Six Intel processors will launch a 14th generation that is not expected to innovate much.
The latest rumors have recently confirmed that Intel will launch its 14th generation of processors on October 17. However, the American company continues to maintain a strange mystery surrounding this new range, which is due to succeed Alder Lake (2021) and Raptor Lake (2022). The lanecment date has not been officially confirmed, and even to obtain the technical specifications of these processors, we have to turn to various leaks.
The latest comes from internal Intel documents retrieved by VideoCardz. These documents are intended for the American group's Japanese marketing departments. First of all, it confirms that, at least initially, the Raptor Lake Refresh range will be very limited: only six processors are planned for the mid-October launch, with two Core i9s (14900K and 14900KF), two Core i7s (14700K and 14700KF) and, finally, two Core i5s (14600K and 14600KF). At a later date, other processors (Core i3-14100, Core i5-14400 and Core i5-14500) could be added to the range in early 2024.
Another important piece of information is the details of the first processors to be marketed by Intel. The two Core i9s will feature 24 physical cores for 32 threads, with 8 high-performance cores and 16 efficient cores, while operating frequencies will reach a maximum of 6 GHz. This represents a 200 MHz increase over the previous-generation 13900K and 13900KF Raptor Lake processors. Second in the hierarchy, the Core i7s will feature 20 physical cores for 28 threads, with 8 high-performance cores and 12 efficient cores. The difference is interesting, as it means that these two processors will have 4 more cores than their 13th-generation counterparts.
On the frequency side, however, the gain is identical, with 200 MHz more: from 5.4 GHz to 5.6 GHz. The same is true of the Core i5 14600K and 14600KF, which increase to 5.3 GHz from 5.1 GHz on the 13600K/13600KF, while the number of cores is identical: 14 physical cores for 20 threads, with a split between 6 high-performance cores and 8 efficient cores. While the nature of the high-performance (Raptor Cove) and efficient (Gracemont) cores is identical, it's hard to believe that these 200 MHz - and only in boost mode - can really make the difference between the old generation Raptor Lake and the new Raptor Lake Refresh. With 4 more cores, only the 14700K and 14700KF seem likely to make a difference.
