Skip to main content

Intel’s 14th-gen Raptor Lake refresh might be a major disappointment

Intel Core i5-13600K installed in a motherboard.
An Intel 13th-generation 13600K. Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

We know at this point that Intel doesn’t intend to release an entirely new generation for its desktop CPUs this year. The aptly named Raptor Lake refresh is rumored to launch next month at Intel Innovation, but a new leak suggests Intel may not have much to share on the desktop front.

For a brief time, MSI published a YouTube video showcasing its upcoming Intel 700 motherboards, as spotted by VideoCardz. Included in the presentation was a slide detailing the top chips from Intel’s upcoming range, including the Core i5-14600K, Core i7-14700K, and Core i9-14900K.

Rumored details for Intel's Raptor Lake refresh.
MSI

The slide claims the new chips are only 3% faster than their last-gen counterparts, which isn’t too surprising. The chips are built on the same Intel 7 (10nm) manufacturing process and they don’t include any changes to core counts. The only exception is the Core i7-14700K, which the slide says is jumping from eight to 12 Efficiency cores. This change, according to MSI, allows that chip to hit around 17% faster multi-threaded performance.

Recommended Videos

It seems Intel is focused elsewhere for performance gains. Another slide references an increased L3 cache on the CPUs, likely in response to chips like AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D, along with support for higher-frequency DDR5 memory. As with 12th-gen Alder Lake and 13th-gen Raptor Lake, the Raptor Lake refresh is reported to use the LGA 1700 socket.

Intel's CEO holding a Raptor Lake processor.
Intel

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about middling performance gains from Intel’s impending desktop CPUs. Earlier in August, ASRock leaked that the chips offered between a 4% and 8% single-core improvement, along with an 8% to 15% multi-core improvement. That’s a more optimistic outlook than what MSI shared, but still not great.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

And in July, another leaker claimed that Intel would be sticking with the same quad-core configuration for its i3 chips. Over the past few generations, the Core i3-12100F and Core i3-13100F have been great budget gaming CPUs, but a core bump would certainly help them be more competitive. This leak also showed the same core counts as the MSI slide, along with showcasing up to 36MB of L3 cache and a 5.8GHz clock speed for the range.

As always, it’s important to handle these rumors as exactly what they are: rumors. There’s a good chance we’ll hear official details about the Raptor Lake refresh at Intel Innovation 2023 on September 19, so we won’t have to wait long until the cat’s out of the bag.

Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
The biggest question about Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs was just answered
Intel announcing its Lunar Lake CPUs.

Although we know all of the details about Intel's Lunar Lake architecture, the processors themselves have been shrouded in mystery. Now, we have our first taste of what these processors could look like, including a critical spec that Intel has kept under wraps: power draw.

Specs for the full lineup of Lunar Lake CPUs were shared by VideoCardz citing its own sources. As usual, it's important to handle these specs with a healthy dose of skepticism. According to the outlet, Intel is set to share more about the CPUs in the coming weeks, so it shouldn't be long until we have confirmed specs.

Read more
No, Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs aren’t being delayed
Intel keynote.

Intel's hotly-anticipated Lunar Lake CPUs look like they're suffering a delay, at least according to a report from DigiTimes. The outlet, which covers semiconductor news, says that shipments of the chips are arriving in September and that they were originally planned for June. Intel says otherwise, however.

When Intel first announced Lunar Lake, it said they would arrive between July and September of this year. More specifically, the company pointed out that they'd be available before the holiday shopping season. If June was the original plan, we'd already have a lot more details about the processors. It looks like September was the target all along.

Read more
Intel’s next-gen Arrow Lake may introduce some major changes to desktop chips
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger presents Intel's roadmap including Arrow Lake, Lunar Lake, and Panther Lake.

It's been a busy Computex for Intel, but one of its most exciting announcements -- at least for consumers -- slipped a little under the radar. The company will soon expand its portfolio of desktop processors with the next-gen Arrow Lake, and we now have a rough idea of when CPUs will hit the market and how much of an improvement we can expect. Interesting bonus: Some of the new Z890 motherboards will support CAMM2 memory.

According to Wccftech, Intel is planning to officially unveil Arrow Lake in September during the Intel Innovation event, and the processors will launch shortly after, sometime in October this year. Desktop users are the lucky ones here, as they're the ones who will get access to Arrow Lake first -- laptop chips will follow at an undisclosed date. However, laptop users already get plenty to sink their teeth into with this year's Lunar Lake.

Read more