More Cores, More Cache, DDR5-5600 Support But Missing PCIe Gen 5 M.2

Intel’s 13th Gen Raptor Lake Desktop CPU platform details leaked out during a ‘NAS Workshop’ presentation in Shenzhen, China. The slide gives us a good look at the features one should expect from the upcoming processors but it is also missing one crucial feature.

Intel Raptor Lake Desktop CPU Platform Details Leak Out: DDR5-5600 Support Confirmed But No Word on PCIe Gen 5 M.2 Support

On paper, Intel’s 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs look to be an optimized version of the 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs. They will be based on the same 10nm ESF ‘Intel 7’ process node, utilize the same P-Core & E-Core design, & will be supported on existing motherboards. But there’s a lot that’s changing with Raptor Lake and we are going to detail everything, from official details to rumored information that we know about Alder Lake so far and what you could expect from Intel’s next desktop lineup which will be pitted right against AMD’s next Ryzen CPU lineup for desktops too.

Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake Desktop CPUs Expected Features:

• Up To 24 Cores & 32 Threads
• Brand New Raptor Cove CPU Cores (Higher P-Core IPC)
• Based on 10nm ESF ‘Intel 7’ process node
• Supported on existing LGA 1700 motherboards
• Dual-Channel DDR5-5600 Memory Support
• 20 PCIe Gen 5 Lanes
• Enhanced Overclocking Features
• 125W PL1 TDP (Flagship SKUs)

Intel is sticking with its LGA 1700 platform for at least one more CPU lineup and that’s Raptor Lake. Chipzilla confirmed that Raptor Lake CPUs will be compatible with the existing LGA 1700 motherboards based on the 600-series chipset. But like each generation, motherboard makers will be offering a brand new lineup of motherboards based on the 700-series chipset which will come with higher I/O lanes. In addition to that, Raptor Lake chips will be supporting DDR5-5600 speeds which is a nice bump over the native DDR5-5200 speeds that Alder Lake supports. The CPUs will also continue DDR4-3200 support on the D4 series motherboards.

This offers a nice upgrade path to users who are currently running a mainstream Core i3 or Core i5 CPU and want to upgrade to a higher-end chip. They can simply replace their existing 12th Gen CPU with a higher-end Core i7 or Core i9 SKU which will increase the overall performance of their PC.

Intel Desktop Platform Chipset Comparison

The 13th Gen CPU will also feature enhanced overclocking capabilities. Alder Lake currently goes up to 5.5 GHz with the upcoming Core i9-12900KS SKU which is rated at a maximum power rating of up to 260W, the highest ever on the mainstream platform. In addition to these, the Raptor Lake CPUs will also offer 16 PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes, 4 PCIe 4.0 lanes, and an x8 interconnect (Gen 4) for DMI. The PCH will carry additional PCI Gen 4.0 lanes in addition to increasing USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20G) ports, PCIe 3.0, and SATA III connections.

There’s also a new AI M.2 module support that’s supported by Raptor Lake CPUs but the slide nowhere mentions PCIe Gen 5 support for M.2 which is a bit odd. Recently, there were rumors about Intel having Z790 motherboards with PCIe Gen 5 but considering that AMD is going Gen 5 with their 600-series platform, Intel is very likely to offer Gen 5 M.2 SSD support on its newest motherboards but those x16 Gen 5 CPU lanes are going to be split between the dGPU and the M.2 SSDs.

Intel Mainstream Desktop CPU Generations Comparison:

News Source: HXL