A couple of weeks ago, we reported on NVIDIA directing users of Intel's 13th Generation Raptor Lake and 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs to consult Intel for any issues with system stability. Motherboard makers, by default, often run the CPU outside of Intel's recommended specifications, overvolting the CPU through modifying voltage curves, automatic overclocks, and removing power limits.

Today, we learned that Igor's Lab has obtained a statement from Intel that the company prepared for motherboard OEMs regarding the issues multiple users report. Intel CPUs come pre-programmed with a stock voltage curve. When motherboard makers remove power limits and automatically adjust voltage curves and frequency targets, the CPU can be pushed outside its safe operating range, possibly causing system instability. Intel has set up a dedicated website for users to report their issues and offer support. Manufacturers like GIGABYTE have already issued new BIOS updates for users to achieve maximum stability, which incidentally has recent user reports of still being outside Intel spec, setting PL2 to 188 W, loadlines to 1.7/1.7 and current limit to 249 A. While MSI provided a blog post tutorial for stability. ASUS has published updated BIOS for its motherboards to reflect on this Intel baseline spec as well. Surprisingly, not all the revised BIOS values match up with the Intel Baseline Profile spec for these various new BIOS updates from different vendors. You can read the statement from Intel in the quote below.

Intel today launched the Core i9-14900KS Special Edition desktop processor, which forms the company's new flagship product in the desktop segment. The Core i9-14900KS is based on the same "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon as the i9-14900K, and offers an 8P+16E core configuration. What's new is that Intel has increased clock speeds for both the P-cores and E-cores. The P-cores now boost up to 6.20 GHz, a 200 MHz increase over those of the i9-14900K; while the E-cores boost up to 4.50 GHz, a 100 MHz increase. But these tiny speed bumps aren't what make the i9-14900KS special. It's the 320 W Extreme Power Delivery Profile, something the regular i9-14900K lacks. On select Intel Z790 and Z690 motherboards with two 8-pin EPS power connectors, the processor is able to draw large amounts of power to hold onto its high boost frequencies. Intel also made the i9-14900KS from the highest bins of the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon.

The Core i9-14900KS comes with a 3.20 GHz base frequency for the P-cores. Each of the 8 "Raptor Cove" P-cores comes with 2 MB of dedicated L2 cache. The 16 "Gracemont" E-cores are arranged in four E-core clusters. Each cluster shares a 4 MB L2 cache among its four cores. The 8 P-cores and 4 E-core clusters share a 36 MB L3 cache. The processor comes with a base power value of 150 W—25 W higher than the 125 W of the i9-14900K. Its maximum turbo power is still 253 W, and is engaged on platforms capable of Intel Performance Power Delivery Profile. It's only with some of the more premium motherboards that the 320 W Extreme Power Delivery Profile is engaged. The Core i9-14900KS is a Special Edition SKU, meaning that it may not be available in all the markets where the i9-14900K sells. Intel is pricing this chip at $690, a $100 premium over the i9-14900K, though interestingly, $50 cheaper than what its predecessor, the i9-13900KS, launched at.

Be sure to check out the TechPowerUp Review of the Core i9-14900KS.The launch press-deck by Intel, along with its first-party performance claims, follows.

The sub-$400 desktop processor segment is heating up, with the recent arrival of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D 12-core/24-thread processor in this segment, at $389. The 7900X3D boasts of 3D V-cache technology, and is tested to offer gaming performance comparable to the Core i9-13900K. Did you know which other chip offered the same performance as the i9-13900K at a much lower price? The Core i7-14700K. Pricing of this chip is on a downward trend, and Newegg is selling it for $389. The chip is listed for $399, with a coupon shaving off $10. At $389, the i7-14700K should offer comparable gaming performance to the i9-13900K, and by extension, the 7900X3D.

The Core i7-14700K "Raptor Lake Refresh" processor features an interesting 8P+12E core-configuration, with 8 "Raptor Cove" performance cores, and 12 "Gracemont" efficiency cores. Each P-core has 2 MB of dedicated L2 cache, each of the three E-core clusters shares a 4 MB L2 cache among its four cores; while the eight P-cores and three E-core clusters share a 33 MB L3 cache. The i7-14700K is compatible with all Intel 600-series and 700-series chipset motherboards, with some of them requring a UEFI firmware update. An interesting point to note here, is that while the i7-14700K is selling at $389, its sibling without the iGPU, the i7-14700KF, remains at $399.

Pricing of Intel's upcoming enthusiast-segment desktop processor, the Core i9-14900KS, has been confirmed to be $749, according to a MicroCenter listing. This price is identical to what the company asked for the previous generation i9-13900KS and i9-12900KS. As a Special Edition SKU, the i9-14900KS may not be available in all markets you'd normally find the i9-14900K in, also the chip is expected to have higher cooling- and power requirements. Based on the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, this 8P+16E core processor is expected to come with maximum boost frequencies of 6.20 GHz, and generally better overclocking headroom than the regular i9-14900K. The Core i9-14900KS is expected to go on sale this Thursday, March 14, 2024. Whether it beats the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D at gaming is the $749 question we'll answer soon.

As of two days ago, the NVX System Integrators store (via Carousell Singapore) has allowed customers to pre-order the oft-leaked Intel Core i9-14900KS CPU—a S$1059 (~$794 USD) spend secures a "BX8071514900KS" Special Edition retail package for in-store pick only. Another pre-release discovery arrives courtesy of the ever vigilant tech watcher; momomo_us—SE Computer, a store located in the bustling streets of Kowloon, Hong Kong, has listed the incoming flagship Raptor Lake Refresh part with a price of HK$5500 (~$709.70 USD). An accompanying image appears to be a placeholder, since warehouse leaks have displayed "Special Edition" text on Intel's signature blue retail boxes.

Privileged members of the overclocking community are already playing around with Intel's selectively-binned 14th Gen Core processor—but mere mortals will have to wait patiently for an official retail rollout. VideoCardz has spent part of their weekend doing detective work—several early store listings point to a possible March 14 commencement. The graphics card news specialist has scoured online entities across Asia, France and Canada for price comparison purposes: "it appears that the KS 'Special Edition' variant is set to cost 19 to 30% more than the K variant. Pricing varies depending on the size of the retailer, where the offer was placed, and the region it is being sold." They thoroughly recommend that potential customers avoid pre-ordering the Intel Core i9-14900KS—asking prices could stabilize post-launch, and e-tailers rarely sell through the first batch of niche "KS" CPUs.

Intel is reportedly launching its new enthusiast-segment desktop processor, the Core i9-14900KS, on March 14, 2024. The i9-14900KS is marked by Intel as a Special Edition product, meaning that it may not be available in all the markets that you'd otherwise find the regular i9-14900K in; and the processor has higher system- and cooling requirements to achieve its advertised performance levels. Given that Intel priced the previous generation i9-13900KS and i9-12900KS at $740, we don't expect pricing of the i9-14900KS to be any different.

The i9-14900KS is based on the same "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon as the i9-14900K, but from better bins. It should come with higher overclocking headroom, and better performance out of the box. This is because Intel has dialed up the maximum boost frequencies by 100-200 MHz on both the P-cores and E-cores. The P-cores now boost up to 6.20 GHz using the Thermal Velocity Boost algorithm, whereas the i9-14900K boosts up to 6.00 GHz. With its launch just over a week away, retail boxes of the i9-14900KS are already beginning to leak from sources among brick-and-mortar retailers. Once such source in Vietnam grabbed these snaps of the processor box.

The existence of Intel's upcoming Core i9-14900KS processor has been confirmed by a series of insider leaks and premature retail listings—an "alleged" example was photographed and appeared online right at the start of 2024. French e-tail listings produced evidence of two packages—a traditional retail box version, and a barebones tray option for OEM purposes. Earlier today, the I_Leak_VN social media account uploaded proof of a single "Special Edition" box sitting in an unnamed Vietnamese warehouse—it is not immediately clear whether units have reached retail facilities, or have just arrived on Southeast Asian shores. The embargo-busting post seemingly corroborates global insider information/whispers about distribution networks receiving stock—possibly in preparation for a rumored mid-March launch. VideoCardz believes that Vietnamese customers will be paying roughly $765 a pop—30% pricier than the current cost of 14th Gen Core flagship ownership.

A handful of Canadian online stores were a good source of pre-release "Raptor Lake Refresh" information in 2023—that tradition continues into the new year, with DirectDial publishing Intel Core i9-14900KS CPU specifications. This premature listing was highlighted by momomo_us, everyone's favorite PC hardware sleuth—prior to this week's discovery, they tracked down two Core i9-14900KS packages in France. The upcoming special edition flagship Raptor Lake Refresh SKU is expected to launch midway through next month—DirectDial's product page mentions that the item is a "New Arrival," with its status listed as "backordered." The BX8071514900KS part code also appeared on PC21 France's online store—confirming that both places will be offering Intel's retail packaged version. Canadian customers could be paying CA$1005 (~$740 USD) on launch day—the French leak outed a possible initial price of €768.34 (~$828 USD).

Intel's 14th Gen Core i9-14900KS is a "Tetracosa-core (24-Core) 3.20 GHz Processor" according to the DirectDial listing—basic specifications appeared online earlier in the month, so there are no big surprises here: 36 MB L3 Cache, 32 MB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processing, 6.2 GHz Overclocking Speed, Socket LGA-1700 and an Intel UHD 770 integrated graphics solution. The i9-14900KS's Thermal Design Power (TDP) max. spec is listed as 150 W, while its Thermal Specification is set at a maximum of 212°F (100°C). A mid-February HKEPC report put the spotlight on leaked OCCT results—the test unit was tracked with a 409 W maximum package power draw at stock speeds—the processor's PL2 power limit was unlocked via BIOS tweaks. High-end PC enthusiasts expected to Team Blue to unveil the selectively-binned special edition SKU at CES 2024—based on past traditions—but their Core i9-14900KS remained under wraps. We hope to see an official unveiling in March.

We are likely to see even more Intel Core i9-14900KS pre-release leaks as its rumored mid-March launch window approaches—hardware sleuth, momomo_us, has spent the weekend following any Team Blue breadcrumb trails. Their latest discovery points to "BX8071514900KS" and "CM8071504820506" product codes, and two listings on PC21 France's web shop. Intel seems to be offering its upcoming limited edition Raptor Lake Refresh über-flagship unit in two different guises—the first being a traditional boxed package, and the second appears to be a tray option (for system integrators). As pointed out by VideoCardz, it is not unusual to see OEM parts reach retail channels—similar cases have leaked in the past. The no frills tray choice: "offers a more cost-effective option for users who don't require fancy packaging or bundled coolers, making it a budget-friendly choice for the new CPU."

The Core i9-14900KS is far from being a wallet friendly prospect, yet the untimely listings indicate that the OEM option shaves off a grand total of €16 (~$17.25) when lined up against its fancy boxed sibling. The French retailer states that both items are on order, with zero stock in their warehouses. The boxed Core i9-14900KS seems to cost €768.34 (~$828) including taxes, while the tray variant's entry indicates a charge of €752.62 (~$811), with VAT factored in. These leaked prices are subject to change—perhaps the current figures are based on a distributor's pre-launch estimation. PC21 France does not display any pricing for the already released Core i9-14900K and 14900KF SKUs, but VideoCardz has checked other retail listings in the country—they reckon that the gulf between "K" and "KS" is €146 (best case scenario).

Intel's 14th Generation "Raptor Lake Refresh" processor series debuted in "enthusiast" SKU form last October—Team Blue's official product unveiling was less than surprising, since multiple SKUs and specifications had been leaked throughout mid-to-late 2023. The true top-of-the-pile Intel Core i9-14900KS SKU was first linked to a possible announcement at January's CES trade show, but did not appear in any of last year's leaked product lists. Team Blue proceeded to introduce its 14th Gen "mainstream" 65 W SKUs to the crowd in Las Vegas, but the leaked Core i9-14900KS model did not pop up, contrary to tipster claims—Intel had a history of presenting "KS" variants during January showcases.

Industry experts reckon that the current Raptor Lake Refresh flagship—Core i9 14900K—is getting some extra time in the spotlight, before its inevitable dethroning courtesy of a "Special Edition" sibling. BenchLife has reached out to its cadre of insiders, following yesterday's reports of a "gargantuan 409 W maximum package power draw." The alleged top dog 14th Gen Core part is perhaps only a month away from launch, as leaked by industry moles: "According to our reliable sources, Intel plans to launch the Intel Core i9 in mid-March 2024. 14900KS is a limited edition processor with a clock speed of 6.2 GHz, but we cannot confirm whether it will be sold to a specific system vendor or a specific channel."

Intel's Core i9-14900T processor was "officially" released last month alongside an expanded population of "Raptor Lake Refresh" products—the T-class alternative to Team Blue's flagship desktop Core i9-14900 CPU is a less glamorous prospect, hence almost zero press coverage and tech reviews. Its apparent lack of visibility is not helped by non-existent availability at retail, despite inclusion in Team Blue's second wave of 14th Generation Core processors (Marketing Status = Launched). The Core i9-14900 (non-K) is readily obtainable around the globe, as a lower-power alternative to the ever greedy Core i9-14900K, but their T-class SKU sibling takes frugality to another level. TPU's resident CPU tester, W1zzard, implemented six distinct power limit settings during a i9-14900K supplemental experiment, with the lowest being 35 W—coincidentally, matching the i9-14900T's default base power.

His simulated findings were not encouraging, to say the least, but late last week BenchLeaks noticed that a lone test system had gauged the T-class part's efficiency-oriented processing prowess. Geekbench 6.2.2 results were generated by an ASRock Z790 PG-ITX/TB4 build (with 64 GB of 5586 MT/s DDR5 SDRAM)—scoring 3019 in the overall single-core category, and 16385 in multi-core stakes. The latter score indicates a 22% performance penalty when referenced against Tom Hardware's Geekbenched i9-14900K sample. The publication reckons that these figures place Intel's Core i9-14900T CPU in good company—notably AMD's Ryzen 9 7900 processor, one of the company's trio of 65 W "non-X" SKUs. Last March, W1zzard was suitably impressed by his review sample's "fantastic energy efficiency"—the Geekbench 6 official scoreboard awards it 2823 (single-core) and 16750 (multi-core) based on aggregated data from multiple submissions.

A conglomerate of Japanese hardware outlets has tested Intel's latest batch of Raptor Lake Refresh desktop processors—their findings arrived in the form of a YouTube video (viewable below). The lowly Intel 300 CPU was sampled as part of PAD's lab tests—this 14th generation model serves as a natural successor to Team Blue's Pentium Gold G7400 processor. Pentium and Celeron brands were retired in the "essential product space" in 2022, along with the introduction of a replacement: simple "Intel Processor" in a light blue color scheme.

Expectations are not set very high for a two-core, 4-thread CPU in modern times—some news outlets believe that this an Alder Lake part (AKA a frequency tweaked Pentium Gold G7400), despite being launched alongside many Raptor Lake Refresh parts. The Intel 300 sports two Raptor Cove P-cores with hyper-threading capabilities—base performance is set at 3.9 GHz, with no provisions for boosting above that figure. The rest of its basic specs consist of a 46 W TDP and 6 MB of L3 cache (3 MB on each core). Team Blue's Core i3-14100 quad core CPU sits just above the 300 in the latest batch of 14th Gen—naturally, the former pulls ahead of the latter in synthetic benchmarks. PC Watch and Co. tests present a maximum 55% multi-core performance gap between the two lower end options, although the single-threaded difference was measured 13% (in Cinebench).

Intel has reportedly rolled out its China market-exclusive Core i7-14790F "Black Edition" CPU—MEGAsizeGPU tweeted out an initial glimpse of the decidedly not-very-Team-Blue outer packaging. A Core i7-14700F desktop processor was included in an announced list at CES 2024 and launched via global retail channels a few days ago, but its somewhat similarly monikered "Black Edition" appears to be region specific (also notably absent from last week's trade show). Intel's Core i7-14790F's nomenclature would suggest that its sits just a little bit above the i7-14700F in Raptor Lake Refresh's hierarchy, but the "Black Edition" specifications paint an odd picture. As noted by Tom's Hardware: "This CPU has an odd configuration since it has fewer cores and more cache than the Core i7-14700F, contrary to what its SKU would imply to be a higher-spec variant. "

The Core i7-14790K is currently priced at 2909 RMB (on JD.com) which converts to ~$410 (USD). The Core i7-14700F's asking price is roughly ten dollars more, which nets you a 16-core processor that packs 8 performance cores, 12 efficiency cores and 28 threads. Chinese buyers are presented with the slightly cheaper Core i7-14790F and its curiosity specs: 16 total cores comprised of 8 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores and 24 threads. Both F-models share the same list of clock speeds, but the Black Edition does slightly better with an overall total of 36 MB Intel Smart Cache (versus 33 MB)—in turn it loses out in L2 cache designation (24 vs. 28 MB). Tom's Hardware has kindly assembled a comparison table (see below).

Schenker, one of Europe's leading PC OEM and systems integrators, updated its XMG line of premium mobiile workstations, with the XMG Neo 16 and XMG Neo 17, powered by 14th Gen Intel Core HX "Raptor Lake Refresh" mobile processors, which released on January 8. Both are power-packed beasts that offer maxed out gaming with ray tracing at their respective display resolutions. Both feature the top-of-the-line Core i9-14900HX 8P+16E processor, along with dual-channel DDR5 SO-DIMM memory. The machine supports user-configured processor undervolting, and Intel XMP 3.0 overclocked memory support. Out of the box, the i9-14900HX is configured for over 100 W base power, although the maximum turbo power can go over 150 W as per Intel specifications. Graphics sub-system is led by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 16 GB 256-bit memory, and 175 W power tuning.

XMG's innovative OASIS air+liquid cooling solution tackles heat from the beastly i9-14900HX and RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. Connectivity includes a 100 W PD USB-C port. The notebook has an elaborate aluminium channel heatsink with multiple flat heatpipes, but there's also a liquid coolant channel with exterior fittings. The XMG OASIS accessory (purchased separately), can be quick connected to this, which contains a liquid cooling loop with a pump, reservoir, radiator, and probably something to deal with the residual air in the loop. You can opt for a CHERRY-sourced RGB-illuminated mechanical keyboard. The XMG 16 packs mostly the same hardware, except GPU choices offered between an RTX 4080 Laptop GPU and the top RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. It comes with a gorgeous 500 nits 16:10 display.

The mid range of Intel's 14th Gen Core desktop processor series finally sees some excitement. Announced on January 8, from the pile of 65 W 14th Gen Core processor models, the one chip that caught our eye was the Core i5-14600 (non-K). This isn't just a speed bump over the previous generation Core i5-13600, but comes with a cache upgrade. The i5-14600 6P+8E processor is based on the largest "Raptor Lake Refresh" die, just like the i5-14600K/KF.

What this means, is that each of its six P-cores now has 2 MB of L2 cache, compared to 1.25 MB of it on the i5-13600. What's more, each of its two E-core clusters that house its eight E-cores, gets a 4 MB L2 cache, compared to the 2 MB per cluster on the i5-13600. The six P-cores and two E-core clusters share a 24 MB L3 cache—no changes here, but there are clock speed uplifts. The P-cores boost up to 5.20 GHz, while the E-cores go up to 3.90 GHz. In comparison, the i5-13600 with a 5.00 GHz maximum P-core boost, and 3.70 GHz maximum E-core boost. Interestingly, the maximum turbo power value is unchanged between the i5-14600 and i5-13600, at 154 W. Intel is pricing the Core i5-14600 at $255. There is no Core i5-14600F SKU, which lacks integrated graphics, letting you save a further $20. The other 14th Gen Core i5 processors, namely the i5-14500, i5-14400, and i5-14400F, continue to be based on the older C0 silicon, with 1.25 MB L2 cache per P-core, and 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster.

Intel today concluded its client-segment processor launch series with the introduction of the new 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" desktop processor family with 65 W (non-K) models. These would fill the gaps between the various unlocked "K" 125 W SKUs Intel launched in October 2023. All processor models in the series come with base power values of 65 W, with maximum turbo power ranging between 110 W for the Core i3 4P+0E processors, to roughly 154 W for the Core i5 6P+8E processors, to 220 W for the Core i7 8P+12E processors, and as high as 225 W for the top Core i9 8P+16E models.

The Core i9-14900 and i9-14900F offer a maximum P-core boost frequency in line with their K and KF counterparts, of 6.00 GHz, although their base frequency is lowered in line with their reduced base power. The Core i7-14700 and i7-14700F tick at speeds of up to 5.60 GHz. The Core i9 and Core i7 series processor models make use of the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon that has 2 MB of L2 cache per P-core, 4 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, and up to 36 MB of L3 cache; while the 65 W Core i5 series is based on the smaller silicon that has 1.25 MB of L2 cache per P-core, 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, and up to 30 MB of L3 cache.

Intel's current generation mobile processor product stack is vast, to say the least. In Q4-2023, the company launched its Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" mobile processors spanning the U-segment (7 W to 28 W), and H-segment (35 W to 45 W). Today, the company capped the upper end of the stack with the 14th Gen Core HX-series mobile processors based on "Raptor Lake Refresh," which dial up core counts to 8P+16E. And now, the company is adding more choice to the U-segment with the Core Processor Series 1, based on a lower core-count variant of the "Raptor Lake Refresh" architecture.

The Core Processor Series 1 follows the same nomenclature as the Core Ultra, where the "Ultra" denotes the latest "Meteor Lake" architecture. Processor model numbering and case badges are similar between Core Processor Series 1 and Core Ultra, except the lack of the "Ultra" brand extension. These chips are built on the monolithic "Raptor Lake Refresh" dies on the Intel 7 foundry node, and lack innovations such as the Low-power Island cores, 3D Performance Hybrid architecture, the all important AI Boost and on-silicon NPU; as well as that 2x faster Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics, but use existing combinations of "Raptor Cove" and "Gracemont" CPU cores, along with older Xe-LP graphics with up to 96 EU; and a mostly similar I/O.

Intel today announced the release of its 14th Gen Core HX series "Raptor Lake Refresh" mobile processors. Processor models from this series are supposed to cap off the upper end of Intel's mobile processor portfolio. Although Intel released the Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" mobile processors late last year, those chips cover the U-segment, and H-segment (ultraportable, thin-and-light, and mainstream); with the fastest model being the Core Ultra 165H, which caps out at 6P+8E+2LP. The HX segment, which started out as enthusiast-class, broadened in scope over the years to cover the bulky gaming notebooks and portable workstations. These chips typically have a power rating of 55 W. All chips have maximum turbo power rating of 157 W. Intel is tapping into its "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon to carve out these processors. This is a monolithic chip built on the Intel 7 process, and its package is a multi-chip module with an on-package PCH.

The lineup begins with the Core i9-14900HX, which maxes out the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, with an 8P+16E core-count, with 2 MB of L2 cache per P-core, 4 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. The processor's full I/O is wired out, including support for dual-channel DDR5 (SO-DIMMs only), a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 connection for discrete GPUs, a PCI-Express 4.0 x4 connection for a CPU-attached M.2 NVMe SSD, and DMI 4.0 x8 link between the processor die and the PCH die. This PCH puts out up to 16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, besides up to 12 Gen 3 lanes, which notebook designers can combine with discrete Thunderbolt 4 controllers, and the likes. You can expect Wi-Fi 7 to be prevalent in this crop of premium gaming notebooks. The i9-14900HX features a P-core maximum boost frequency of 5.80 GHz, and an E-core boost frequency of 4.10 GHz.

At the 2023 International CES, Intel had announced its 65 W (locked) 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" desktop processors, but the star of the show then was the enthusiast-segment Core i9-13900KS Limited Edition processor. A picture of what is allegedly the i9-14900KS, suggests that Intel might repeat its last year's CES announcements, with the i9-14900KS. Last time around, they had the claim to launch the world's first 6 GHz processor, something that is also the latest maximum boost frequency of the current i9-14900K, so it remains to be see what the i9-14900KS brings to the table. A 6 GHz all-core boost for the P-cores, or a speed bump that lets it finally beat the $350 Ryzen 7 7800X3D at gaming? We'll find out next week in Vegas.

Ahead of its rumored January 8 announcement, various unreleased 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors got listed on European e-tailer CoolMod. These are non-K (65 W) processor models. The lineup begins with the Core i3-14100F, a 4P+0E processor without integrated graphics, priced at €124.94. If you need the iGPU, it will cost you at least €25 more, for the i3-14100 at €149.96. The most hotly anticipated chip among the lineup, the Core i5-14400F is priced at €219.95. A notch up is the i5-14500, going for a steep €249.95. Interestingly, the store has the i5-14400 (witth the iGPU) listed at the same exact price. There is no i5-14600 listed.

The Core i7-14700F is priced at €384.95. This chip has an 8P+12E configuration, which is the same as the i7-14700K, but with lower base frequency, and tighter power limits. It lacks an iGPU, and if you need one, then the i7-14700 is listed at €409.95. At the upper crust of the lineup you have the Core i9-14900F at €574.96, which has the full 8P+16E core configuration, but lower clock speeds than the i9-14900K, and no iGPU, which can be had for €25 more, with the i9-14900 at €599.95. All prices are inclusive of taxes.

Intel's entry-level 14th Gen Core desktop processor, the Core i3-14100, got its first retailer listing, with ShopBLT putting it up for $150.24. The 4-core/8-thread chip that only has performance cores (P-cores), is based on the same H0 silicon that drives the Core i5-12600, which physically lacks E-cores. Intel has been reusing its "Alder Lake" silicon across the non-K variants of its 13th Gen and now 14th Gen Core i3 and Core i5 processor SKUs. One way to spot them is by the size of their dedicated L2 caches for the P-cores, which is 1.25 MB, compared to 2 MB on the 8P+16E "Raptor Lake-S" silicon used to carve out Core i7 and Core i9 SKUs across the 13th Gen and 14th Gen.

The Core i3-14100 offers a tiny speed bump over its predecessor, the i3-13100. With the base frequency set at 3.50 GHz, and boost frequency probably at 4.70 GHz, compared to the 3.40 GHz and 4.50 GHz of the i3-13100. Each of the four P-cores has 1.25 MB of L2 cache, and they share 12 MB of L3 cache. The chip gets the same I/O as the rest of the lineup, with a dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory interface, and PCIe connectivity that includes a Gen 5 x16, a CPU-attached Gen 4 x4 for NVMe slots, and a DMI 4.0 x8 chipset bus. The iGPU on offer is the UHD Graphics 730 based on Xe-LP, with 24 EU, compared to the 32 that's standard with higher 14th Gen Core desktop processor models. The chip has a processor base power of 60 W, and a possible maximum turbo power of 110 W. Intel is expected to announce its locked 14th Gen Core desktop processor lineup in January 2024, which should include the i3-14100, and its cheaper sibling, the i3-14100F, which lacks integrated graphics.

On December 14 Intel launched its first generation Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" line of mobile processors, and here is a a brief overview of the various processor models on offer at launch, thanks to a compilation by ComputerBase.de. "Meteor Lake" is Intel's first completely disaggregated processor, in which its numerous components are broken up into chiplets fabricated on different foundry nodes that strike the right performance/Watt suitable to the component, all held together by Intel's Foveros packaging technology (an evolution in multi-chip modules with a design focus on reducing inter-chiplet latencies to levels comparable to components on a monolithic chip). "Meteor Lake" also introduces a 3-tiered heterogeneous CPU architecture, with the introduction of the low-power island CPU cores.

Intel's mobile processor lineup is broadly categorized into the U-segment, targeting thin-and-light and ultraportable devices; and the H-segment, targeting notebooks of conventional thickness. At launch, the Core Ultra H-segment, and U-segment processors will coexist with P-segment processor models from the 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" series; as well as the upcoming 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" HX-segment. The P-segment is positioned between the U- and H-segments, targeting a class of devices that either what to be thin-and-light mainstream notebooks, or higher performance ultraportables. The HX-segment caters to high performance gaming notebooks and mobile workstations.

Intel is preparing to expand its 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" desktop processor lineup with the introduction of mainstream 65 W processor models that lack overclocking capabilities and include a cooling solution in the retail channel. The company is planning to make these chips available to purchase on January 8, 2024. Intel has set 15:00 Pacific on January 8th as the availability time; it's also the time when the media can post their reviews of these chips. The chips should be supported on all Socket LGA1700 motherboards, across Intel 600-series and 700-series chipsets, including the entry-level H610; however, some of these boards may require UEFI firmware updates. We've known the processor model numbers and specs of these chips for a while now, and they're starting to appear on web-stores as placeholder listing. It's possible that Intel allows retailers to take in pre-orders a few days before January 8.

Retailers are beginning to put up placeholder listings for Intel's upcoming 14th Gen Core (65 W), non-K desktop processor models. Based on the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, these chips offer generational uplifts in clock speeds over the 13th Gen Core series, although their feature-set remains nearly identical to the 13th Gen. These chips will run on all Socket LGA1700 motherboards, based on 600-series and 700-series chipset, with a UEFI firmware update. The full lineup already leaked out in marketing material this September (read here), but we're getting confirmation of these chips as retailer listings. The lineup begins with the 4P+0E Core i3-14100F and i3-14100; followed by the Core i5-14400F and i5-14400; the Core i7-14700F, i7-14700; and leading the pack being the i9-14900 and i9-14900F. These chips, particularly the -F extension ones, could provide good value to gamers.

Intel Application Performance Optimization (APO) is a unique feature that sets 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors apart from 13th Gen "Raptor Lake," despite the two being practically the same microarchitecture. APO is software-based, application-specific processor optimization that is found to offer an up to 16% performance boost in "Metro Exodus," and an up to 13% boost in "Rainbow Six: Siege." These are the only two games that Intel has released APO optimizations for, and for now, APO is only supported on the Core i9-14900K and i9-14900KF. Hardware Unboxed learned that while the company might bring APO to more 14th Gen Core processor models in the near future; it won't make it to 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" and older 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake."

APO is an extension of Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology framework that provides a greater degree of handholding for the OS scheduler, to give a specific application the best possible allocation of hardware system resources. For Intel to release APO profiles to new games, it needs extensive testing and validation specific to processor models and the applications themselves, which is probably why the company is limiting APO to only its current 14th Gen processors, and only specific processor models within the lineup. You can catch the Hardware Unboxed presentation with their testing of APO on the two supported titles, and Intel's statement, in the source link below.