Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake, Sapphire Rapids Core-X HEDT CPUs Rumored For Q3 2022 Debut
It has been a little bit since Intel launched a new high-end desktop (HEDT) lineup, the last one being Cascade Lake-X, which debuted in late 2019. Now with Alder Lake set to arrive in the coming weeks, could another round of Core-X processors be on the horizon? If the latest leak is true, the answer is yes, though still a little ways in the distance.
Rumor has it that, despite previous leaks to the contrary, there will not be an X699 chipset. Instead, Intel will launch its Sapphire Rapids-X processors on an upcoming W790 platform, which will serve as the successor to X299, according to a leaker on Chiphell. If their information is accurate, Core-X chips based on Sapphire Rapids will manifest in the third quarter of 2022.
That means the next round of HEDT chips from Intel are still a year away, and if it plays out that way, will have arrive three years after Cascade Lake-X. Also interesting is the W790 chipset. That will be a workstation platform, suggesting that Intel is taking a slightly different marketing angle with its next round of HEDT chips.
It is entirely possible that Sapphire Rapids-X is just a single part of Intel's next-gen Core-X strategy. Look at AMD and how it offers both Ryzen Threadripper and Ryzen Threadripper Pro variants in the HEDT sector—Intel could essentially do the same thing just round (just without the "Pro" designation). We'll have to wait and see how it all unfolds.
According to the leaker, the Q3 2022 time frame is also when Intel will launch its 13th Gen Core processors based on Raptor Lake on the desktop. Raptor Lake is the successor to Alder Lake.
Back in July, a document spotted over at SATA-IO suggested Intel's 600-series chipset for Alder Lake will also support Raptor Lake when it arrives. Raptor Lake will also use the same LGA-1700 socket. Incidentally, a leaked photo of the upcoming socket suggests there are 100 extra pins that will not be enabled for Alder Lake, but used on Raptor Lake.
Finally, today's leak also brings with it some interesting information about Intel's 600-series chipset strategy. If the information is accurate, Z690 will be the sole offering for several months, followed by H670, B660, and H610 all arriving in the fourth quarter of next year. We'll see.
