K' processor availability, and the first week of 2024 for mainstream multiplier locked desktop processors. Additionally, Enthusiastic Citizen notes that the Core i7 14700K will present one of the biggest changes seen in the refresh. It is likely this desktop chip will offer a brand new configuration of 8P+12E, he says. That's eight performance cores plus 12 efficiency cores. This contrasts to the Core i7 13700K with 8P+8E.
Due to the more dramatic change represented by the Core i7 14700K, Enthusiastic Citizen says that buyers of this chip will very likely need a BIOS update to prepare any existing socket LGA1700 PC system. For the rest of the Raptor Lake Refresh, ho9wever, he suggests existing BIOS files will probably work without update.
Some other leaky news nuggets shared by ECSM include:
Intel is preparing Z890, B860, and H810 chipset motherboards for Arrow Lake CPUs - but not any H870 boards.
AMD's Storm Peak Threadripper processors are due in Q4 this year with two new chipsets
AMD is unlikely to launch any CPUs based on the Zen 5 architecture this year
As with any leaked news and non-official source, please add a sprinkle of salt to the above product details and launch timing projections. The latest official Raptor Lake Refresh news came somewhat obliquely from an Intel presentation in China, shared on the firm's official Bilibili account. Intel is making coverage of the next generation chips quite messy with new naming / branding schemes, and mixing of different architectures on desktop, mobile, and between mobile SKUs…
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
