Raptor Lake Refresh CPU Clocks May Not Break 6 GHz: Report

News
By
published

6.0 GHz might be the fastest the first 'K' processors are shipped.

Intel Raptor Lake processors for desktops
(Image credit: Intel)

Intel recently made its Raptor Lake Refresh chips official, and indications point to a mid-October release for the first unlocked "K" processors. However, we shouldn't get too excited about leaks indicating that out of the box boost clocks of 6.2 GHz might be available. Today, Benchlife sources poured cold water on >6.0 GHz rumors, saying that the flagship Intel Core i9-14900K "may reach 6.0 GHz," at best. Notably, a 6.0 GHz boost clock for this CPU would only match the previous (current) gen Core i9-13900KS.

The initial batch of Intel 14th Gen Core 'Raptor Lake Refresh' chips for desktops will be a trio of unlocked CPUs: the Intel Core i5-14600K, Core i7-14700K, and Core i9-14900K (KF processors too). We expect Intel to differentiate the refreshed parts in a number of ways. Some chips might get an uplift in efficiency core (E-core) count, the amount of Smart Cache available, and / or clock speeds, but intergenerational changes will vary by SKU.

Let's draw up a table charting the previous (current gen) Core i9-13900K against its purported successor's specs:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Spec / Processor

Core i9-13900K

Core i9-14900K

Socket

LGA 1700

LGA 1700

Cores (P+E)

24 / 32  (8+16)

24 / 32  (8+16)

Thermal Velocity Boost (GHz)

5.8

6.0

E-Core Boost (GHz)

4.3

4.4

Smart Cache (MB)

36

36

TDP (W)

125

125

Raptor Lake CPU

(Image credit: Intel)

Assuming the Benchlife sources are correct, buyers of the Refresh will get very slim pickings compared to the previous gen. The upgrade might be enough for Intel's gaming CPU marketing department to make a meal of, though. All we see changing in the above table are incremental clock speed uplifts for the P+E cores, and nothing in terms to extra E-cores or caches. We guess upgraders are hoping for the rumored improved integrated memory controller (IMC) and other behind the scenes improvements. Yesterday we hinted at the paucity of Raptor Lake Refresh, which was easily overshadowed by the great things seen coming with Arrow Lake.

Hopefully, the Raptor Lake Refresh CPU lineup won't be entirely underwhelming. Among the initial trio of 'K' suffixed SKUs the Core i7 14700K appears to stand out, for example, by reportedly boasting a brand new configuration of 8P+12E (compared to current gen 8P+8E).

Meanwhile, for those dreaming of out of the box >6.0 GHz boost clock Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs, they might have to wait for the inevitable performance binned Intel Core i9-14900KS launch.

Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Among the initial trio of 'K' suffixed SKUs the Core i7 14700K appears to stand out, for example, by reportedly boasting a brand new configuration of 8P+12E (compared to current gen 8P+8E).

    Not only that. This particular SKU actually sports 33 MB of 'smart cache' (vs 30 MB found on the Core i7-13700K ), and features clock speeds of 3.4 GHz at base and up to 5.6 GHz with TBMT3.

    That's a +200 MHz boost over the 13700K, so we can expect performance uplifts of around 5-10% from this particular SKU. No other RPL-refresh processor is sporting an extra cache, except for the 200 MHz boost clock on these SKUs.
    Reply
  • derekullo
    Increasing the clockspeed of TBMT3 is a bit of a mixed bag.

    The availability and frequency upside of Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 depends upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the following:
    Type of workload
    Number of active cores
    Estimated current consumption
    Estimated power consumption
    Processor temperatureYou need a large amount of variables to be satisfied before you hit 5.4ghz or 5.6ghz

    If those speeds are rarely maintained for very long I wouldn't expect a 5-10% in gains.

    It's a very similar story with base clock speeds.

    If the cpu is sitting near its base clock speed it probably is idle and not doing much work.

    Eventually the cpu settles into a middle ground between those 2 extremes when doing work.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    derekullo said:
    If the cpu is sitting near its base clock speed it probably is idle and not doing much work.
    No, they idle much lower. Like 800 MHz or less. Try watching sometime, using a utility like HwInfo64.

    Base clock is supposed to be the minimum expected all-core clock speed, under heavy multithreaded workloads. Even then, it's still not an absolute guarantee.
    Reply
  • watzupken
    I wonder what is the benefit of having a processor running at say 5.7 to 5.8Ghz vs 6Ghz. Sure it is a bit faster in benchmarks, but also draws significantly more power. Intel's 10nm have reached its full potential when they delivered Raptor Lake, and clearly "golden" chips that run 6Ghz are not common. So no surprises here that the 6Ghz chips will likely be very limited and saved for the KS model that commands a higher price.
    Reply
  • usertests
    watzupken said:
    I wonder what is the benefit of having a processor running at say 5.7 to 5.8Ghz vs 6Ghz. Sure it is a bit faster in benchmarks, but also draws significantly more power. Intel's 10nm have reached its full potential when they delivered Raptor Lake, and clearly "golden" chips that run 6Ghz are not common. So no surprises here that the 6Ghz chips will likely be very limited and saved for the KS model that commands a higher price.
    It's possible that DLVR was re-introduced, or there were still slight improvements to be made to the node. That's not too apparent from these clock speeds, but 13900KS and 14900K both hitting 6 GHz could mean something improved, and there might be a 14900KS at 6.2 GHz.
    Reply
  • TerryLaze
    watzupken said:
    I wonder what is the benefit of having a processor running at say 5.7 to 5.8Ghz vs 6Ghz. Sure it is a bit faster in benchmarks, but also draws significantly more power. Intel's 10nm have reached its full potential when they delivered Raptor Lake, and clearly "golden" chips that run 6Ghz are not common. So no surprises here that the 6Ghz chips will likely be very limited and saved for the KS model that commands a higher price.
    This isn't a overclock...it will not use more power.
    The point of a refresh is that they improved the process enough for it to get higher clocks at the exact same power.
    This refresh is going from 5.8 to 6Ghz at the exact same power.
    This is irrelevant for reviews since you only see power unlimited benchmarks anyway, but for the home user that has even some basic knowledge they gain a bit of performance for the same price and power.

    I guess you missed the huge giant table the article has...every 14900k will be running at 6Ghz so the 10nm got better, it remains to be seen if they can get enough golden samples together to release a 14900kS at like 6.2Ghz.
    Reply