The 11th generation Intel Core desktop processors (codenamed “Rocket Lake-S”) will provide increased performance and speeds. They will be launched in the first quarter of 2021. (Credit: Intel Corporation)
Intel’s Core i9-11900K Rocket Lake processor made its first appearance in the Passmark CPU benchmark database and achieved the highest single-thread performance of all desktop processors. The chip features an entirely new core architecture and comes with clock frequencies above the 5 GHz barrier, which allows it to post some huge gains over its predecessor.
Intel Core i9-11900K Rocket Lake Flagship Desktop Scores The fastest single-thread performance on Passmark, up to 7% faster than AMD Ryzen 5000 ‘Zen 3’ chips
The Intel Core i9-11900K with its multiple Cypress Cove core will bring the biggest CPU architecture update in over 5 years. This is because from the 6th generation Skylake CPUs, all Intel CPUs to the 10th generation Comet Lake CPUs use the same identical chip architecture based on the 14nm process node. There have been minor refinements to the process node over the years, but nothing as significant as what Intel is going to offer with Rocket Lake CPUs. The Rocket Lake line will still depend on a 14 nm process node, but the architecture marks a new beginning for Intel to try to keep up with AMD’s rapid progress with its Zen core architecture.
Intel Core i9-11900K 8 Core and 16 Thread Rocket Lake desktop CPU specifications
The Intel Core i9-11900K will be the flagship of the 11th generation Rocket Lake Desktop CPU. The chip will have 8 cores and 16 threads. This will result in 16 MB of L3 cache (2 MB per core) and 4 MB of L2 cache (512 KB per core). In terms of clocks, the CPU works at basic frequencies of 3.5 GHz, but as for the boost, the CPU will have a maximum boost clock of 5.2 GHz (1 core) while the boost frequency of the entire core will be maintained at 4.8 GHz.
The chip will also have Thermal Velocity Boost, which should provide a 100 MHz jump at the maximum clock frequency. This should lead to a single core 5.3 GHz boost clock, making it the first CPU to reach such a high frequency out of the box. However, remember that regardless of whether you use Cypress Cove cores, the Core i9-11900K will have lower cores and threads than the Intel Core i9-10900K. This is partly due to the backporting of Cypress Cove on the refined 14 nm process node. The CPU is said to have a first stage power limit of 125W, which is standard for an Intel SKU and the second stage power limit or PL2 is rated at 250W.
Specifications of the 11th generation Rocket Lake Desktop CPU line (preliminary):
| CPU name | Colors / Threads | Base Clock | Boost Clock (1-Core) | Boost Clock (All-Core) | Cache | Graphics | TDP (PL1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-11900K | 8/16 | 3.50 GHz | 5.30 GHz | 4.80 GHz | 16 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 125W |
| Core i9-11900 | 8/16 | 1.80 GHz | 4.50 GHz | 4.00 GHz | 16 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 65W |
| Core i9-11900T | 8/16 | TBC | TBC | TBC | 16 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 35W |
| Core i7-11700K | 8/16 | 3.60 GHz | 5.00 GHz | 4.60 GHz | 16 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 125W |
| Core i7-11700 | 8/16 | 2.50 GHz | 4.90 GHz | TBC | 16 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 65W |
| Core i7-11700T | 8/16 | TBC | TBC | 16 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 35W | |
| Core i5-11600K | 6/12 | 3.90 GHz | 4.90 GHz | 4.60 GHz | 12 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 125W |
| Core i5-11600 | 6/12 | TBC | TBC | TBC | 12 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 65W |
| Core i5-11600T | 6/12 | TBC | TBC | TBC | 12 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 35W |
| Core i5-11500 | 6/12 | TBC | TBC | TBC | 12 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 65W |
| Core i5-11500T | 6/12 | TBC | TBC | TBC | 12 MB | Intel Xe 32 EU (256 cores) | 35W |
| Core i5-11400 | 6/12 | 2.60 GHz | 4,400 GHz | 4.20 GHz | 12 MB | Intel Xe 24 EU (192 colors) | 65W |
| Core i5-11400T | 6/12 | TBC | TBC | TBC | 12 MB | Intel Xe 24 EU (192 colors) | 35W |
The Passmark listing reveals that the Intel Core i9-11900K scores 3764 points in single-thread tests and 28082 points in multi-core tests. Compared to the flagship CPU from AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, the Core i9-11900K offers 7% faster multithreaded performance, and compared to its predecessor, the Intel Core i9-10900K, the CPU offers a 19% performance increase . This result puts the Core i9-11900K at the top of the Passmark single-core performance chart. But at the same time, the Ryzen 9 5950X is much faster in multithreaded performance, while the Core i9-11900K achieves a better result compared to the i9-10900K, despite offering lower cores and threads.
While it is a good showcase for Intel, note that Rocket Lake CPUs will not reach retail until the end of March 2021. This puts them close to AMD’s next response, which should be in the form of an enhanced Zen 3+ ‘Warhol or a next generation Ryzen line based on Zen 4. Intel also plans to launch its 12th generation ‘Alder Lake’ Desktop CPU line by 2H 2021 or Q3 2021, meaning that Rocket Lake CPUs will be replaced in 1 or 2 quarters, giving them an even shorter life span than Kaby Lake, which was also replaced by Coffee Lake CPUs a few quarters later.
News source: Videocardz