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Intel Broadwell processors may finally be coming to desktop PCs

By Koh Wanzi - on 24 Mar 2015, 7:52pm

Intel Broadwell processors may finally be coming to desktop PCs

Intel held the first public demonstration of Broadwell desktop processors at the Game Developers Conference 2015. (Image Source: Tech Gadget News)

We’ve been waiting for Intel’s next microarchitecture die shrink since it first demonstrated its 14nm Broadwell microarchitecture on an ultrabook PC back at the Intel Developer Forum 2013. Since then, Broadwell has hit the market only in mobile and micro-server processors, such as last year’s Intel Core M ultra-low voltage SoCs, the mobile processors Intel announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015, and the Intel Xeon D SoCs.

Now, it looks as if Intel is finally bringing some 14nm goodness to the desktop. According to Chinese VR-Zone, the Intel Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C will launch in the second quarter of this year, and will feature power and efficiency improvements over fourth-generation Intel processors brought about by the smaller 14nm process node. The new CPUs will also feature a lower 65 watt thermal design power (TDP) and the latest Iris Pro Graphics 6200 integrated GPU. In comparison, the Intel Core i7-4790K and Core i5-4690K based on the 22nm Haswell microarchitecture feature an 88 watt TDP.

And despite the lack of the Intel "K" series branding, the two Broadwell desktop processors will also purportedly feature unlocked multipliers to allow for overclocking. Supposed specifications for both processors are as follows:-

Intel Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C specs compared
Model Cores/Threads CPU Clock Turbo Boost L3 Cache Graphics TDP
Core i7-5775C 4/8 3.1GHz 3.7GHz 6MB Iris Pro 6200 65W
Core i5-5675C 4/4 3.1GHz 3.6GHz 4MB Iris Pro 6200 65W

Both processors will be based on Intel’s LGA1150 socket that was first introduced with its Haswell microarchitecture and will be compatible with Intel 9 Series motherboards. Those who have an eye on an early upgrade will also be pleased to know that motherboard manufacturers are already releasing BIOS updates to support the upcoming Broadwell processors. The Broadwell CPUs' clock speeds do appear on the conservative side when compared to the Intel Core i7-4790K and Core i5-4690K, which rock a CPU clock of 4.0GHz and 3.5GHz respectively, but it could be possible that Intel is holding back on the performance front to avoid encroaching on the launch of its Skylake processors later this year.

There is also news of several Broadwell R-Series CPUs based on the BGA platform, such as the Intel Core i7-5775R that features a CPU clock of 3.3GHz and Turbo Boost clock of 3.8GHz. Broadwell R-Series CPUs are said to run on Intel's BGA1364 platform. And unlike LGA-based CPUs, BGA CPUs are soldered to their sockets, so it looks as if Intel may be targeting OEM manufacturers and All-in-One desktop systems with these chips. 

Source: WCCF Tech

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