Intel continues its traditional strategy of introducing new processor families. Last year saw the release of Raptor Lake Refresh models with unlocked multipliers for overclocking enthusiasts, while this year starts with an expansion of 18 models with locked multipliers. These new chips have Thermal Design Power (TDP) values of 65W and 35W respectively.
The Raptor Lake Refresh Lineup
The Raptor Lake Refresh range for desktop systems now includes models from Core i3 to Core i9. The flagship model released today is the Core i9-14900, boasting 24 cores (8+16) and 32 threads. The chip pairs a $549 price tag with a TDP of no more than 65W. While the multiplier for these new Raptor Lake Refresh models is locked from any increase, the Core i9-14900’s frequency can surge up to 5.8 GHz given sufficient cooling conditions. These chips are made using Intel’s mature Intel 7 technology.
Performance and Compatibility
According to Intel, the Core i9-14900 can surpass its predecessor, the Core i9-13900, by 37% in multi-threaded applications and by 7% in office tasks. Intel is also drawing consumers’ attention to the Core i7-14700, which combines eight high-performance P-cores, 12 energy-efficient E-cores, and 28 threads, surpassing its direct predecessor in this blend of characteristics — the number of E-cores has increased by four. These processors support up to 192 GB of dual-channel memory, either DDR5-5600 or DDR4-3200, and after a BIOS update, they can operate on motherboards based on Intel 600 and 700 chipsets.
In the box, these processors can come with Intel Laminar RH1 coolers (for Core i9 models) and RM1 (for all other models). The platform level supports the Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig) and Killer Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+) network interfaces. Peripherals and expansion cards can be connected via PCIe 5.0 and 4.0 interfaces, as well as Thunderbolt 4 with a throughput of up to 40 Gbps, with the central processor itself supporting up to 20 lines of PCI Express. Plus, these processors support the USB 3.2 (Gen 2×2) interface with a data transfer rate of up to 20 Gbps.
More about the New Models
For customers who do not require an integrated graphics unit, the Raptor Lake Refresh family includes four processor models without this feature, allowing savings of up to $25 per processor. On the whole, the refresh of the processor lineup mainly entailed a minor frequency increase, except for rare exceptions like the Core i7-14700, which got more energy-efficient cores. The list of novelties closes with the Intel Processor 300, which offers only two high-performance cores for $85 and 6 MB of third-level cache. Its base frequency is fixed at 3.9 GHz and does not increase automatically. Notably, this chip also features an integrated Intel UHD 710 graphics unit. Characteristically, the PBP (Power Base Performance) of this model does not exceed 46W, as opposed to 60-65W for its nearest competitors in the range.
According to Tom’s Hardware, the Core i9, Core i7, and Core i5 Raptor Lake Refresh processors use only Raptor Lake chips, while the Core i3 series are based on Alder Lake chips with four cores. All the Raptor Lake Refresh processors listed in the tables are now available to order.
