Image Credits: Wccftech
Raptor Lake is Intel’s next-generation processor line, which is anticipated to launch in 2022, and we’ve just seen the first supposed benchmark of these CPUs. According to Tom’s Hardware, what might be the 13th-generation flagship CPU has been spotted in a BAPCo Crossmark test, as noticed by regular hardware leaker Komachi Ensaka on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/KOMACHI_ENSAKA/status/1466799603832205312
The benchmark has subsequently been withdrawn — of course, it should never have been broadcast in the first place – but not before Tom’s screen shot and spread the news. According to the specifications provided here, the chip has eight performance cores (new Raptor Cove cores) and 16 efficiency cores (Gracemont cores — the same as Alder Lake).
This confirms prior rumors and provides the CPU a potential 32-thread count (since efficiency cores do not support hyper-threading). The Raptor Lake CPU achieved a total score of 1,591 in the benchmark, compared to a result of 2,376 for Intel’s new Alder Lake flagship, the Core i9-12900K.
What else do we know so far!
It’s no wonder – assuming this benchmark is legitimate, which is always a bit of a leap of faith with early leaks — that Raptor Lake is far slower than Alder Lake at this point in its development (the 12900K is almost 50 percent faster here, in fact).
Obviously, that will not be the case when the Raptor Lake flagship is completed (if it isn’t noticeably faster, Intel will go back to the drawing board till it is).
What’s going on here is that because this is a very early testing sample, it’s almost certainly limited to modest clock speeds and doesn’t even come close to reflecting the performance of the final product, which should be available later in 2022. (maybe in Q3). Raptor Lake will still require significant improvement on both the hardware and software fronts for the time being.
The theory is that Intel’s 13th-generation CPUs will be a simple refresh of Alder Lake, but it’s guaranteed to make a few respectable architectural gains as Intel refines its new hybrid tech, and the addition of more efficiency cores – a lot more if these early rumours are correct – should also make a significant difference in performance.
There is also conjecture that Raptor Lake may make significant advances in terms of power efficiency, so we can stay cautiously hopeful about what the next generation will offer.
