Wednesday, June 13th 2018
Intel Readying 22-core LGA2066 and 8-core LGA1151 Processors
Intel is readying a refresh to its "Basin Falls" HEDT platform (LGA2066 client high-end desktop), with a new 22-core silicon. This part is neither Skylake HCC (20 tiles, up to 18 cores) nor Skylake XCC (30 tiles, up to 28 cores), but a new die with four more tiles than the Skylake HCC silicon, all of which are cores. The new silicon could let Intel design 20-core and 22-core SKUs for the X299 Express chipset, and is seen as a direct response to AMD's 24-core Ryzen Threadripper II processor, which was recently shown beating the 18-core i9-7980X in tech demos. The 32-core Threadripper II could face competition from the 28-core HEDT processor Intel is readying for Q4-2018, but that processor won't be compatible with LGA2066.
In related news, the company is giving finishing touches to a new 8-core "Coffee Lake" die for the mainstream-desktop platform (LGA1151 socket, 300-series chipset). This die features 8 cores, and likely 16 MB of shared L3 cache, while retaining the iGPU and uncore components from the existing Coffee Lake-S die. The chip could retain the classic "Ring Bus" design. The new 8-core mainstream-desktop SKUs, and at least two new high-end desktop SKUs (20-core and 22-core), could be launched in September 2018. The "Basin Falls" refresh, coupled with the new LGA3647 "Purley" derivative for the 28-core monstrosity, will be all Intel has to face AMD this year, with the company's next HEDT silicon, "Cascade Lake-X" being reportedly delayed to the second half of 2019, probably due to foundry problems.
Source:
PC Watch
In related news, the company is giving finishing touches to a new 8-core "Coffee Lake" die for the mainstream-desktop platform (LGA1151 socket, 300-series chipset). This die features 8 cores, and likely 16 MB of shared L3 cache, while retaining the iGPU and uncore components from the existing Coffee Lake-S die. The chip could retain the classic "Ring Bus" design. The new 8-core mainstream-desktop SKUs, and at least two new high-end desktop SKUs (20-core and 22-core), could be launched in September 2018. The "Basin Falls" refresh, coupled with the new LGA3647 "Purley" derivative for the 28-core monstrosity, will be all Intel has to face AMD this year, with the company's next HEDT silicon, "Cascade Lake-X" being reportedly delayed to the second half of 2019, probably due to foundry problems.
40 Comments on Intel Readying 22-core LGA2066 and 8-core LGA1151 Processors
I know more cores is important for rendering, but there are some really important improvements that need to happen to this platform.
- Thermals have to come down with a better TIM application, dealing with the heat of those CPUs is the biggest challenge i have ever met.
- Motherboards have to become more robust in the VRM cooling and power delivery dept.
- Branding has to start making sense already. No more sub 8-core CPUs please.
- CPU pricing needs to start being more compelling. TR is a wake up call.
- Quicker catch up with mainstream technology is needed. You can't let mainstream enjoy new ports and technologies, and deliver it to HEDT a whole year later.
And just in the Skylake-X generation, they replaced the soldering with TIMs, along with a core bump from 10 to 18 simultaneously.
*Intel is sorry to inform you that it forgot to mention that none of this is true.
If this report is accurate, it just serves to underscore how utterly useless the new 28-core chips will be. "22 cores not rocking your boat? Here, I have a motherboard for you at 4x the price, that won't fit in your case, with a silly amount of memory channels for any end-user workload. Also, the VRM has a heatsink bigger than your GPU, and the CPU is $4000. Sound good?"
Essentially, if this is true, it just confirms that the 28-core chips are nothing but a knee-jerk reaction to Treadripper 2 (yes, technically demonstrated before, but not exactly requiring a great leap of imagination). "We can also have a silly amount of cores!" Intel still has the IPC and clock speed crown, TR and TR2 is seriously putting the hurt on them in the HEDT workstation world. TR enabled me to build a 12-core video editing rig last year for the same money that would have gotten me a 6 or 8-core Intel chip (with far less PCIe too!). Intel needs to get their act together.
Feels weird, but it seems right. 12-core 7nm zen 65W and vega 7nm maybe? I hope so much AMD at least gives something remotely like a mobile 7nm gaming version to acer! 30% extra performance wouldn't go amiss, would put it at desktop vega 56 performance!
I'm kinda done with nvidia and Intel for now and my a8 6600k is still going, just.
1 - Thermals have to come down with a better TIM application, dealing with the heat of those CPUs is the biggest challenge i have ever met.
People have been complaining about this since 2012: hexus.net/tech/news/cpu/39369-intel-cuts-corners-ivy-bridge-thermal-interface-material-tim/
2 - Motherboards have to become more robust in the VRM cooling and power delivery dept.
This has only been a widespread issue since X299 - X99 VRMs did not have overheating issues becuase the platform's power requirements were dramatically less. Der8auer complained about this issue for the first time on Jun 28th 2017.
3 - Branding has to start making sense already. No more sub 8-core CPUs please.
Intel have a long history of confusing people with their branding - Here's a couple links and quotes:
4 - CPU pricing needs to start being more compelling. TR is a wake up call.
He's got a point, Intel bumped up the price of their top end HEDT CPU from $999 to $1700 between the 5960X and the 6950X, while delivering only 2 more cores and on the same PCH. TR is doing incredibly well with a top end part priced at what Intel were charging before they added $700 to the MSRP. Absolutely a wakeup call to Intel.
- Quicker catch up with mainstream technology is needed. You can't let mainstream enjoy new ports and technologies, and deliver it to HEDT a whole year later.
Honestly, this is the only thing on this list that I've not seen a whole lot of complaints about, but it's always been an issue on the platform - Gigabyte annouced the world's first thunderbolt 3 compatible X99 motherboard on April 13, 2016 - www.gigabyte.com/Press/News/1421
Thunderbolt 3 had arrived on Mainstream, also from Gigabyte, on Sep 9th 2015 - thepcenthusiast.com/gigabyte-z170x-ud5-th-thunderbolt-3-motherboard/
Not to mention cooling. That wasn't a time where you could just buy a 212 and expect to be fine in summer heat. A P4 and 8800GTX could legitimately take you into "space heater" territory in terms of added heat to the room...
Is this for real this time?
There are those who still believe just because media told them so.