Intel Rocket Lake Desktop CPUs Include Core i9 8 Core/16 Thread, Core i7 8 Core/12 Thread & Core i5 6 Core/12 Thread Models With 125W PL1 TDP

Hassan Mujtaba

Intel's Rocket Lake Desktop CPU configurations have leaked out and it looks like the blue team is getting ready to tackle AMD's Ryzen 4000 Vermeer CPUs with a Frankenstein of a family that will retain the 14nm process node.

Intel Rocket Lake Desktop CPU Configurations Leak Out - Core i9 With 8 Cores / 16 Threads, Core i7 With 8 Cores / 12 Threads and Core i5 With 6 Cores / 12 Threads - All With 125W TDP on 14nm

We have talked about the Intel Rocket Lake family on various occasions since the family started getting leaks all the way back in 2019. A fresh leak has now been reported by Videocardz which comes in the form of a roadmap for the upcoming Rocket Lake Desktop vPRO family. The vPro lineup is essentially the standard lineup but with added security features through the Intel vPro platform.

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The roadmap shows that there are at least three unlocked or 'K' series Rocket Lake-S Desktop CPUs in the works. There may be more in addition to the standard 65W and 35W lineups however they're not mentioned on the leaked roadmap. The lineup includes:

  • Intel 11th Gen Core i9 vPRO - 8 Core / 16 Thread, 16 MB Cache
  • Intel 11th Gen Core i7 vPRO - 8 Core / 12 Thread, 16 MB Cache
  • Intel 11th Gen Core i5 vPRO - 6 Core / 12 Thread, 12 MB Cache

Intel 11th Gen Rocket Lake Core i9, Core i7, Core i5 Die Configurations

It's been known for some time now that Intel's Rocket Lake-S Desktop CPU family would max out at 8 cores and 16 threads. The unlocked Core i9 variant features 8 cores & 16 threads which are lower than the Core i9-10900K with 10 cores and 20 threads. Intel is possibly making up for the cores and threads loss with a new architecture which is said to be a hybrid of Sunny Cove (Ice Lake) & Willow Cove (Tiger Lake) but featured on a 14nm process node.

Intel's 11th Gen Rocket Lake-S Desktop CPU die configurations have been detailed in the latest roadmap leak by Videocardz

We have yet to see how this architecture performs versus Intel's existing Skylake based offerings but the loss in cores and threads may lead to a significant impact in multi-tasking environments. The 11th Gen Rocket Lake-S Core i9 also features 16 MB of cache which is also similar to the Sunny Cove family rather than the Willow Cove cores which have a different cache layout.

The Rocket Lake Core i7 variant is also an interesting part. Here you see the core count sticking to 8 but the thread count dropping to 12. This unusual number of threads isn't entirely impossible but it could also be a typo on the specific roadmap as the source indicates. Regardless, the chip features 16 MB of cache which would mean that the chip is a disabled version of the Core i9 variant which did not pass quality control.

Lastly, we have the Core i5 variant which sticks to 6 cores & 12 threads with a total of 12 MB cache. This part remains unaffected and retains the same config as its 10th Gen sibling with performance increases coming from higher clocks and better architecture. All models are listed as 125W models and just to be clear, that figure is measured at the base clock speeds with PL2 limits (boost clocks power) randing between 220-250W.

Intel Coffee Lake Getting A Refresh For Entry-Level Segment?

The other interesting thing that the roadmap lists is what seems to be sort of a 14nm Coffee Lake Refresh. This would suggest that Intel may still be launching Comet Lake-S Desktop CPUs even when its 11th Gen lineup is hitting retail shelves.

The refresh includes new models in the Core i3 and the Pentium Gold segment but no details are mentioned. What is likely is that these models are exclusive to the vPRO family and not made for the general audience however, most of the Pro variants do end up getting listed under the normal family.

Here's Everything We Know About The 11th Generation Rocket Lake Desktop CPUs

Intel's Rocket Lake-S desktop CPU platform is expected to feature support on LGA 1200 socket which will make its debut with Comet Lake-S CPUs although on 400-series motherboards. The Intel Rocket Lake-S processors will be launching alongside the 500-series motherboards but it has since been confirmed that LGA 1200 motherboards will offer support for Rocket Lake-S CPUs, especially given the fact that PCIe Gen 4.0 is a prominent feature of Z490 motherboards which would only be enabled with the use of Rocket Lake-S desktop CPUs.

A leaked platform diagram overview of Intel's 12th Generation Rocket Lake-S desktop CPU family. (Image Credits: Videocardz)

Main features of Intel's Rocket Lake Desktop CPUs include:

  • Increased Performance with new processor core architecture
  • New Xe graphics architecture
  • Increased DDR4 speeds
  • CPU PCIe 4.0 Lanes
  • Enhanced Display (Integrated HDMI 2.0, HBR3)
  • Added x4 CPU PCIe Lanes = 20 Total CPU PCIe 4.0 Lanes
  • Enhanced Media (12 bit AV1/HVEC, E2E compression)
  • CPU Attached Storage or Intel Optane Memory
  • New Overclocking Features and Capabilities
  • USB Audio offload
  • Integrated CNVi & Wireless-AX
  • Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G)
  • 2.5Gb Ethernet Discrete LAN
  • DIscrete Intel Thunderbolt 4 (USB4 Compliant)

Once again, the reason I think that Rocket Lake is using Willow Cove cores is that Tiger Lake with the same architecture features Xe Gen 12 graphics while Ice Lake with Sunny Cove cores is using the Gen 11 GPU. We've been told that the Z590 motherboard series with Thunderbolt 4.0 support will be announced later this year so expect more information on Rocket Lake CPUs once Intel has released its 11th Gen Tiger Lake, mobility family.

Intel Mainstream CPU Generations Comparison:

Intel CPU FamilyProcessor ProcessProcessor ArchitectureGraphics ArchitectureProcessors Cores/Threads (Max)TDPsPlatform ChipsetPlatformMemory SupportPCIe SupportLaunch
Sandy Bridge (2nd Gen)32nmSandy BridgeHD30004/835-95W6-SeriesLGA 1155DDR3PCIe Gen 2.02011
Ivy Bridge (3rd Gen)22nmIvy BridgeHD40004/835-77W7-SeriesLGA 1155DDR3PCIe Gen 3.02012
Haswell (4th Gen)22nmHaswellHD46004/835-84W8-SeriesLGA 1150DDR3PCIe Gen 3.02013-2014
Broadwell (5th Gen)14nmBroadwellIris Pro 62004/865-65W9-SeriesLGA 1150DDR3PCIe Gen 3.02015
Skylake (6th Gen)14nmSkylakeHD 500 Series4/835-91W100-SeriesLGA 1151DDR4PCIe Gen 3.02015
Kaby Lake (7th Gen)14nmSkylakeHD 600 Series4/835-91W200-SeriesLGA 1151DDR4PCIe Gen 3.02017
Coffee Lake (8th Gen)14nmSkylakeHD 600 Series6/1235-95W300-SeriesLGA 1151DDR4PCIe Gen 3.02017
Coffee Lake (9th Gen)14nmSkylakeHD 600 Series8/1635-95W300-SeriesLGA 1151DDR4PCIe Gen 3.02018
Comet Lake (10th Gen)14nmSkylakeHD 600 Series10/2035-125W400-SeriesLGA 1200DDR4PCIe Gen 3.02020
Rocket Lake (11th Gen)14nmCypress CoveHD 700 Series8/1635-125W500-SeriesLGA 1200DDR4PCIe Gen 4.02021
Alder Lake (12th Gen)Intel 7Golden Cove (P-Core)
Gracemont (E-Core)
HD 700 Series16/2435-125W600 SeriesLGA 1700/1800DDR5 / DDR4PCIe Gen 5.02021
Raptor Lake (13th Gen)Intel 7Raptor Cove (P-Core)
Gracemont (E-Core)
HD 700 Series24/3235-125W700-SeriesLGA 1700/1800DDR5 / DDR4PCIe Gen 5.02022
Raptor Lake Refresh (TBA)Intel 7Raptor Cove (P-Core)
Gracemont (E-Core)
HD 700 Series24/3235-125W700-SeriesLGA 1700/1800DDR5 / DDR4PCIe Gen 5.02023
Meteor LakeIntel 4Redwood Cove (P-Core)
Crestmont (E-Core)
Xe1 (Alchemist)22/2835-65W800 SeriesLGA 1851DDR5PCIe Gen 5.02024
Arrow LakeIntel 20ALion Cove (P-Core)
Skymont (E-Core)
Xe1 (Alchemist)24/32TBA800 SeriesLGA 1851DDR5PCIe Gen 5.02024
Arrow Lake Refresh (TBA)Intel 20ALion Cove (P-Core)
Skymont (E-Core)
Xe1 (Alchemist)TBATBA800 SeriesLGA 1851DDR5PCIe Gen 5.02025
Lunar LakeIntel 18ATBDXe2 (Battlemage)TBATBA900-Series?LGA 1851??DDR5PCIe Gen 5.0?2025
Panther Lake (TBA)TBATBDXe3 (Celestial)TBDTBD900-Series?LGA 1851?DDR5PCIe Gen 6.0?2026
Nova Lake (TBA)Intel 18ATBDTBATBATBA1000-Series?TBADDR5?PCIe Gen 6.0?2026
Which next-generation Intel Desktop CPU platform do you think will deliver the first major breakthrough against AMD Ryzen?
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