Tag Archives: Core

Business, Computers, News

Intel Launches Their Most Powerful Mobile Processors in the 12th Generation Core HX Processors

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Intel Vision 2022 is here! Their keynote was two hours long, but it was not for nothing. They touched on plenty of things that they are working on in the background. Most of it has to do with their corporate businesses and corporate initiatives. One of it though has to do with mobile workstations and that is one we were interested in. They announced the new 12th Generation Core HX processors for workstations. In other words, they have released their most powerful mobile CPUs yet.

Intel already has their 12th generation Intel Core processors on the mobile platform before this. While they are largely of similar build and architecture, they are different products, this Core HX one and the ones before. As Intel puts it, the Core HX is made for professionals and creators.

At the top, the 12th generation Intel Core i9 with Core HX still packs up to 16 cores. Eight of the cores are efficiency cores while the rest are performance cores. In their forms, they are still the same 10nm processors with the new big-small architecture. The new Core HX processors also still support the same DDR5 at 4800MHz speeds where available.

12th Gen Intel Core HX Mobile Workstation Processors | Talking Tech | Intel Technology

Where the new Core HX differs to the outgoing 12th generation Intel Core processors is in its multi-threaded performance. Intel claims that the Core HX delivers 65% more multi-threaded performance compared to the regular Core processors. 65% is a significant amount and important when it comes to creative use. It means less rendering and processing time in video production, 3D rendering, and even animation purposes. The 12th generation Core HX processors, in this case, will see the most benefit in CAD, animation, and visual effect applications. How it will compare to team red is yet to be seen though.

Still, just because the Core HX processors are optimised to be workhorses in creative and professional applications, does not mean that Intel has forgotten their core strength. The Core HX processors are still powerful gaming processors at their hearts. Of course, if you are building a gaming rig, there are other Intel products that might suit you better, this one should be more of an all-rounder for those who needs the versatility.

With Core HX, Intel has introduced seven new processors in their 12th generation Core line-up. The seven new processors are spread out between the Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 offerings. Because they are mobile processors, we will have to wait and see what Intel’s manufacturing partners can come up with later in the year with the Core HX solutions. For more information on Intel’s Core HX processors, you can visit their website.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Intel’s Core i9-12900KS is The World’s Fastest CPU at 5.5 GHz 

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Intel, on a recent note, has been making quite a comeback. Their competitor, AMD really wiped the floor when they introduced the 5000 series Ryzen processors that made Intel’s 10th and 11th Generation processors look like old processors. When Intel introduced their 12th generation Core processors, people paid attention again, we paid attention.  

The 12th generation Core processors codenamed Alder Lake has already shown some of its power since the series’ launch. The higher-end processors have proven that Intel has not forgotten how to make powerful processors for gamers and content creators alike. They are also unique in the space of PC processors with a Big Small architecture that we are more used to seeing on smartphone chips. The 12th Generation Core i9, for example, packs eight performance and eight efficiency cores. They are also known to be very power-hungry chips, so if you are considering an Intel Alder Lake build, you do want to really think about beefing up your PSU (Power Supply Unit). 

Just having the lead on performance never seems enough though. Intel wants to keep the lead and destroy its competition. On a side note, it is good to see the two protagonists in the CPU industry outdoing each other every step of the way. We are the winners here. We are also looking forward to AMD announcing their Ryzen 7000 series CPUs in this case,  

Back to the topic, Intel wants to also wipe the floor with 12th generation Core CPUs, just before AMD makes their move with the 7000 series. They released their most powerful CPU yet, the Core i9-12900KS. While the naming scheme is a little confusing, it is a new Core i9 that we are seeing here. 

To be fair, when we say new, it is not an entirely new CPU. It is still an Alder Lake architecture. Structurally, it is the same as any Inte Core i9-12900 series chips. What differs though is how much power it commands.  

intel core i9 12900ks 2 16x9 1
Source: Intel

The eight performance cores can now be clocked to up to 5.5 GHz with turbo boost. The previeous Intel Core i9-12900K could only boost up to 5.2 GHz at best. You could overclock it, obviously, since it is an unlocked processor. Why would you attempt to overclock an Intel Core i9-12900K when you can get the already overclocked stock Core i9-12900KS. The newly announced processor is also unlocked, by the way. 

There is a small catch though. While the Core i9-12900K draws a minimum of 125W, the new 12900KS needs at least 150W from your PSU. Turbo boost will draw up to 241W for both processors, no increases there, which is sort of good news for your PSU. Other than a slight increase in the clock speeds for the efficiency cores, everything else remains the same as the older 12900K.  

As with the current 12th generation chips, you want to work with the Z690 chipset motherboards to get the most out of it. It also supposed DDR5 4800 MT/s RAM and PCIe gen 5.0 technology. Of course, the older DDR4 and PCIe Gen 4.0 (no, this is not that old) technologies are still supported. 

You might be wondering; “who needs all this power?” We will say that no one really needs all this power unless they are working in the creative industry and needs some extra horsepower to render videos and 3D animations. Then again, there are specifically built workhorses for that. This is made for “gamers and overclocking enthusiasts”, according to Intel. We will go with that, but these are people with money and time.  

It will be available April 5th onward in select regions. We do not know if that includes Malaysia or not. As it is, supply situations in Malaysia are still quite dire. It will also set you back at least US$ 739 (MYR 3,120*). We say at least because that also depends on stock availability and demand. For more information on the Intel Core i9-12900KS, you can head over to their website.  

*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.22 on xe.com as of 29/03/2022 

Computers, News

Intel Has Joined the Chat – The New 11th Generation Desktop Intel Core Rocket Lake Processors

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Rocket Lake is here! Some might say, “about time”. We say, let the games begin.

Intel’s 11th Generation Intel Core processor for Desktop systems, while inevitable, seems to be something that should have come a while ago. Then again, taking their time to introduce a new product after the big game changer that was AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 series processor could be a smart thing to do. So here is the new Rocket Lake processors that has been teased and highly expected since the end of 2020.

500 Series Chipsets

The introduction of the new Rocket Lake processors also means that there is a new on-board chipset to pair to, as usual with Intel. Intel’s new 500 series chipset adds support for PCIe 4.0, which also means you can now take full advantage of new PCIe Gen 4.0 devices like the newer NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series and AMD Radeon 6000 sieres GPUs. It also means you can get the newer, faster PCIe 4.0 SSDs to work with too. Of course, there is some new improvements in Intel Optane Memory.

  • Source: Intel
  • Source: Intel

The new chipset is also supposed to open up more USB bandwidth on the new boards too, which also means more USB lanes and faster ports. You also get to put in faster memory modules at DDR4-3200. The new 500 series chipset also allows memory overclocking on the H570 and B560 chipsets, so you are less restricted when you have a budget to work with.

Back to the new processing chips. Of course, the are not just launching a single Intel Core i9-11900K. The range topper is coming with a whole slew of Intel Core processors from the low-end, low-power Core i3-10105T with four cores and eight threads all the way to the superpower that is the flagship Core i9-11900K. The new Rocket Lake launch also include the launch of the new Pentium series with the Pentium Gold G6605 two core processor leading the way.

More Power

As per usual, Intel’s big focus on the new processors that were introduced is gaming. The headline figures for the class leading Intel Core i9-11900K unlocked processor is eight cores, 16 threads, and 16MB of Intel Smart Cache. The flagship chip clocks at up to 5.3GHz on Thermal Velocity Boost. Most games these days have not been able to capitalise on high multicore clocks too, so the Intel Rocket Lake platform processors are still expected to perform very well.

Of course, the new Rocket Lake Core processor will come with Intel’s UHD graphics with enhanced Intel Xe graphics architecture. Intel’s Xe GPU architecture pretty much has proven itself in the mobile computing space. It also means you technically can game on the on-board graphics. Intel claims 50% more graphics performance over the older generation Intel UHD Graphics. They also claim up to 19% generational improvement on the overall IPC performance. That is one of the larger leaps in terms of generational performance in Intel’s line-up. Oddly enough, the 11th Generation Core processors are still built on top of 12nm technology instead of AMD’s cutting-edge 7nm technology. AMD has also touted 5nm technology in their next Ryzen series.

Price and Availability

  • Source: Intel
  • Source: Intel
  • Source: intel

The biggest surprise from Intel’s new generation of processors though is their price tag. This time, their offering their CPUs at lower prices than their competitors. The range topping Core i9-11900K for example will be sold at US$ 539 (MYR 2,220*), US$ 10 (MYR 41*) cheaper than its competition the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X at US$ 549 (MYR 2,261*). The Core i5-11600K, which would most likely be the processor of choice for most users will sell at US$ 262 (MYR 1,079*), a whopping US$ 30 (MYR 124*) less than AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X at US$ 299 (MYR 1,231*).

Intel’s 11th Generation Rocket Lake Core processors for desktop is announced to be available later in March 2021. There are no solid leads regarding its local (Malaysia) availability just yet. That also means there are no official pricing locally just yet. Of course, we will keep you posted. For more information, you can head to Intel’s website.

*Approximate value based on conversion rate US$ 1.00 = MYR 4.12 on xe.com as of 17/03/2021

Computers, News

Intel Confirms “Rocket Lake”, 11th Generation Intel Cores for Q1 2021, with PCIe 4.0

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If you’re looking to buy or upgrade a new desktop, it may be worth waiting until next year 2021. AMD has just announced their AMD Ryzen 5000, technically their most powerful CPU yet. Recently, Intel has confirmed that its 11th generation, “Rocket Lake” CPUs will be launching in the first quarter of 2021. The update, of course, comes with other parts as well. The Z490 motherboard for example, and support for PCIe 4.0.

Intel’s Rocket Lake is expected to be built upon the same Skylake architecture as the previous five generation of 14nm. That, or it is built upon Intel’s Cove microarchitecture designs. Technically Rocket Lake will be more powerful just based on the fact that you have PCIe 4.0 support over PCIe 3.0. In this update as well, Intel technically matched the new AMD Ryzen chips with PCIe 4.0 support.

There are no mentions on whether or not there are more PCIe lanes supported compared to the previous generation CPU though. The ASRock Z490 Aqua, built for next generation Intel processors, is built with a PCle 4.0 storage M.2 slot. Using the PCIe 4.0 slot on the board will render the PCIe 3.0 slots useless, or unusable.

Mind you, these things are said before AMD’s big announcement of the AMD Ryzen 5000 series. At this point, no one knew or could expect the kind of progress AMD has made in their new CPUs. As we have discovered, it is a monumental swing of momentum in AMD’s favour, just based on AMD’s announcement.

Intel has been making pre-emptive move with updating the Skylake architecture and introducing Tiger Lake. Up until last week, Intel still holds the title of ‘most powerful gaming processor’ available in the market. In some sense, we can expect Rocket Lake to take that title back at least. With the likelihood of Intel not moving away from 14nm processes though, it might be a long shot. All we can do, is wait and see.