Intel’s 9th-generation processor could launch next month with 8 cores | Computing

Although Apple just adopted Intel’s eighth-generation processors on its refreshed MacBook Pro lineup recently, Intel is moving full speed ahead, and the company’s ninth-generation processors could launch as early as fall. Code-named Coffee Lake, Intel’s ninth-generation CPU could reportedly arrive on August 1, delivering up to eight cores of processing power. The launch of the ninth-generation chips will help Intel stay competitive with rival AMD’s second-generation Ryzen processors.

“A source from the German trade has leaked information that is likely to launch soon,” an English translation of German publication PC Builders Club reads. “So there is currently an Intel NDA, which falls on 1 August. The contact says, however, that no products can be ordered from Intel and probably will not be longer. The company could introduce the new generation or even a part of it on 1 August, but the start in retail would take much longer.” This means that even if Intel does hold a press event to launch the new processors, PCs with the chips may take a few weeks or months to arrive at retail stores.

The big news is that Coffee Lake will be Intel’s first eight-core processor designed for mainstream consumers. Intel’s Core i9 9900K processor is reported to be the flagship model in the new processor family, shipping with eight cores and 16 threads. Intel is rumored to bring it’s six-core processors down to the Core i7 and Core i5 family, leaving the quad-core architecture for the Core i3 chips. The Core i7-9700K is rumored to arrive with six cores and 12 threads, while the Core i5 products will ship with six cores and six threads. The base Core i3 processor will come with four cores and four threads.

An early sample of the six-core processor was able to reach 5.5GHz clock speeds when overclocked, PC Builders Club reported. The publication’s source was not able to obtain an eight-core sample at the time. It’s also reported that Intel may switch away from the thermal interface material (TIM) used on current processors to a new soldered heat spreader design. “Intel would have finally heard the prayers of the last six years and is at least in the high-end processors on an indium solder instead of the well-known thermal interface material,” the report said.

If you’re in the market for a new processor, you can check out our Ryzen versus Intel head-to-head as well as our processor comparison for gamers.