While Intel is busy with its new Core Ultra 200S series of "Arrow Lake-S" processors for desktops, the start of 2025 is brining some interesting news for the last-generation Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU. The "Raptor Lake" CPU, without a working iGPU has officially broken overclocking world record and reached further into the 10 GHz dream. Achieved by an overclocker named "Wytiwx", the new world record is now sitting in at 9121.61 MHz, beating the previous 9117.75 MHz record held by "Elmor" by 3.8 MHz. This officially breaks Elmor's rule which started in 2022 and currently holds second, third, fourth, and fifth place in the leaderboard. We are curious if the new overclocker will maintain his lead, or if someone new will try to come out on top. Interestingly, for the new world record, Wytiwx used ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX motherboard with CPU cooled by LN2. The run was validated on Windows 7 Ultimate Edition, which is an interesting choice for overclockers as previous records have also been set using Windows 7.

Shuttle is expanding its range of Mini-PCs with the XPC Barebone DH770 from the "XPC slim" family. The 1.3-liter PC offers powerful hardware, extensive connection options and flexible customization options for a wide range of professional applications. With support for 12th, 13th and 14th generation Intel Core processors (LGA1700) and modern DDR5 technology, the DH770 is the ideal solution for applications that require high computing power and reliability.

Outstanding performance and flexibility
The Shuttle XPC Barebone DH770 is based on the Intel H770 chipset and is compatible with the latest Intel Core processors up to the Raptor Lake-S Refresh series. With support for up to 96 GB DDR5 RAM and storage options via M.2 PCIe Gen 4 and SATA, the mini PC offers impressive performance in a compact format. Thanks to the option of operating up to four independent 4K displays simultaneously, the DH770 is ideal for demanding graphical applications, digital signage and control systems.

Intel has released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers, Version 101.6449 WHQL. The latest drivers are actually the launch driver for Intel Core Processor N-Series and Series 2, codename Twin Lake, Raptor Lake-H Refresh, Raptor Lake-U Refresh. In addition to updated support for new CPUs, the latest driver also fixes some issues on Intel Arc B-series graphics cards, as well as Intel Core Ultra Series 1 and Series 2 CPUs with Intel Arc GPUs. There are still plenty of unresolved issues on Intel Arc B- and A-series GPUs, but hopefully, Intel will fix these in the next drivers release.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6449 WHQL

"Twin Lake" is codename for a line of low-power x86-64 processors by Intel, which succeed the Core i3 N-series and N200 series "Alder Lake-N" processors. These non-socketed (BGA) chips power a wide range of devices from entry level notebooks and mini PCs to consumer NAS servers, and other embedded applications. The chips feature only E-cores. While "Alder Lake-N" used "Gracemont" cores, "Twin Lake" uses the swanky new "Skymont" cores, which serve as E-cores in "Lunar Lake" and "Arrow Lake" hybrid processors. "Skymont" cores feature massive IPC and clock-speed gains over "Gracemont," of nearly 50%, which pulls up their performance levels to match the "Golden Cove" and "Raptor Cove" P-cores of "Alder Lake" and "Raptor Lake," although these cores can't boost up to 5.00 GHz. We got the first name-drop of "Twin Lake" way back in May 2024. Jaykihn leaked what the processor lineup could look like.

The "Twin Lake" silicon features two "Skymont" E-core clusters sharing an L3 cache. At this point, the sizes of the shared L2 caches of the E-core clusters, and the size of the shared L3 cache are not known. On "Alder Lake-N," each "Gracemont" cluster features 2 MB of L2 cache, and the two clusters share a 6 MB L3 cache. The silicon also features an iGPU based on what is very likely the Xe-LPG graphics architecture, with four Xe cores worth 32 execution units (EU). The series is led by the Intel N355. This chip maxes out the "Twin Lake" silicon, enabling both "Skymont" clusters, for an 8-core/8-thread CPU configuration. The CPU comes with a base frequency of 3.00 GHz, and boosts up to 3.90 GHz. The chip comes with a configurable TDP of 9 W and 15 W. It comes with a maxed out iGPU, with all 32 EU being enabled, and a graphics frequency of 1.35 GHz.

Intel and AMD are both widely expected to hit the market with new high-performance mobile chips at CES 2025. We expect Team Blue to lift the curtains on its Core Ultra 200H and 200HX lineup, whereas Team Red will strike back with its Strix Halo products, a few of which were leaked recently with promising performance. However, that's not all that we expect from the x86 behemoths, as both are poised to introduce mid-range and budget offerings as well.

Interestingly, it appears that Intel has already pulled back the veil on its Raptor Lake-H Refresh-based Core 200H lineup, which has been revealed as the Core Processor series. The lineup consists of mostly rebadged Raptor Lake-H chips, with some confusing choices. The products, based on the Intel 7 node, are as follows.

Intel is significantly expanding its desktop Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake-S" lineup with new 65 W models along the sidelines of the 2025 International CES, but more importantly, it is bringing the "Arrow Lake" microarchitecture to the mobile space. The company is planning to launch at least 22 processor models this January, but not all of them are based on "Arrow Lake." Tom's Hardware reports that the lineup broadly revolves around the "Core 2-series" processor model numbering.

The Core Ultra 200H series consists of H-segment (conventional thickness notebook) processors in the 28 W to 45 W class, and are based on the "Arrow Lake-H" silicon. The Core Ultra 200HX series targets premium gaming notebooks and portable workstations, and consists of 55 W to 65 W class processors, including CPU overclocking capabilities on certain models. Things get interesting with the Core Ultra 200U series. These chips are based on the "Meteor Lake Refresh" silicon—an older microarchitecture—targeting the 7 W to 28 W segments for ultraportables. Lastly, there's the Core H 200 and Core U 200 series (no "Ultra" in the branding), which are based on the older "Raptor Lake" monolithic silicon, targeting mainstream notebooks.

Dynabook has introduced the Protégé X30W powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 165H processor. At first glance, that hardly seems impressive, but a closer look at the device reveals that the laptop weighs a feather-light 989 grams, or roughly 2.2 lbs. The device is also a convertible, which means that the hinge allows for 360° rotation, effectively converting the laptop into a tablet.

Apart from its lightweight design, there is little else about the laptop that is worth noting. The highest-end variant sports a Core Ultra 7 165H, which is a plenty-powerful chip, featuring 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores for a total of 14 cores and 22 threads, since the Crestmont cores do not support Hyper-Threading. An 8-core Arc iGPU handles the graphics, and delivers decent performance that nearly matches the RTX 2050 Mobile in certain cases. The system features up to 32 GB of DDR5-5200 memory, and up to a 2 TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD.

Intel has significantly changed its latest 0x112 microcode update, removing users' ability to bypass the Digital Linear Voltage Regulator (DLVR) through standard BIOS settings on "Arrow Lake" processors. DLVR, a technology designed to provide precise voltage control for individual performance cores and efficiency core clusters, offers great benefits during gaming sessions and light workloads. According to overclocker der8auer's analysis, DLVR can effectively manage power consumption during gaming, with power losses of around 20 W at typical gaming loads. However, these losses can shoot up to approximately 88 W under full CPU utilization. Previously, users could disable DLVR through a BIOS setting called "Power Gate" mode, which is particularly useful for intensive workloads where power losses might impact performance. With the new microcode update, this option has been removed from standard BIOS settings. It is also worth pointing out that DLVR is in its second iteration inside Arrow Lake CPUs, after the initial debut in "Raptor Lake," which had DLVR fused off.

Intel explained to Hardwareluxx that this change was implemented to "prevent accidental misuse of DLVR bypass," restricting its use to extreme overclocking scenarios involving sub-ambient cooling methods like liquid nitrogen. The update has already been rolled out through BIOS updates on some Z890 chipset motherboards, with ASRock and MSI being among the first manufacturers to implement the new microcode. While DLVR bypass may still be accessible through specialized LN2 profiles on high-end motherboards, the average enthusiast user loses direct control over this feature. This development mainly affects early Arrow Lake adopters, as not all motherboards include extreme overclocking profiles. While Intel's move appears to prevent potential issues, we must remember that power settings are something that users should only change with plenty of consideration. Removing this power gate mod is Intel prevention for Raptor Lake-like situations where these chips had an issue with Vmin shift.

According to the market research firm Mercury Research, the desktop CPU market has witnessed a remarkable transformation, with AMD seizing a substantial 28.7% market share in Q3 of 2024—a giant leap since the launch of the original Zen architecture in 2017. This 5.7 percentage point surge from the previous quarter is a testament to the company's continuous innovation against the long-standing industry leader, Intel. Their year-over-year growth of nearly ten percentage points, fueled by the success of their Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series processors, starkly contrasts Intel's Raptor Lake processors, which encountered technical hurdles like stability issues. AMD's revenue share soared by 8.5 percentage points, indicating robust performance in premium processor segments. Intel, witnessing a decline in its desktop market share to 71.3%, attributes this shift to inventory adjustments rather than competitive pressure and still holds the majority.

AMD's success story extends beyond desktops, with the company claiming 22.3% of the laptop processor market and 24.2% of the server segment. A significant milestone was reached as AMD's data center division generated $3.549 billion in quarterly revenue, a new record for a company not even present in the data center in any considerable quantity just a decade ago. Stemming from strong EPYC processor sales to hyperscalers and cloud providers, along with Instinct MI300X for AI applications, AMD's acceleration of data center deployments is massive. Despite these shifts, Intel continues to hold its dominant position in client computing, with 76.1% of the overall PC market, held by its strong corporate relationships and extensive manufacturing infrastructure. OEM partners like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others rely heavily on Intel for their CPU choice, equipping institutions like schools, universities, and government agencies.

As a quick follow-up to last week's "Arrow Lake-S" de-lidding by Madness727, we now have a line-up of a de-lidded Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake-S" processor placed next to a Core i9-14900K "Raptor Lake-S," and the Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake-S." The tile-based "Arrow Lake-S" is visibly larger than the two, despite being made on more advanced foundry nodes. Both the 8P+16E "Raptor Lake-S" and 8P+8E "Alder Lake-S" chips are built on the Intel 7 node (10 nm Enhanced SuperFin). The "Raptor Lake-S" monolithic chip comes with a die-area of 257 mm². The "Alder Lake-S" is physically smaller, at 215 mm². What sets the two apart isn't just the two additional E-core clusters on "Raptor Lake-S," but also larger caches—2 MB of L2 per P-core, increased form 1.25 MB/core, and 4 MB per E-core cluster, increased from 2 MB/cluster.

Thanks to high quality die-shots of the "Arrow Lake-S" by Madness727, we have our first die-area estimations by A Hollow Knight on Twitter. The LGA1851 fiberglass substrate has the same dimensions as the LGA1700 substrate. This is to ensure the socket retains cooler compatibility. Using geometrical measurements, the base tile of the "Arrow Lake-S" is estimated to be 300.9 mm² in area. The base-tile is a more suitable guideline for "die-area," since Intel uses filler tiles to ensure gaps in the arrangement of logic tiles are filled, and the chip aligns with the base-tile below. The base tile, built on an Intel 22 nm foundry node, serves like a silicon interposer, facilitating high-density microscopic wiring between the various logic tiles stacked on top, and an interface to the fiberglass substrate below.

MSI is thrilled to introduce the MS-CF17, a powerful 3.5" Single Board Computer (SBC) tailored for a wide range of industrial applications. Powered by Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake-P processors, the MS-CF17 is ideal for use in industrial automation, edge computing, digital signage, and transportation systems. The MS-CF17 is designed to excel in harsh environments, offering fanless operation and a wide temperature range (-40°C to 70°C). This makes it perfect for settings where reliability and performance are crucial, such as in factory automation or outdoor digital signage installations. The board supports up to 32 GB of DDR5 memory and features built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics engine, making it suitable for graphics-intensive tasks like advanced imaging systems and AI-driven analytics.

Connectivity options are abundant, with four 2.5G LAN ports, four HDMI ports supporting quadruple independent displays, M.2 M key PCIe Gen 4 for storage and M.2 B/E key slots for expansions, allowing for seamless integration into complex systems. This flexibility makes the MS-CF17 a go-to solution for applications requiring high-speed data processing, multi-display setups, and real-time analytics. Additionally, the onboard TPM 2.0 provides enhanced security, crucial for applications where data protection is paramount.

Intel 13th Gen and 14th Gen Core processor models based on the 8P+16E "Raptor Lake" silicon are prone to an infamous bug that caused their performance and stability to irreversibly degrade over time due to excessive voltage. This was isolated to a faulty microcode. Intel responded to this by extending the warranty of affected processor models, and releasing a slew of CPU microcode updates encapsulated into motherboard UEFI firmware updates, through PC OEMs and motherboard vendors, with the latest such microcode update being 0x12B. There's good news—Intel extensively tested affected processor models and confirmed that the 0x12B microcode fixes this issue. It is crucial that you update your motherboard BIOS (UEFI firmware) to the latest version, which contains this microcode.

The Verge recently interviewed Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford on this topic, who stated that the company had identified four scenarios causing processors to irreversibly degrade, and had recommended mitigations to stable processors before the degradation set in, with the latest microcode update fixing all outstanding scenarios. If a processor is unstable (i.e. degradation has set in), the firmware update is of no use, and you should just get the processor replaced under warranty. Intel extended the warranty to cover even the very first purchases of affected processor models. "Yes, we're confirming this is the cause and that it is fixed," Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford tells The Verge.

Back in August, Intel started shipping its 0x129 microcode update for 13/14th generation "Raptor Lake" and "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors. This update fixed incorrect voltage requests to the processor that are causing elevated operating voltage. Intel's analysis showed that the root cause of stability problems is voltage levels that are too high during the operation of the processors. These increases in voltage cause degradation that increases the minimum voltage required for stable operation. Intel calls this "Vmin." Today, the company discovered the root cause of this instability issue and informed users that a new microcode patch is underway. As explained by Intel, the Vmin Shift instability problem stems from a clock tree circuit in the IA core. When exposed to high voltage and temperature conditions, this circuit is vulnerable to reliability degradation. Intel's research has shown that these factors can cause a shift in the duty cycle of the clocks, resulting in system instability.

There are four scenarios that can cause Vmin Shift: increased motherboard power delivery, eTVB microcode algorithm running at higher performance operating states even at higher temperatures, microcode SVID algorithm requesting higher voltages at higher frequencies and longer durations, and finally microcode and BIOS requesting elevated core voltages. For motherboard power settings, mitigation is switching back to default settings. For the eTVB issue, the fix is a 0x125 microcode update. The 0x129 patch fixes the SVID algorithm, and the fourth condition, where microcode and BIOS request elevated core voltage, is fixed by the upcoming 0x12B microcode update. Intel is reportedly working with OEMs to start rolling out the 0x12B update with no apparent performance degradation. While the timeframe for shipping this update is unknown, we expect to see it soon. Additionally, Intel once again confirmed that the upcoming "Arrow Lake" CPUs don't have these issues.

Intel's 13th and 14th generation processors, codenamed "Raptor Lake" and "Raptor Lake Refresh," have been notoriously riddled with stability issues over the past few months, up until Intel shipped the 0x129 microcode update on August 10 to fix these issues. However, the upcoming Intel Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake" and 200V series "Lunar Lake" processors will not have these issues as the company confirmed that an all-new design is used, even for the segment of power regulation. The official company note states: "Intel confirms that its next generation of processors, codenamed Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake, are not affected by the Vmin Shift Instability issue due to the new architectures powering both product families. Intel will ensure future product families are protected against the Vmin Shift Instability issue as well."

Originally, Intel's analysis for 13th—and 14th-generation processors indicated that stability issues stemmed from excessive voltage during processor operation. These voltage increases led to degradation, raising the minimum voltage necessary for stable performance, which Intel refers to as "Vmin shift." Given that the design phase of new architectures lasts for years, Intel has surely anticipated that the old power delivery could yield problems, and the upcoming CPU generations are now exempt from these issues, bringing stability once again to Intel's platforms. When these new products launch, all eyes will be on the platform's performance, but with a massive interest in stability testing from enthusiasts.

We are excited to announce the launch of the MS-CF10 Mini-ITX motherboard, designed to deliver exceptional performance and versatility for a wide range of applications. Powered by the latest 14th/13th/12th Gen Intel Raptor Lake-S Refresh/Raptor Lake-S/Alder Lake-S series processors, including Core i9/i7/i5/i3, Pentium, and Celeron processors, the MS-CF10 is engineered to meet the demands of high-performance computing solutions.

Key Features:

• Advanced Processor Support: The MS-CF10 supports Intel 14th/13th/12th Gen Raptor Lake-S Refresh/Raptor Lake-S/Alder Lake-S series processors with R680E/Q670E/H610E chipsets, ensuring top-tier performance and efficiency.
• High-Speed Memory: Equipped with 2x DDR5 5200 MT/s ECC/non-ECC SODIMM slots, the motherboard supports up to 64 GB of memory, providing robust data handling capabilities.
• Multiple Display Outputs: Featuring quadruple independent displays with 2x DP, HDMI 2.0, and LVDS/eDP, the MS-CF10 is ideal for applications requiring multiple high-resolution screens.

TechPowerUp has released version 2.60.0 of GPU-Z, a popular graphics sub-system information, monitoring, and diagnostic utility. This latest update brings significant enhancements, including full support for the Arm64 architecture and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite GPUs. The release also adds support for AMD Zen 5 CPU temperature monitoring and a wide range of new GPUs from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel. Notable additions include the NVIDIA 4070 Ti Super (AD102), RTX 4070 (AD103), RTX 4060 Ti (AD104), RTX 4060 (AD106), as well as AMD Zen 5 (Strix Point and Granite Ridge), and Intel Raptor Lake U SKUs and Meteor Lake Intel Arc Graphics.

In addition to expanded hardware support, GPU-Z 2.60.0 addresses several important issues. The update fixes NVIDIA driver version reporting for some pre-2015 versions, resolves an installer problem that prevented closing running instances of GPU-Z, and corrects the "0 MHz" memory clock display on certain AMD RDNA GPUs without overclocking support. Other improvements include a small handle leak fix, added support for the Monster Notebook subvendor ID, and compatibility with new VMWare virtual GPU IDs. The installer now requires Windows 7 or newer, with appropriate messaging for unsupported systems. Users can download the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z from the official TechPowerUp website to access these new features and improvements.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.60.0

Intel has officially started shipping the "0x129" microcode update for its 13th and 14th generation "Raptor Lake" and "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors. This critical update is currently being pushed to all OEM/ODM partners to address the stability issues that Intel's processors have been facing. According to Intel, this microcode update fixes "incorrect voltage requests to the processor that are causing elevated operating voltage." Intel's analysis shows that the root cause of stability problems is caused by too high voltage during operation of the processor. These increases to voltage cause degradation that increases the minimum voltage required for stable operation. Intel calls this "Vmin"—it's a theoretical construct, not an actual voltage, think "speed for an airplane required to fly". The latest 0x129 microcode patch will limit the processor's voltage to no higher than 1.55 V, which should avoid further degradation. Overclocking is still supported, enthusiasts will have to disable the eTVB setting in their BIOS to push the processor beyond the 1.55 V threshold. The company's internal testing shows that the new default settings with limited voltages with standard run-to-run variations show minimal performance impact, with only a single game (Hitman 3: Dartmoor) showing degradation. For a full statement from Intel, see the quote below.

ASUS today became the first motherboard vendor to release UEFI firmware updates that encapsulate the latest 126 microcode update by Intel. This microcode update is Intel's response to the stability issues plaguing 14th Gen and 13th Gen Core desktop processors based on the "Raptor Lake" or "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, which was caused by an improper implementation of the on-die power management, which caused high voltages to run through the silicon, causing their physical degradation over time. If you are already experiencing stability issues, you should be able to claim an RMA or service under warranty, since your processor has already degraded. If, however, your processor is new, and is stable with all kinds of workloads, including games and compute-heavy productivity, then this UEFI firmware update is crucial in preventing its degradation, as it corrects the issue. Safedisk, a professional overclocker associated with ASUS, posted a list of ASUS ROG and ProArt motherboard models based on the Intel Z790 chipset, with links to their firmware update files. It stands to reason that the company is releasing these updates across its other product lines, such as TUF Gaming and Prime.

You can find the list here.

If you don't find your motherboard model in that list, keep checking the Support section of your motherboard's product page on the ASUS website, you'll either find it there, or one of these days the company will put it up. This aligns with Intel's timeline of a mid-August release for the microcode update.

Intel on Monday (08/05) provided additional information on its recently announced 2-year worldwide warranty extension for select models within its 13th Gen and 14th Gen Core desktop processors based on the "Raptor Lake" silicon. It mentioned that those who made unsuccessful RMA claims for their processors can reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance and remediation. This should prove especially useful for all those that tried to make RMA claims for their processors when these instability issues first came to light, but were met with RMA claim rejections.

Intel also listed out the exact processor model numbers affected by the instability issues, which are eligible not just for the warranty extensions, but also RMA claim assistance. These include every processor model within the 13th- and 14th Gen that are based on the larger "Raptor Lake" or "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, which has eight "Raptor Cove" CPU cores, four "Gracemont" E-core clusters, 2 MB of L2 cache per P-core, and 4 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster. Several processor models within the 13th and 14th Gen are based on the older "Alder Lake" silicon with 1.25 MB of L2 cache per P-core, and 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster. These chips are unaffected by the issue, as are entry-level processors based on the H0 die that only has up to six P-cores, and no E-core clusters.

MSI, a global leader in AI and advanced computing solutions, proudly announces the launch of the MS-C906, a compact-size Box PC powered by the Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake-P U Series Processor. Designed for ultra-low-power fanless operation, the MS-C906 is ideal for edge AI applications, offering unparalleled performance and reliability.

Key Features:

• High Performance: Supports up to 32 GB of DDR5 5200 MHz RAM and features quadruple independent HDMI displays, perfect for versatile visual output in various industrial and commercial environments.
• Robust Connectivity: Equipped with four Intel 2.5GbE LAN ports, ensuring robust network connectivity. M.2 and SATA interfaces provide ample storage options.

A CPU-Z screenshot of an alleged Intel Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor engineering sample is doing rounds on social media, thanks to wxnod. CPU-Z identifies the chip with an Intel Core Ultra case badge with the deep shade of blue associated with the Core Ultra 9 brand extension, which hints at this being the top Core Ultra 9 285K processor model, we know it's the "K" or "KF" SKU looking at its processor base power reading of 125 W. The chip is built in the upcoming Intel Socket LGA1851. CPU-Z displays the process node as 7 nm, which corresponds with the Intel 4 foundry node.

Intel is using the same Intel 4 foundry node for "Arrow Lake-S" as the compute tile of its "Meteor Lake" processor. Intel 4 offers power efficiency and performance comparable to 4 nm nodes from TSMC, although it is physically a 7 nm node. Likewise, the Intel 3 node is physically 5 nm. If you recall, the main logic tile of "Lunar Lake" is being built on the TSMC N3P (3 nm) node. This means that Intel is really gunning for performance/Watt with "Lunar Lake," to get as close to the Apple M3 Pro as possible.

Long-term reliability issues continue to plague Intel's 13th Gen and 14th Gen Core desktop processors based on the "Raptor Lake" microarchitecture, with users complaining that their processors have become unstable with heavy processing workloads, such as games. This includes the chips that have minor levels of performance tuning or overclocking. Intel had earlier isolated many of these stability issues to faulty CPU core frequency boosting algorithms, which it addressed through updates to the processor microcode that it got motherboard- and prebuilt manufacturers to distribute as UEFI firmware updates. The company has now come out with new findings of what could be causing these issues.

In a statement Intel posted on its website on Monday (22/07), the company said that it has been investigating the processors returned to it by users under warranty claims (which it has been replacing under the terms of its warranty). It has found that faulty processor microcode has been causing the processors to operate under excessive core voltages, leading to their structural degradation over time. "We have determined that elevated operating voltage is causing instability issues in some 13th/14th Gen desktop processors. Our analysis of returned processors confirms that the elevated operating voltage is stemming from a microcode algorithm resulting in incorrect voltage requests to the processor."

Intel introduced a line of 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" Socket LGA1700 processors for the embedded systems market. A highlight of these chips is that they come with their "Gracemont" E-core clusters disabled, and are pure P-core chips. It's interesting that Intel targets these chips for the embedded systems segment, but isn't building these in the non-socketed BGA packages carried over from its mobile platforms. Intel is addressing nearly all performance market-segments with these chips, including the very top. The Core i9-14901KE processor leading the pack is an 8-core/16-thread chip with eight "Raptor Cove" cores sharing the full 36 MB L3 cache available on the "Raptor Lake-S" die, a maximum boost frequency of 5.80 GHz, base frequency of 3.80 GHz, and processor base power of 125 W. The chip features an iGPU. The "K" in KE denotes that the chip supports overclocking.

Next up, is the Core i9-14901E, the 65 W sibling of this chip, which lacks an unlocked multiplier, and boosts up to 5.60 GHz, with a 2.80 GHz base frequency. Things get interesting with the Core i7-14701E, because the differentiator between the Core i9 and Core i7 SKUs is E-core count, and here we see the i7-14701 retaining the same 8-core/16-thread pure P-core configuration as the Core i9 chips, but with a touch lower frequencies of 5.40 GHz maximum boost, and 2.60 GHz base.

In a surprising development, Intel plans to extend the longevity of its Socket LGA1700 platform even as the newer LGA1851 platform led by the Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake" remains on track for a late-Q3/early-Q4 2024 debut. This, according to a sensational leak by Jaykihn. It plans to do this with a brand-new silicon for LGA1700, codenamed "Bartlett." This should particularly interest gamers for what's on offer. Imagine the "Raptor Lake-S" die, but with four additional P-cores replacing the four E-core clusters, making a 12-core pure P-core processor—that's "Bartlett." At this point we're not sure which P-core is in use—whether it's the current "Raptor Cove," or whether an attempt will be made by Intel to backport a variant of "Lion Cove" to LGA1700.

This wouldn't be the first pure P-core client processor from Intel after its pivot to heterogeneous multicore—the "Alder Lake" H0 die has six "Golden Cove" P-cores, and lacks any E-core clusters. Intel is planning to give launch an entire new "generation" of processor SKUs for LGA1700 which use the newer client processor nomenclature by Intel, which is Core 200-series, but without the "Ultra" brand extension. There will be SKUs in the Core 3, Core 5, Core 7, and Core 9 brand extensions. Some of these will be Hybrid, and based on the rehashed "Raptor Lake-S" 8P+16E silicon, and some "Alder Lake-S" 8P+8E; but "Bartlett" will be distinctly branded within the series, probably using a letter next to the numerical portion of the processor model number. There will not be any Core 3 series chips based on "Bartlett," but Core 5, Core 7, and Core 9.

Intel is preparing a complete refresh of its desktop platform this year, with the introduction of the Core Ultra 200 series processors based on the "Arrow Lake" microarchitecture. The company skipped a desktop processor based on "Meteor Lake," probably because it didn't meet the desired multithreaded performance targets for Intel as it maxed out at 6P+8E+2LP, forcing Intel to come up with the 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" generation to see it through 2H-2023 and at least three quarters of 2024. The company, in all likelihood, will launch the new "Arrow Lake-S" Core Ultra 200 series toward late-Q3 or early-Q4 2024 (September-October). The first wave will include the overclocker-friendly K- and KF SKUs, alongside motherboards based on the top Intel Z890 chipset. 2025 will see the series ramp to more affordable processor models, and mainstream chipsets, such as the B860. These processors require a new motherboard, as Intel is introducing the new Socket LGA1851 with them.

Core configurations of the "Arrow Lake-S" chip surfaced on the web thanks to Jaykihn, a reliable source with Intel leaks. In its maximum configuration, the chip is confirmed to feature 8 P-cores, and 16 E-cores. There are no low-power island E-cores. Each of the 8 P-cores is a "Lion Cove" featuring 3 MB of dedicated L2 cache; while each the E-cores are "Skymont," arranged in 4-core modules that share 4 MB L2 caches among them. Intel claims that the "Lion Cove" P-core offers a 14% IPC increase over the "Redwood Cove" P-core powering "Meteor Lake," which in turn had either equal or a 1% IPC regression compared to "Raptor Cove." This would put "Lion Cove" at a 13-14% IPC advantage over the "Raptor Cove" cores. It's important to note here, that the "Lion Cove" P-cores lack HyperThreading, so Intel will be banking heavily on the "Skymont" E-cores to shore up generational multithreaded performance increase. "Skymont" was a show-stopper at Intel's Computex event, with a nearly 50% IPC gain over previous generations of Intel E-cores, which puts it at par with the "Raptor Cove" cores in single-thread performance.