Picture Becomes Clearer on Intel Broadwell-E Specifications

By Sean Sinha

intel-broadwell

Enthusiasts waiting for information on Intel’s upcoming processor release for the X99 platform now have some information to go on when it comes to the next generation of processors, codenamed Broadwell-E. According to leaked documents sourced from BenchLife.info, there are to be four SKU’s of 14nm Broadwell-E based processors available early next year. While Broadwell has certainly been slow when it comes to adoption on the Z97 platform, largely due to Intel’s own plans and marketing of the CPU, Intel has bigger plans for Broadwell-E.

BenchLife Roadmap Leak

The four SKU’s rumored to be releasing from Intel are the i7-6800K, i7-6850K, i7-6900K, and i7-6950X, the latter being a 10-Core/20-Thread Intel Extreme Edition CPU priced in the over-$1,000 range. The lowest end processor, the 6-Core/12-Thread i7 6800K, is rumored to be in the $400 range, targeting to replace the existing I7 5820K. The I7 6850K is also a 6-Core/12-Thread CPU and much like the current generation, we expect to see many users leave this CPU alone in favor of the cheaper I7 6800K and achieving performance parity via overclocking. The I7 6900K features 8 cores and will likely be a favorite option for those who do heavy production and video editing. While overclocking is certainly going to be possible, the 140W TDP of these processors means that powerful cooling solutions will be necessary for running at anything beyond stock speeds and voltages.

Intel Broadwell-E tech slide

The upcoming SKU’s, which are all rated for 140W TDP and are multiplier unlocked and will work with existing X99 motherboards, though BIOS updates to support the processors will need to be provided by each motherboard manufacturer, we expect full support for Broadwell-E to be there for the X99 platform with these processors. Keep in mind that this information comes from leaked roadmaps and may not be completely accurate, though the information looks to be in-line with what we expect and the pricing is reflective of current platform pricing at launch, which we don’t expect to see much variation from.