2Compute, a retailer over in Belgium, recently added Intel's approaching 11th Generation Rocket Lake-S processors to its product catalog. The store has reportedly revealed the basic specifications and pricing for the 14nm chips. As is customary, we recommend approaching listings about unreleased hardware with caution, even if the listings come from a trusted retailer. It's also important to highlight that computer hardware is typically more expensive outside the U.S.
As evidenced by the F-series, Intel will continue to offer iGPU-less models for this generation. In the case of Rocket Lake-S, the processors arrive without the 12th-generation Xe LP graphics engine. Logically, the F-series and KF-series SKUs will cost less than their counterparts due to the lack of an iGPU. If 2Compute's pricing is even close to Intel's official MSRP, we could be looking at a price difference up to $29.
Rocket Lake-S debuts with the Sunny Cove microarchitecture and maxes out at eight cores. Therefore, it's not really fair to compare it to Comet Lake-S, which is based on the aging Skylake microarchitecture and wields up to 10 cores. However, with every new generation, consumers logically want to know how much they're paying for new technology.
Intel 11th Generation Rocket Lake-S Pricing
| Processor | Pricing (Excl. VAT) | Cores / Threads | Base Clock (GHz) | L3 Cache (MB) | Part Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-11900K | $604 | 8 / 16 | 3.5 | 16 | BX8070811900K |
| Core i9-11900KF | $575 | 8 / 16 | 3.5 | 16 | BX8070811900KF |
| Core i9-11900 | $493 | 8 / 16 | 2.5 | 16 | BX8070811900 |
| Core i9-11900F | $464 | 8 / 16 | 2.5 | 16 | BX8070811900F |
| Core i7-11700K | $455 | 8 / 16 | 3.6 | 16 | BX8070811700K |
| Core i7-11700KF | $426 | 8 / 16 | 3.6 | 16 | BX8070811700KF |
| Core i7-11700 | $370 | 8 / 16 | 2.5 | 16 | BX8070811700 |
| Core i7-11700F | $341 | 8 / 16 | 2.5 | 16 | BX8070811700F |
| Core i5-11600K | $293 | 6 / 12 | 3.9 | 12 | BX8070811600K |
| Core i5-11600KF | $265 | 6 / 12 | 3.9 | 12 | BX8070811600KF |
| Core i5-11600 | $250 | 6 / 12 | 2.8 | 12 | BX8070811600 |
| Core i5-11500 | $227 | 6 / 12 | 2.7 | 12 | BX8070811500 |
| Core i5-11400 | $205 | 6 / 12 | 2.6 | 12 | BX8070811400 |
| Core i5-11400F | $176 | 6 / 12 | 2.6 | 12 | BX8070811400F |
We'll use 2Compute's Comet Lake-S pricing as a reference for an apples-to-apples comparison to Rocket Lake-S. In the interest of keeping it simple, we only compared the three principal K-series models from both processor families.
2Compute sells the Core i9-10900K, Core i7-10700K and Core i5-10600K for $555, $398 and $282, respectively. Therefore, the Core i9-11900K and Core i7-11700K could cost up to 8.8% and 14.3% more, respectively, while the Core i5-11600K may arrive with a 3.9% higher price tag.
Intel 11th Generation Comet Lake Refresh Pricing
| Processor | Pricing (Excl. VAT) | Cores / Threads | Base Clock (GHz) | L3 Cache (MB) | Part Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i3-10305 | $172 | 4 / 8 | 3.8 | 8 | BX8070110305 |
| Core i3-10105 | $140 | 4 / 8 | 3.7 | 6 | BX8070110105 |
| Core i3-10105F | $94 | 4 / 8 | 3.7 | 6 | BX8070110105F |
| Pentium G6605 | $109 | 2 / 4 | 4.3 | 4 | BX80701G6605 |
| Pentium G6405 | $79 | 2 / 4 | 4.1 | 4 | BX80701G6405 |
So far, rumors have pointed to Intel refreshing its Comet Lake processors for Core i3 and below SKUs. If you're after PCIe 4.0, you'll ultimately have to look at the Core i5 and above models. In terms of Comet Lake Refresh, the recipe will be the same except that the reheated chips will come flaunting improve clock speeds.
The Core i3-10300 and Core i3-10100 are available at 2Compute for $161 and $134, respectively. The rewarmed versions are seemingly 6.8% and 4.5% more expensive, respectively.
Although we can't speak for all models, Rocket Lake-S may cost up to 14% more expensive than Comet Lake-S. Of course, Intel has promised IPC gains up to 19%, and there's also the matter of PCIe 4.0 support. However, we have to be aware that Rocket Lake-S is most likely the last wave of processors to pass through the LGA1200 socket so an upgrade right now does require a bit of meditation.
