Intel may have accidentally revealed its 9000-series processors in a public document

Intel has inadvertently listed its upcoming 9000-series processors in its Microcode Revision Guidance document dated for 3 July.

Since then, the references to the new 9000-series SKUs appear to have been taken down – which can be taken as further sign that they’re accurate – but not before several sites picked up on some of the details. A separate document also revealed additional specifications such as clock speeds, but it is no longer viewable at the time of writing.

In total, Intel listed seven new 9000-series CPUs:

The Core i5 processors are part of Intel's 6+2 line-up, which signifies their six CPU cores and GT2 graphics, the same as Intel's existing chips. On the other hand, the Core i3 chips are part of the 4+2 family, which means they have just four CPU cores. 

The Core i3-9100 and Core i3-9000 were also listed as having identical specifications. That's a little puzzling, but we'll have to wait till they're officially announced for further confirmation. 

Overall, these processors are approximately 100MHz to 200MHz faster than their predecessors, while retaining the same core and thread counts and TDP. And because these chips are being listed in a microcode update document, it seems like they will not come with the in-silicon fixes for Spectre and Meltdown that Intel promised this year.

Intel's 9000-series Core i7 SKUs are also missing from the list, which means they could be the first to come with these hardware-based mitigations (or they could simply not be ready yet). Furthermore, Intel is rumored to have an upcoming octa-core Core i9 chip for the mainstream segment, so the required new die design could pave the way for these new in-silicon fixes. 

However, what's confusing is that Intel listed these chips as coming under its 8th-generation product family, which could potentially complicate matters for anyone trying to make sense of Intel's line-up. 

They are also part of the Coffee Lake S family, and since Intel has confirmed that its 10nm process is being delayed till 2019, it looks like the 9000-series chips will use either the 14nm++ process or yet another refined version of it. 

In addition, Intel revealed the Core i5-8650K and Core i5-8650, a couple of unreleased 8000-series SKUs. 

All these chips are listed as in production, so a launch may be just round the corner. That said, nothing should be assumed to be confirmed until the official announcement. 

Source: PC Gamer

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