Intel Rumored To Accelerate Next Gen CPU Launch Schedule In Response To AMD Ryzen
If Intel thought that it could coast along when it comes to processor development and its release schedules, AMD’s Ryzen processors have been a rather jolting wakeup call. While not able to topple Intel’s seventh-generation Kaby Lake Core processors in every single benchmark, the Ryzen 7 family in particular provides blistering multi-core performance at extremely attractive price points.
Intel has been able to charge premium prices for years because quite frankly, AMD didn’t put up much of a fight for the performance crown. The new Zen architecture changes all of that, so Intel is responding in kind. We reported earlier this month that Intel is pushing up the announcement of its Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processor to coincide with Computex 2017 (which is being held, as usual, in Taipei, Taiwan). Skylake-X, Kaby Lake-X and the accompanying X299 chipsets are collectively known as Basin Falls.
According to a fresh report, Basin Falls will launch by the end of June in the United States. All of these incoming High-End Desktop (HEDT) processors use the LGA 2066 socket and are still manufactured on a 14nm process.
As we previously reported, Skylake-X is the true enthusiast-level family, and will consist of 6-, 8- and 10-core processors. These processors will all feature 140W TDPs and support for quad-channel memory. On the other hand, Kaby Lake-X is a bit more “reserved” with a 112W TDP, quad-core SKUs and dual-channel memory support.
These processors will be doing battle with AMD’s upcoming 16-core Ryzen monsters that are due to land during the third quarter. The enthusiast-grade Ryzen processors will be capable of processing 32 threads and will be paired with AMD’s X399 chipset. They support quad-channel DDR4 memory and will reportedly operate at clock speeds ranging from 2.4GHz to 2.8GHz.
In addition to Basin Falls, there’s also news that Coffee Lake processors have been pushed forward from an early 2018 launch to the August 2017 timeframe. Coffee Lake processors are built on an optimized 14nm++ manufacturing process and will reportedly be available in K-Series Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 variants running on the Z370 chipset. These processors will be closely followed by H370, B360 and H310 chipsets.
Needless to say, it’s a great time to be a gaming enthusiasts these days. Not only is AMD once again firing on all cylinders, but they have seemingly woken the sleeping giant. We all stand to benefit when AMD and Intel are pummeling each other for bragging rights when it comes to CPU performance, so the only thing we can say at this point is “Bring it on!”
