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Surprise! Intel's 14th-gen Core desktop CPUs are coming back. That's the rumour from a range of sources, including outlets Tom's Hardware and Videocardz, and one that has been detailed by long-time Intel leak writer @jaykihn0. The project is reportedly known as "Raptor Lake Next", and should see production begin in late January 2027 with retail availability in the first half of next year.
Like AMD's recently revived "Anniversary Edition" Ryzen 7 5800X3D, the idea is to offer reasonably priced alternatives to modern CPUs that are compatible with DDR4-based motherboards, allowing users to sidestep the hugely inflated prices for DDR5 memory that they'd otherwise need.
Bizarrely, the new CPUs will reportedly be folded into the Intel Core Ultra 200-series lineup, rather than being new 14th-gen Core products. Videocardz has reported about four prospective CPUs, ranging from a low-end quad-core model to higher-end 16-core and 20-core models, equivalent to 13th-gen and 14th-gen Core i7s. The specs reported by Videocardz are summarised below:
| Configuration | TDP | Closest 14th-Gen Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 4-core (4P + 0E) | 65W | Core i3 14100 |
| 10-core (6P + 4E) | 65W | Core i5 14400 |
| 16-core (8P + 8E) | 125W | Core i7 13700K |
| 20-core (8P + 12E) | 65W | Core i7 14700 |
It doesn't look like a new flagship successor to the Core i9 14900K is planned, which remains the most capable raw performer amongst Intel's lineup for PC gaming, though these models could see small frequency boosts to make them more capable.
While the 65W and 125W Raptor Lake Next desktop CPUs are the best understood, Intel is also reportedly planning mobile HX chips, presumably again to allow for laptop makers to use cheaper DDR4 RAM.
All chips will come with the same features as existing 14th-gen parts, which @jaykihn points out includes the likes of Wi-Fi 7 support, Fast Throttle (configurable throttling of individual cores for thermals) and APO (OS-level thread scheduling). No new features are planned to be included, which makes sense given that this isn't being launched as a new generation of CPUs. However, some motherboard manufacturers are planning new models to coincide with the relaunch - and it'll be interesting to see if they are all DDR4 (or even dual DDR4/DDR5) models.
- Raptor Lake silicon, not Bartlett Lake
- Early next year
- Desktop and mobile (125W, 65W; HX)
- Coexists with 14th generation availability
- No fresh features from RPL-R. For comparison, RPL-R had many from RPL, such as WiFi 7, Fast Throttle, APO, etc.Specs soon.
Source: @jaykihn on Twitter
As a reminder, Intel is also planning a proper new generation of its Intel Core Ultra series CPUs, codenamed Nova Lake, with a new LGA1954 socket on the 900-series motherboard platform. Gigabyte actually showed off a 900-series motherboard at Computex recently, and the new platform is expected to arrive in late 2026 or early 2027.
What do you make of the whole situation? Are you crying out for more readily available 14th-gen Intel CPUs? Or are you waiting for next-gen proper? Let us know in the comments below.