Intel Raptor Lake Processor with 34 P-Cores Spotted

[AleksandarK]

Yesterday Intel announced its 13th generation Raptor Lake processor lineup. The top-of-the-line model, Core i9-13900KS, features eight P-cores and 16 E-cores for a total of 24 cores in the SoC. However, that may not represent the maximum for Raptor Lake, as there appears to be another segment equipped with a Raptor Lake processor with 34 cores. According to findings of Tom's Hardware, the Intel Innovation event in San Jose had a surprise for everyone, as there was a booth to display Raptor Lake silicon wafers. After closer examination, the wafer had cutouts for dies that contained as many as 34 cores.

With all cores being the same size, it is assumed that those are P-cores interconnected on a mesh, unlike the traditional ring bus that the rest of Raptor Lake processors use. On the back of the wafer was a label stating, "Raptor Lake-S, 34 core". This suggests that the CPU is perhaps a part of the HEDT offerings that Intel will soon update with the 13th generation designs and that the company showcased a production wafer for those SKUs. We expect to hear more about this unknown 34-core configuration sometime in the future as the new Intel Core generation begins its rollout.


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[R0H1T]

If it is "HEDT" I expect pricing to be closer to $3~5k depending on whether they have competition with AMD releasing an updated HEDT part themselves. But I seriously doubt they'll go for this given they're still behind on schedule with SPR on the server side!

They have a lot more pressing issues to address & HEDT could be some of the last ones they'll take on.

 

[LiveOrDie]

Lets hope its for a HEDT CPU been waiting years to update from X299 .

 

[ZoneDymo]

Good, competition, make AMD work again in that HEDT space because man has threadripper gotten zero updates for a long time now.

 

[ARF]

If it is "HEDT" I expect pricing to be closer to $3~5k depending on whether they have competition with AMD releasing an updated HEDT part themselves. But I seriously doubt they'll go for this given they're still behind on schedule with SPR on the server side!

They have a lot more pressing issues to address & HEDT could be some of the last ones they'll take on.

I guess 1800$ or south of it.

 

[usiname]

I guess 1800$ or south of it.

$1800? It is 34p cores, not 8p with 26e cores

 

[Lionheart]

Be awesome for HEDT to make a comeback on both sides.

 

[Dirt Chip]

Intel can push many e cors with easy to gain back some of the HETD, maybe for much cheaper by saving a lot of silicon space.
e cores prove to do a good jobe in highly multitasking workload.
I can see
8+32\48\64
10+24\32\40
16+16\24\32

 

[Vayra86]

34p cores... lol. At 1.5 Ghz? Intel attacking the 2018 market in full force?

 

[dj-electric]

34p cores... lol. At 1.5 Ghz? Intel attacking the 2018 market in full force?

Seemingly, running Raptor Cove cores at about 4.5GHz should be considerably easier and more efficient than doing so with Golden Cove. This might mean having a 34 P core chip that running 500-700MHz slower than standard chips end up with a similar TDP, and you earn a lot of surface area, which will result in more controllable thermals

 

[btarunr]

I wish this does take shape into a new HEDT processor, because it's the only way to get AMD to release a Zen 4 client Threadripper (not WX).

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I wish this does take shape into a new HEDT processor, because it's the only way to get AMD to release a Zen 4 client Threadripper (not WX).

I was gonna say something like this, its a tease to bait AMD for that.

 

[BorisDG]

Lets hope its for a HEDT CPU been waiting years to update from X299 .

I'm also hyped for new HEDT.

 

[Valantar]

Hardly surprising that Intel is test fabbing XCC wafers of every new architecture to see how it would perform in a server/HEDT setting, though I really doubt anything will come of this. Maybe a Xeon-W to compete with TR Pro?

Also, who in the world calling themselves a consumer has a need for 34 cores?

 

[R0H1T]

I was gonna say something like this, its a tease to bait AMD for that.

Be careful what you wish for!

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

Hardly surprising that Intel is test fabbing XCC wafers of every new architecture to see how it would perform in a server/HEDT setting, though I really doubt anything will come of this. Maybe a Xeon-W to compete with TR Pro?

Also, who in the world calling themselves a consumer has a need for 34 cores?

Bill Gates, we will only need 640k ram.

 

[Valantar]

Bill Gates, we will only need 640k ram.

Yeah, great analogy that. 'Cause it's not like current hardware has already been vastly outstripping consumer needs for half a decade, no, of course not.

No common consumer workload can meaningfully make use of 34 cores in a way that makes it worth the expense. Period. We have reached a saturation point for how many cores and threads consumer applications will need for the foreseeable future. Yes, demands will increase, but not all tasks can be parallelized, and that's just reality. Many tasks are inherently sequential. 16 cores is plenty for any common consumer workload. And if your response is "but rendering" - a) that's not a common consumer workload, and b) if you're a consumer and not a professional making money off it finishing quickly, just let it run overnight. Nobody sits around waiting for a render to finish anyhow.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

16 cores is plenty for any common consumer workload

Not even that many are needed, not even in gaming.

 

[Valantar]

Not even that many are needed, not even in gaming.

Absolutely. 16 is overkill, 34 would be just stupid. 6 is good, 8 is better, but beyond that it's only the higher SKUs being clocked higher that makes a difference. We might see games in the next decade make meaningful use of 16 high speed threads, but I kind of doubt we'll even get there.

 

[P4-630]

I need a PSU upgrade....

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

We might see games in the next decade make meaningful use of 16 high speed threads, but I kind of doubt we'll even get there.

Games wont ever need more than 12 cores/threads, ever. Many game devs are still struggling with using more than 4 cores.

 

[Jimmy_]

Wat on earth is this :O
a 34 core with Raptor cove! Everything will be in fire it seems

 

[evernessince]

Games wont ever need more than 12 cores/threads, ever. Many game devs are still struggling with using more than 4 cores.

That are some games that can already see a performance benefit from having more than 8 cores. To say that games with never need more than 12 cores is certain to be disproven.

 

[OkieDan]

That are some games that can already see a performance benefit from having more than 8 cores. To say that games with never need more than 12 cores is certain to be disproven.

Yep, Civilization 6 and similar games will love everything you throw at it.

 

[Bloax]

I'm glad that after Sapphire Rapids the folks at Intel "have their shit together" and are now rapidly iterating just like AMD's Ryzen department..


right?

[TO BE CONTINUED]