Intel Core "Haswell" Refresh processors are now officially available. Built in the LGA1150 package and compatible with motherboards running 8-series chipset with BIOS updates, the chips are accompanied by an armada of motherboards based on the latest 9-series chipset, which support the chips out of the box. The chips offer speed-bumps over Intel's existing Core "Haswell" lineup, at existing price-points, and feature some under the hood package improvements that needn't translate into IPC improvements.

Among the chips launched today, are the Core i7-4790, featuring a clock speed of 3.60 GHz, with Turbo Boost frequency of 4.00 GHz, 8 MB of L3 cache, and HyperThreading. This chip is priced at US $319.99, between the i7-4770 and the i7-4770K. Also launched is the Core i5-4690, featuring clocks of 3.30 GHz with 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost, 6 MB of L3 cache, and lacking HyperThreading. This one goes for US $224. The two lack upwards unlocked base-clock multipliers, and so the overclockers among you may want to hold out till mid-June, when Intel launches overclocker-friendly chips, codenamed "Devil's Canyon," based on this silicon. Other chips launched today include the Core i5-4590 (quad-core, 3.20 GHz / 3.70 GHz, 6 MB L3, $199.99); i5-4460 (quad-core, 3.20 GHz / 3.70 GHz, 6 MB L3, $189); i7-4790S (quad-core, 3.20 GHz, 8 MB L3, HTT, $314, low TDP); i5-4690S (quad-core, 3.20 GHz, 6 MB L3, $224); and i5-4590S (quad-core, 3.00 GHz, 6 MB L3, $199).