Intel i9 launch date… 8-core CPU specs and information

When is the rumoured Intel i9 desktop CPU going to launch? We’ve lengthy suspected that Intel would replace its Coffee Lake lineup with a brand new eight-core, 16-thread Core i9, and we’re 100% assured it is going to be this 12 months.

Since AMD launched its first real octa-core Ryzen processors again within the springtime of final 12 months there was discuss of how Intel would reply, and at last it did… with a set of six-core CPUs within the 14nm Coffee Lake era of chips. But we’ve been ready for a Core i9 9900Ok, or one thing comparable, to look for the reason that 12nm second-gen Ryzen processors arrived. It appears the i9 chips are actually on their approach.

In the high-end desktop (HEDT) and cell areas Intel has already launched Core i9 processors, marking out the very high of its chip stacks, however within the mainstream desktop market we’ve been caught with a six-core Intel Coffee Lake Core i7 as our solely high possibility. But it may well’t stay that approach perpetually…

That’s as a result of the stress has actually been placed on Intel to up its core sport during the last 18 months, particularly within the face of AMD knocking it out of the park within the professional area, with its 32-core Threadripper monsters making the 28-core Intel chip appear like mere pocket calculator stuff. So, when are we going to see an eight-core i9 on our desktops?

Vital stats

Intel i9 launch date
We’ve lengthy suspected the Intel i9 chips would arrive alongside the brand new Z390 motherboard chipset, which is about to reach in Q3 this 12 months. Recent leaks point out the Intel i9 9900Ok might launch with a handful of different chips on October 1, 2018.

Intel i9 specs
The headline specs would be the core configuration. The complete level of going to an i9 nomenclature could be to accomodate an eight-core, 16-thread Core i9 over and above the six-core, 12-thread Core i7 CPUs within the present Coffee Lake vary.

Intel i9 pricing
It wouldn’t be stunning to seek out Intel worth its new i9 chips at across the $500 mark, however we’re anticipating it to be slightly extra cheap and put the Core i9 9900Ok at round $450 at launch. Don’t count on Intel to knock down the costs of the Core i7 chips, nonetheless…

Intel i9 efficiency
For the final word in gaming processors, and grasp the expense, it’s extremely doubtless that the Intel i9 will high the charts in each gaming and productiveness in contrast with the second-gen Ryzen processors. But you’re going to need to pay for it.

Intel i9 platform
We’re assured that the Z390 motherboard chipset goes to be touted because the de facto commonplace for Intel’s first mainstream eight-core CPUs. But it now seems to be like Intel is not nixing backwards compatibility for its older Z370 boards, regardless of the Z390s being set to switch them.

Intel i9 launch date

There’s nothing concrete from Intel almost about its i9 launch date, however we initially anticipated it should drop one thing within the third quarter of the 12 months to each match the back-to-school schedule and to offer the Z390 chipset one thing to maintain it firm.

But for some time it appeared just like the Z390 was going to launch first on its lonesome, doubtlessly in an effort to have that because the default high-end motherboard prepared for when the brand new processors arrive later in This autumn. Leaked roadmap paperwork printed by Videocardz present the Z390 boards changing Z370 in Q3 with the Coffee Lake CPUs being changed in This autumn.

But since then a leak from WCCFTech has bumped the Z390 motherboard and unlocked Coffee Lake refresh chips launch to the identical day: October 1, 2018. Rumours recommend solely the i9 9900Ok, i7 9700Ok, and i5 9600Ok will launch at the moment.

This date has not been confirmed by Intel, nonetheless, however it’s in step with different leaks and hypothesis, together with an Intel roadmap, and is only a few days off when Intel’s Coffee Lake platform first launched with only a handful of chips again in 2017.

 

 

Intel i9 specs

As we talked about, the product numbers for the upcoming Coffee Lake refreshes have been leaked by Intel itself, however a report by the ever-reliable WCCFTech has touted two additional merchandise above the Core i5 9600Ok that has been proven in Intel’s personal documentation and in previous AIDA64 launch notes. Those are the Core i7 9700Ok and the Core i9 9900Ok.

The Core i7 9700Ok is to be a barely tweaked model of the present Core i7 8700K, with possibly 200MHz added onto the bottom clock velocity.

The Core i9 9900Ok, nonetheless, is the attention-grabbing one. That is the touted eight-core, 16-thread 14nm processor, delivering the best core-count that Intel has ever dropped right into a mainstream vary. To be honest, AMD has quite pressured its hand on that one, however the crimson workforce would possibly wish to watch out as an octa-core Intel CPU that’s blissful to hit 5GHz, with slightly even handed overclocking, may actually give AMD’s greatest Ryzens some trigger for concern.

We know valuable little else concerning the potential i9 9900Ok, although we will make an informed guess as to a couple extra of its specs. There have been some appearances of mainstream Intel eight-core CPUs on the ever-reliable SiSoft Sandra database, and although they arrive with low, pre-release clock speeds, there are another specs accessible. We’d count on the Intel eight-core processors to stay with the 16MB of L3 cache detailed by the SiSoft leak. The six-core chips have 12MB, and it will make sense so as to add one other 2MB per core for the top-end Coffee Lake CPUs.

In phrases of clock velocity it’s robust to say with out figuring out how properly the cores function with one other two jammed into the identical package deal. It’s fairly potential that Intel gained’t have the ability to provide the identical stage of base clock for the octa-core i9 9900Ok, so we’d see these first-gen mainstream eight-core processors across the 3.5GHz mark.

That stated, the 14nm Coffee Lake structure is about as mature as a CPU era ever will get and so Intel ought to have the ability to get some first rate yields and efficiency out of its newest silicon wafer designs.

The different attention-grabbing level can be what the rated TDP of the chips goes to be. The i7 8700Ok and i5 8600K high the present charts at 95W, whereas the final Intel eight-core, the Core i7 7820X, was rated at 140W. We suppose we’re most likely going to be someplace between these two figures, doubtlessly across the 120W mark.

Intel i9 pricing

With the present Core i7 8700Ok working at round $350, the i7 8086Ok sitting at $420, and the competing octa-core Ryzen 7 2700X at $320, it’s going to be troublesome for Intel to discover a price-point that doesn’t devalue its present processor lineup, however remains to be capable of ship a knock out blow to AMD’s high chip.

The chance of Intel utilizing this chance to chop the costs of its Core i5 and Core i7 processor ranges is minimal to the purpose of non-existence. That’s merely not the best way the corporate works. We would possibly see a light discount – possibly $10-20 right here or there for the top-end CPUs – however the Core i9 vary is more likely to be introduced in over and above the pricing of the present Coffee Lake processors.

If Intel can keep the normal single-core gaming efficiency lead over AMD then it may simply declare possession of the most effective high-end gaming processor, and will find yourself pricing it accordingly. AMD’s 2700X could also be $320, but when Intel can actually present its gaming prowess then the i9 goes to be no less than $100 dearer, and doubtless round $450.

I’d be stunned if Intel solely produced a single Core i9 CPU, nonetheless, with a non-Ok collection processor – one with out the highest chip’s overclocking chops – doubtlessly following the preliminary hype with a cheaper price, decrease clockspeed, and comparable efficiency.

And by way of the AMD competitors, it wouldn’t be a lot of a shock in any respect for AMD to take this chance to launch its up to date Ryzen 7 2800X to battle again in opposition to the i9 9900Ok.

Intel i9 efficiency

Intel goes to promote the Core i9 processor as the final word gaming processor, touting its historic gaming efficiency and boasting of the additional streaming capabilities the additional cores of the i9 will provide.

And, to be honest, it should have some extent… if you happen to’re a streamer.

Intel nonetheless has the most effective absolute gaming efficiency in contrast with its AMD rivals, however we’ve been recommending the AMD Ryzen 2 processors as a result of the distinction is getting smaller and smaller. And with AMD’s higher worth, and better core-counts, it’s had the higher total chips.

But if Intel has each the core-count and the gaming efficiency nailed it is likely to be exhausting to look previous the i9 9900Ok because the go-to processor each system builder needs to jam into their newest gaming rig.

Intel i9 motherboard platform

Intel goes to supply the Core i9 processors as the right accompaniment to its new Z390 motherboard chipset. After all, with so little distinction between the previous Z370 and new Z390 chipsets, there’s little else to suggest it.

Which is slightly worrisome if Intel’s previous behaviour by way of nixing help for brand new CPUs on previous motherboards is to be taken under consideration. With the Coffee Lake processor launch it was introduced that Z270 boards weren’t appropriate with the brand new six-core chips and also you’d have to choose up a Z370 board to run them.

It wouldn’t have been in any respect stunning to see the identical blocks placed on working an eight-core Intel CPU within the Z370 motherboards. Though, with overclocking records being broken utilizing what Intel claims is incompatible {hardware}, it will be troublesome for Intel to justify any type of Z390 exclusivity.

And after it launched the specs for the Z390 chipset, which solely served to spotlight that the one actual distinction between it and the Z370 chipset was some native USB 3.1 Gen 2 help and a few totally different Intel Wireless modules.

After an enterprising type dug into the newest Z370 BIOS replace from Asus it now appears nailed on that the eight-core i9 will be supported by the old Z370 boards. MSI has additionally simply up to date the BIOS for its Z370 boards to “Support New Generation CPU!” It hasn’t up to date any of its H370 boards, which can even have the ability to run the brand new 9000-series CPUs, so that will additionally point out the Z370s will accommodate the best grade Intel mainstream processors.

There’s additionally the truth that the eight-core engineering samples have been working in Kaby Lake chipset boards, as proven within the SiSoft benchmark database, which additionally signifies backwards help for the Z370 as that makes use of the previous 22nm Kaby Lake PCH.