Raptor Lake shall be Intel’s Thirteenth-generation processor, following up on the momentum that the corporate is constructing with its upcoming Alder Lake launch later this yr. Whereas Alder Lake nonetheless isn’t fairly absolutely baked but — it’s scheduled to be launched later this yr — the corporate is already arduous at work with the Twelfth-gen processor’s successor.
And although Raptor Lake could also be extra of an incremental replace for these trying to undertake the Twelfth-gen Alder Lake platform, the brand new Thirteenth-gen chipset is predicted to carry even stronger efficiency with an enhanced 10nm design.
A leaked roadmap means that Intel could also be tuning Raptor Lake with applied sciences that may profit players, however other than teasers, there may be little official details about Raptor Lake. Right here’s all the things we all know to this point, together with when it’s anticipated to launch.
Pricing and availability
With Twelfth-gen Alder Lake scheduled to launch later this yr, Raptor Lake gained’t be anticipated till 2022 on the earliest. If Intel follows its conventional launch schedule, we are able to count on to see Raptor Lake debut someday within the fall.
The timing would match what’s at present being rumored for Alder Lake. The cellular Twelfth-gen processors will possible arrive in October and are even rumored to usher in Microsoft’s new Home windows 11 working system, whereas desktop Alder Lake may arrive in November. Given the continuing international semiconductor scarcity that’s been plaguing CPUs and GPUs, it’s unclear if Intel may persist with an analogous launch schedule for Raptor Lake or how a lot stock the corporate can have for its processors at launch.
Pricing info will not be but recognized for Raptor Lake, however provided that Intel’s Core i5-10500 processors retail for $285, we count on a midrange Thirteenth-gen to have related pricing. Equally, AMD’s high-end Ryzen 9 3950X desktop processor with 16 cores and 32 threads is available in at $738, and we anticipate Raptor Lake to have related value.
Structure design
Supply: Videocardz
As a refresh of Alder Lake, Raptor Lake is predicted to be extra of a minor processor improve in Intel’s CPU launch cadence. Like its predecessor, Raptor Lake is predicted to be based mostly on an enhanced 10nm processor design, which the corporate refers to as 10nm Enhanced SuperFin, together with the heterogenous core structure that mimics Arm’s massive.LITTLE processor design.
The truth is, it’s been speculated that Intel may even make the most of the identical cores from its Twelfth-gen lineup in Raptor Lake, so we should always see a return of the Golden Cove high-performance cores in addition to the Gracemont high-efficiency cores. There was conflicting details about the return of Golden Cove, nevertheless, with some speculating that Intel may introduce new efficiency cores with Raptor Lake. The hybrid structure design permits Intel to residence in on efficiency whereas retaining energy consumption low.
With Raptor Lake, Intel is alleged to be bettering the efficiency of those cores, and the leaked street map printed by Videocardz means that we should always see “new hybrid CPU core modifications for improved efficiency” in addition to “improved CPU cache for gaming” enhancements for desktop Raptor Lake. It’s unclear what these modifications shall be right now, nevertheless.
In one other technique that mimics Intel’s launch of Twelfth-gen Alder Lake, the brand new Raptor Lake’s core structure shall be used on each desktops and mobiles. On laptops, Intel is introducing LPDDR5X reminiscence help, which needs to be an enchancment over the LPDDR5 reminiscence supported on Alder Lake. Additionally new to cellular Raptor Lake is help for brand new DLVR energy supply. The corporate has not introduced what DLVR energy supply is for its platform, however it might be much like rival AMD’s implementation.
DLVR energy supply may enable the processors to function at very low frequencies when excessive clock speeds aren’t wanted, and the top outcome might be considerably improved battery efficiency when mixed with the hybrid core structure design.
If correct, this might carry much-needed stamina to Raptor Lake-powered laptops, and Intel notebooks will be capable to extra successfully — and effectively — compete in opposition to Arm-based processors, just like the M collection CPUs that Apple has been utilizing on its new Macs. The battery life enhance on cellular can even align with Intel’s Evo requirements that debuted with the corporate’s Eleventh-gen cellular CPUs. Intel Evo was beforehand often known as Mission Athena.
Credit score: Videocardz
We nonetheless don’t have many particulars about Raptor Lake’s processor configurations, however a latest rumor printed by YouTube channel Moore’s Legislation is Lifeless means that Raptor Lake may include a complete of 24 cores. Whereas the 24-core rely gained’t be a direct comparability to rival AMD’s Threadripper Ryzen processors — Intel is utilizing a hybrid structure, in any case — it ought to assist Intel enhance multithreaded operations.
Moore’s Legislation is Lifeless means that Intel will arrive on the 24-core rely on its flagship processor by combining eight high-performance cores with 16 high-efficiency cores. The channel means that Intel could use new Raptor Lake excessive efficiency cores, moderately than the Sunny Cove structure employed by Alder Lake, and the identical high-efficiency Gracemont cores within the Thirteenth Gen design. The change in high-performance core structure may ship critical gaming enhancements.
Whatever the design, Raptor Lake can have extra high-efficiency cores than the prior era Alder Lake, if the structure rumors are correct. It’s nonetheless unclear what number of threads shall be supported on Intel’s premium Thirteenth-gen processor, nevertheless. We additionally don’t know what configurations of high-performance and high-efficiency cores Intel will use throughout its desktop and cellular line right now.
Due to the shift to the hybrid structure design, Intel is alleged to be working carefully with Microsoft to permit Home windows to make the most of the brand new processor efficiency. The businesses had been stated to be working very carefully to debut Home windows 11 on Alder Lake, and the state of affairs might be related with Raptor Lake. Nonetheless, Intel is probably not the one x86 processor on the town that’s taking a look at a hybrid processor design. Rival AMD just lately filed a patent for hybrid cores for its Ryzen processors, in accordance with Tom’s {Hardware}, suggesting that Intel will get some competitors on this house sooner or later.
Efficiency
Intel
Apart from Intel’s claims that we should always see improved gaming efficiency from its leaked street map, we nonetheless don’t know numerous details about how Raptor Lake will carry out. Provided that Raptor Lake is predicted to enhance upon Twelfth-gen Alder Lake, we are able to count on to see an enormous efficiency uplift, particularly when in comparison with Intel processors that don’t use the hybrid core design.
With Alder Lake, Intel claimed that its Twelfth-gen processor delivered a 20% instructions-per-cycle (IPC) uplift from prior generations, and a leaked gaming benchmark of Dota 2 utilizing an early engineering Intel pattern with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 discrete graphics resulted in a peak efficiency of 549 frames per second. We count on even higher outcomes with Raptor Lake, given Intel’s gaming focus and improved high-performance core design with this era. Nonetheless, we gained’t absolutely know what to anticipate till leaked benchmarks begin to are available.
Alder Lake is an epic performer, as our Intel Core i9-12900KS evaluation reveals. Alongside the i9-12900K, it’s one of many best-performing CPUs in the marketplace proper now. Following on from that, all the things we’ve heard relating to Intel’s Raptor Lake chips has been bullish, suggesting we may get even higher efficiency when the brand new processors contact down.
That’s backed up by a publish by Twitter leaker OneRaichu. The tipster claimed that top-end Raptor Lake chips may provide 200-300MHz extra efficiency than the i9-12900KS. Since that processor tops out at a lift clock of 5.5GHz, it’s attainable the Raptor Lake i9-13900K may hit 5.7GHz-5.8GHz. That will be some unbelievable efficiency if it involves go.
RPL will over the brand new highest freq which was created by 12900KS.Extra 2-300 MHz is feasible.
— Raichu (@OneRaichu) April 13, 2022
Elsewhere, Intel will possible proceed its push of the ATX12VO normal from Alder Lake with Raptor Lake, which requires a brand new 10-pin energy connector. The usual is alleged to cut back energy consumption on desktops by as a lot as 50% when the methods are operating close to or at idle, which might assist Intel higher compete in opposition to AMD within the performance-per-watt metric. It was speculated that high-end gaming desktops could not use the brand new ATX12VO connectors, nevertheless, with Intel pushing this normal towards entry-level motherboards and prebuilt methods.
Raptor Lake can also be anticipated to help the PCIe Gen 5 normal.
The final cease earlier than 7nm
Like Alder Lake, Raptor Lake can even use Intel’s 10nm node. Nonetheless, Raptor Lake might be the final CPU to make the most of the 10nm node earlier than Intel transitions to a brand new 7nm node. For reference, rival AMD migrated to its 7nm Zen 2 structure in 2019, which implies that Intel is a couple of years behind of its competitor in transferring to a smaller node. Each firms are dedicated to attending to 5nm and past sooner or later.
Following Raptor Lake, Intel confirmed that its next-gen Meteor Lake — possible the corporate’s 14th-gen processor — will transfer to a 7nm EUV manufacturing course of. After Meteor Lake, Intel’s Fifteenth-gen processor shall be known as Lunar Lake, in accordance with Videocardz.
Socket compatibility
Avid gamers trying to transfer to Twelfth-gen Alder Lake this yr will get some excellent news in the event that they’re eyeing a Raptor Lake improve subsequent yr. It’s believed that Intel will reuse the identical rectangular-shaped LGA 1700 socket for Raptor Lake, so you may simply improve the processor with out having to purchase a brand new board when you’re coming from a Twelfth-gen CPU.
With Alder Lake, there have been rumors that Intel might be adopting an analogous socket technique to rival AMD by making its design extra platform agnostic. If correct, which means the identical LGA 1700 socket may be utilized by a number of successive generations of processors, which might make upgrades simpler, more cost effective, and higher for the atmosphere. It’s unclear if Intel will go forward with this technique or if future CPUs will as soon as once more use a brand new socket design.
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