Intel's next generation 14nm based Broadwell and Skylake processors for desktop consumers are already available for pre-orders on several online retailers. The Broadwell processors are scheduled for launch next month however they are listed on several retailers such as NCIX. More surprising is the fact that some web based retailers even went ahead to list down two Skylake based processors which will hit the market in Q3 2015.
Intel 14nm Broadwell and Skylake Based Desktop Processors Listed By Online Retailers
There are four processors currently listed by online retailers that are part of the upcoming Broadwell and Skylake lineups. First two are the 14nm Broadwell based Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C processors which are in the talks since the last couple of months and are headed for launch on 2nd June. The next two CPUs in the list are the 14nm Skylake based Core i7-6700 and Core i5-6500. The Broadwell processors are available in boxed packaging while the Skylake processors are listed in tray packaging due to the fact that they are going to launch a couple of months from now and the final box schemes for those processors aren't finished yet by Intel. Coming to the details, we will first be talking about Broadwell chips which are priced a bit higher than the regular K-Series offerings that launched last year in the Devil's Canyon lineup.
Intel Broadwell Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C Preliminary Prices Revealed
A year ago, Intel launched the Devil's Canyon processors based on their 22nm Haswell core architecture at Computex 2014. This year, Intel will be introducing 14nm Broadwell based unlocked chips at Computex 2015 however, there's a little surprise with the specifications. The new chips are aimed at a mixed audience, Intel claims that these unlocked chips are aimed at overclockers and they also feature faster Iris Pro graphics that makes a good upgrade path for users with small form factor or media PCs. The two chips being launched have the specifications as listed below.
The flagship Core i7-5775C processor comes with a core clock of 3.3 GHz and 3.7 GHz turbo frequency. The chip is a quad core model with hyper threading enabled and features 6 MB of L3 cache, DDR3 memory rated at 1600 MHz native support along with the mentioned TDP of 65W. The second part is the Core i5-5675C which is a quad core model with no hyper threading support and comes with a clock speed of 3.1 GHz base and 3.6 GHz turbo frequency. The model features 4 MB of L3 cache, DDR3 1600 MHz memory support and a TDP of 65W. Both chips house the Iris Pro 6200 iGPU which is a Broadwell GT3e model featuring 48 Execution Units, 128 MB of eDRAM (L4) cache and 128-bit memory interface. Clock speeds for the iGPU on both processors was not determined in the listed specs but can be expected around the 1 GHz mark.
The Core i7-5775C is listed for a price of $479.99 US and the next model in the lineup, the Core i5-5675C is listed for a price of $349.99 US. The prices are not final but we suspect they are very close to the ones being mentioned by the retail sites with a $10-$20US difference. Supported by the LGA 1150 socket, the specs make little sense for current Haswell users to upgrade to Broadwell. Comparing the prices of Broadwell with Devi's Canyon, we can see a large price difference since those chips cost $339 US and $242 US respectively for the Core i7-4790K and Core i5-4690K. The only reason I can suspect for these higher prices could be the eDRAM and Iris Pro graphics chips since the mobile variants based on these designs before had higher costs on the R-Series BGA processors compared to the traditional HD graphics based processors. The other reason could be that we are just looking at the pre-order prices which are always kept higher compared to official MSRPs. The second case however seems unlikely and the Broadwell processors may just actually retail at significantly higher prices compared to their predecessors only due to the eDRAM and Iris Pro graphics.
Intel Broadwell Listings:
Intel Skylake Processors, Core i7-6700 and Core i5-6500 Tray Listed Online Too
Too be honest, I am shocked by the Broadwell prices but I am also surprised to see the first Skylake CPUs being listed by the same websites at lower prices than Broadwell based chips. The two Skylake SKUs listed on the web based online retailers include the Core i7-6700 and Core i5-6500. Specifications of both processors can be seen below:
Part of the mainstream lineup that includes 4 chips, the Core i7-6700 that features same specifications as the Core i7-6700K but doesn't come in an unlocked package. Clocks for the Core i7-6700 are maintained at 3.4 GHz base and 4.0 GHz boost. The Core i5-6500 is a quad core clocked at 3.2 GHz base and 3.6 GHz boost. All of these chips feature a 65W TDP and the Core i5 models pack 6 MB of L3 cache while the Core i7 model gets 8 MB L3 cache.
As for prices, we are looking at a $389.99 US pre-order price for the Core i7-6700 and $249.99 US pre-order price for the Core i5-6500. These are early and preliminary prices which may change when Skylake is officially close to launch. These prices show that the Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K will be retailing within the $300 US range and not exceed past $400 US like Broadwell. The new processors will be supported by the 100-series platform that launches in Q3 2015 alongside the Skylake-S platform. Talking about 100-series, we will also be looking at several 100-series motherboards at Computex next month which will include designs from ASRock such as Z170 Extreme4/C, Z170 Extreme6, Z170 Extreme7, Z170 Extreme7/ac.
Intel Skylake Listings:
Intel Skylake, Broadwell and Haswell Desktop Processors Comparison:
| Intel Core i7-6700 | Intel Core i5-6500 | Intel Core i7-5775C | Intel Core i5-5675C | Intel Core i5-4690K | Intel Core i7-4790K | |
| Codename | Skylake-S | Skylake-S | Broadwell | Broadwell | Devil’s Canyon | Devil’s Canyon |
| Process | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 22nm | 22nm |
| CPU Cores | 4/8 | 4/4 | 4/8 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/8 |
| Graphics | Gen 9 GPU | Gen 9 GPU | Iris Pro 6200 | Iris Pro 6200 | HD 4600 | HD 4600 |
| Base Clock | 3.4 GHz | 3.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz | 3.1 GHz | 3.5 GHz | 4.0 GHz |
| Turbo Boost | 4.0 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.9 GHz | 4.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB | 6 MB | 6 MB | 4 MB | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| L4 Cache | N/A | N/A | 128 MB eDRAM | 128 MB eDRAM | N/A | N/A |
| Unlocked Design | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TDP | 65W | 65W | 65W | 65W | 88W | 88W |
| Launch /Pre-Order Price | $389.99 US | $249.99 US | $479.99 US | $349.99 US | $242 US | $339 US |
Note: The Prices of Skylake and Broadwell processors listed in the chart above are not official and are subject to change.
