Intel Raptor Lake Refresh - Everything you need to know

In the ever-evolving world of computer processors, Intel has consistently been at the forefront of innovation, with each new generation , they push the boundaries of performance and efficiency, catering to the needs of both casual users and demanding professionals. Building upon the success of their 13th Gen Raptor Lake processors, Intel now launches a refresh of Raptor Lake that features faster core clocks and more E-cores on one of the i7 models. Additionally, the CPU Refresh introduces advancements in power efficiency, enabling desktop systems to deliver optimal performance while consuming less energy.

Intel has made some performance upgrades over its 13th gen CPU but considering this is a refresh, the chips architecture has not changed. This means just like its predecessors the processors have two types of cores. P cores for single and lightly threaded software such as games and E cores for multi-threaded applications and multi-tasking. These cores can work independently or together depending on what you’re running and both cores are controlled by an automated process known as the thread director which allocates threads to the corresponding core. Raptor Lake Refresh processors are available with unlocked multipliers aimed at enthusiasts. This means that K processors which feature over clocking capabilities make up the Gen14th platform.

So what has Intel changed from its previous gen CPU?

Well, when comparing this 14th generation CPU to Intel’s 13th gen, the specs are very similar.

The i9 14900K has more or less the same specs as the older 13900KS. The clock speed however can go up to 6GHz while the 13900KS tops out at 5.8GHz.

The new 14700K’s E-Cores have been bumped up from the previous generation 13700K. This is a considerable increase, bumping those E-Cores from 8 to 12 which will increase performance when multi-tasking.

The i5 has not had much of a difference either, there has been a slight increase in boost speed to the 14600K of 5.3GHz from 5.1GHz on the 13600K. This should yield better game performance.

14th Gen CPU’s will work on 700 and 600 series motherboards after a BIOS update.

The Intel Raptor Lake Refresh supports up to DDR5-5600. Memory amount supported is the same as 13th Gen, with up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 192 GB of DDR5 RAM supported after a BIOS upgrade.

Intel’s Gen 14th platform comes with integrated support for Wi-FI 6/6E and Bluetooth 5.3. In addition, Thunderbolt 5 is said by Intel to be supported in the future but not at launch.

So what else is new with this CPU Refresh? Intel brings enhancements to the use of AI and overclocking. This generation of Raptor Lake features one-click AI guided overclocking through Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU).

In summary, Intel’s Raptor Lake Refresh is really just a refresh of their 13th gen CPU. Keeping the same architecture and making performance increases to just a few SKUs like the Core i7 14700K with a few enhancements to advance connectivity. It’s for you to decide whether upgrading is right for you but if you decide that you want to take advantage of some of the new technology that Intel brings this time around, we hope you consider CORSAIR for all your related needs.