We know from older reports that Intel will refresh its socket LGA2011 HEDT (high-end desktop) product family with three new parts, based on the new 22 nm "Ivy Bridge-E" silicon. A table detailing their clock speeds was leaked to the web. In addition, we got details of what Intel's entry-level Core i3 "Haswell" line of dual-core processors would look like, specs-wise. The Ivy Bridge-E silicon, is to a large part an optical shrink of the Sandy Bridge-E silicon, with a few improvements. The chip is fabricated on Intel's 22 nm node with tri-gate transistors, the IMC natively supports DDR3-1866 MHz, the PCI-Express root complex is gen 3.0 certified, and the CPUID features the new RdRAND instruction set. Aside from these clock speeds are increased across the board, although TDP isn't lowered from the previous 130W.

Leading the Core i7 "Ivy Bridge-E" pack is the Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition, with its 3.60 GHz core, 4.00 GHz maximum Turbo Boost, unlocked base-clock multiplier, and 15 MB L3 cache. This six-core chip will command a four-figure price. Next up, is the Core i7-4930K, with 3.40 GHz core, 3.90 GHz maximum Turbo Boost, unlocked base-clock multiplier, and 12 MB L3 cache. This chip could be 30-40 percent cheaper than the i7-4960X. The cheapest of the lot, though, is the Core i7-4820K. This quad-core part, interestingly, features unlocked base-clock multiplier, unlike its predecessor, the i7-3820. Perhaps Intel didn't want a repeat of Core i7-3770K cannibalizing the i7-3820. The i7-4820K features 3.70 GHz core, 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost, and 10 MB of L3 cache. The chip may be priced in the same range as the i7-4770K. All three parts feature quad-channel DDR3 integrated memory controllers, with native support for DDR3-1866.

Intel kicked its 4th generation Core "Haswell" desktop family off earlier this month, but only with quad-core parts spread across the Core i7 and Core i5 brand extensions. The entry-level is still stuck with Core i3 "Ivy Bridge," but it won't be for long. Before October, Intel plans to launch three Core i3 parts based on the "Haswell" micro-architecture. These dual-core chips lack Turbo Boost, but feature HyperThreading, which enables four logical CPUs, two out of three feature the same HD 4600 graphics core as other Core "Haswell" processors, while one of them features the slower HD 4400. HD 4600 is good enough for 4K Ultra HD desktop usage, while HD 4400 isn't recommended for desktop usage on displays higher than 1600p. The dual-channel IMCs of all three feature native support for DDR3-1600. TDP of all three chips is rated at 54W. The Core i3 "Haswell" lineup is led by the i3-4340, with its 3.60 GHz clock speed, HD 4600 graphics, and 4 MB L3 cache. Next up, is the Core i3-4330 with 3.50 GHz clock speed, HD 4600 graphics, and 4 MB L3 cache. The most affordable of the lot is the Core i3-4130, with its 3.40 GHz core, HD 4400 graphics, and 3 MB L3 cache.

The mystery of Core i7-4771 is cracked, too. While the unlocked Core i7-4770K features 3.50 GHz clock speed and 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost, the "locked" Core i7-4770 starts out at 3.40 GHz clock speed, and 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost. The Core i7-4771 is an intermediate. It features the clock speeds of the i7-4770K (3.50 nominal, 3.90 GHz Turbo Boost), while being "locked" like the i7-4770. We expect it to eventually replace the i7-4770 from the product stack.