Intel Raptor Lake CPU Refresh: Price Increases Expected
We’re approaching the release date for the Intel Raptor Lake CPU refresh, and while Intel hasn’t provided much information, leaks about the upcoming processors are surfacing. One recent leak gives us a glimpse into the pricing of the entire lineup, and it seems that price increases are on the horizon, albeit minor ones.
The leaked information comes from a Canadian retailer called Canada Computers, where the 14th-Gen lineup briefly appeared. Although the CPUs were not listed, they could be found by searching for the product names. Priced in Canadian dollars, the Core i9-14900KF was listed at $779, the Core i7-14700K at $589, and the Core i5-14600K at $449. Price hikes across the lineup range from 0% to around 7%.
Without knowing the exact specifications of each processor, it’s hard to determine whether these price increases are justified. However, leaked benchmarks and official sources indicate that the performance gains of the Raptor Lake CPUs will be minimal, with some chips being only 3% faster than their predecessors. Additionally, there don’t appear to be any significant changes to the core counts, except for the Core i7-14700K, which is rumored to have an increase from eight to 12 Efficiency cores.
In essence, the Raptor Lake CPUs are nearly identical to their 13th-Gen counterparts but priced slightly higher. The difference in pricing may not be significant enough to deter potential buyers from opting for the previous generation. With AMD also offering competitive chips at similar or lower price ranges, Intel might struggle to make a substantial impact with its Raptor Lake refresh.
Nevertheless, rebranding from the 13th-Gen to the 14th-Gen will likely attract some customers who perceive the new processors as entirely new products. However, considering the lack of significant improvements and the competition from AMD, Intel may not generate much excitement with the Raptor Lake refresh.
In conclusion, while the Intel Raptor Lake CPU refresh brings some price increases, the overall impact and desirability of these processors remain to be seen. Buyers will have to weigh the minimal performance gains against competitive options from AMD before making their decision.