Intel’s Next-Gen HEDT Sapphire Rapids CPUs To Launch on W790 Platform Alongside 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs In Q3 2022, Alleges Rumor

Rumors regarding Intel's next-generation Sapphire Rapids HEDT and Raptor Lake mainstream desktop CPUs have hit the web. Posted over at Bilibili, the same Chinese leaker who posted the pictures of the LGA 1700 socket and Z690 PCH has now detailed upcoming Intel desktop lineups.

The leaker not only talks about Sapphire Rapids and Raptor Lake processors but also mentions detailed specifications (mainly clock speeds) for Intel's Alder Lake lineup so let's start there.

Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake Desktop CPU Family

There's nothing much to talk about regarding the Alder Lake Desktop CPUs except the fact that the leaker mentions the exact P-core clock speeds. The Intel Core i9-12900K would operate at 3.20 GHz base and 5.20 GHz boost (TB 3.0), the Core i7-12700K would operate at 3.60 GHz base and 5.0 GHz boost (TB 3.0) while the Core i5-12600K would operate at 3.70 GHz base & 4.90 GHz boost (TB 2.0) boost.

The leaker states that the Non-K versions of the Core i9 and Core i7 CPUs will operate at a 100 MHz lower boost clock. It is also stated that the next-gen Core i3 series won't be a refresh of Rocket Lake and will be based on the Golden Cove core architecture. The iGPU will be the latest UHD 770 series with Xe graphics and the processors will feature support for DDR5-4800 and DDR4-3200 memory. It also looks like Intel may be planning to push forward the release of its entry-level chipsets such as the H670, B660, and H610 to the end of the year though that remains to be seen.

Intel Sapphire Rapids HEDT Desktop CPU Family

But moving to the main story, Intel's Sapphire Rapids HEDT lineup is said to launch on the W790 platform. There was a recent driver listing of the X699 chipset but that seems to be a placeholder as the leaker claims it is fake. The W790 chipset makes it seem like the Sapphire Rapids HEDT CPU family will be aimed at the Prosumer market, similar to AMD's Threadripper Pro positioning. The important thing is that the lineup is expected to make a debut in Q3 2022, the same time as 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs.

Intel's Xeon-based Sapphire Rapids-SP chips are expected to feature up to 56 cores and LGA 4677 socket compatibility. The Sapphire Rapids workstation 'W' and HEDT 'X' chips might get a different socket and also a reduced number of cores unless Intel wants to plug in the same socket and SKU range for its HEDT/Workstation platform. It definitely looks like Intel would go the latter route since they have been beaten up pretty badly in the HEDT and workstation segment by AMD Threadripper for several years now.

We can expect new technologies such as a 10nm Enhanced SuperFin architecture for the Sapphire Rapids CPUs, 64 PCIe 5.0 lanes support, 8-Channel DDR5 memory, and many new enhancements aimed at prosumers and enthusiasts.