Haswell-E - Intel's First 8 Core Desktop Processor Exposed

[Sin]

Another day, another Intel leak and a few surprises as well. During the last few days we covered Intel's desktop roadmap for the next twelve months, bringing you news and insights on Intel's plans for the aforementioned time interval. Today we bring you news on what's to follow in the second half of 2014, specifically, on Intel's Premium Desktop plans for the interval, namely Haswell-E, DDR4 and the X99 PCH.

Haswell-E will be Intel's last and best offering using the 22 nm fabrication process, it will come in two versions, core count wise, 8 core part(s) as well as 6 core part(s) with hyper-threading enabled, therefore, boasting no less that 16 execution threads for the 8 core chips and 12 execution threads for the 6 core version(s). Judging by that alone, Haswell-E should constitute a far superior upgrade over Ivy Bridge-E, compared to what the latter will be in relation to Sandy Bridge-E, Haswell-E offering two additional physical cores that translate into four additional execution threads. The new chips will boast 2.5 MB of L3 Cache per core, summing up to 20 MB total L3 cache for the 8 core parts. TDP will remain in the same neighborhood it was in the case of its predecessors, around 130-140 W.



Haswell-E will of course be accompanied by a new platform, dubbed Wellsburg, the X99 chipset will bring a host of new features, the most important one being quad channel DDR4 support. With four basic frequency settings, starting at 1333 MHz and moving up in increments of 266 MHz to a maximum of 2133 MHz, at which point overclocking should be employed to attain superior clocks. However we sincerely doubt that any DDR4 modules/kits, clocked below 2133 MHz, will be made available for this platform. Modestly clocked (1333 MHz), low voltage (1.2 V) kits are supported by the new platform as well. The DIMM connector was also modified to support Non Volatile DIMMs, receiving four more pins for the purpose (288 instead of 284), modification that will not negatively impact compatibility with 284 pin modules in any way.

Other points of interest regarding the X99 chipset are:

• Up to six USB 3.0 ports
• Up to eight USB 2.0 ports
• Up to ten SATA 6 Gbps ports
• Integrated Clock support
• TDP of 6.5W

The LGA 2011 socket will be updated too, dubbed LGA 2011-3, the socket will see the pin layout changing while remaining numerically the same. The change, going by Intel's own slides, claiming superior efficiency. The chip's IHS received a makeover as well, looking very different from current Intel offerings.

Given the information at hand, trying to quantify performance gains, speculate on overclocking potential and other such conclusory attempts to wrap up the above presented information, I admit is quite enticing and intriguing, but I'll end here and outsource the pleasure of doing that to you.

Post Scriptum
A big hand for radrok, for bringing this to my attention.

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[DRDNA]

I knew I was holding out on upgrading for a reason, I cant wait to build this into a system!

 

[TRWOV]

This might actually be worth upgrading to.

Still no Thunderbolt? Come on Intel, you're going to let it go the way of firewire.

 

[Melvis]

So you need to once again replace your motherboard, its not a drop in replacement? and im guessing the price will be around $1500?

 

[TheHunter]

Well this would have been my dream machine, been wanting to upgrade to a true 8core.. ah well, Im still very happy with 4770K @ 4.4ghz atm.

Although it would be nice to have 16threads at 4.6ghz or something like that, but i know cpu price will be "nice" too 600-800€ + if not more for sure :S

 

[ivybridge]

This might actually be worth upgrading to.

Still no Thunderbolt? Come on Intel, you're going to let it go the way of firewire.

This depends on whether the motherboard manufacturer is willing to add it. I know that Gigabyte and MSI have both added this feature in their z77 lineup... not too sure about 2011 socket though.

 

[TRWOV]

yeah, but since it's an Intel spec you'd expect to see it integrated into their chipsets by now.

 

[Sinzia]

The problem with thunderbolt is it needs a iGPU to run the displayport part of the spec. If there's no iGPU, then no thunderbolt.

 

[newtekie1]

So you need to once again replace your motherboard, its not a drop in replacement? and im guessing the price will be around $1500?

Haswell wasn't a drop in replacement for Ivy Bridge, I don't know why anyone would expect Haswell-E to be a drop in replacement for Ivy Bridge-E.

And Intel said they are using a Tick-Tock roadmap, with a major update requiring a new platform and then a minor one that doesn't. So this is the way forward with them.

 

[Melvis]

Haswell wasn't a drop in replacement for Ivy Bridge, I don't know why anyone would expect Haswell-E to be a drop in replacement for Ivy Bridge-E.

And Intel said they are using a Tick-Tock roadmap, with a major update requiring a new platform and then a minor one that doesn't. So this is the way forward with them.

Yea I know and i thought that to be crazy as the difference between the two was near nothing I guess im just used to using AMD and having many CPU choices from even three gens back to use in my current mobo unless there is some major major difference, hell even Steamroller is meant to fit AM3+ right?

To me Intel is just making it confusing with all these new sockets, but that's just me.

I can under stand I guess with this new 8 core as its intels first and all, but i just don't get it with socket 1150, that socket is going to be very short lived?

 

[Stephen.]

This is good news, now i would be more happier if the mainstream gets a core count upgrade too, maybe broadwell will have a 6 core part next year.

If the mainstream will look like this:

4 Cores on:
Celeron & Pentium 4 Cores / i3 4 Cores, 8 Threads

6 Cores on:
i5 6 Cores / i7 6 Cores, 12 Threads

This would be very nice just my thought, so that the new LGA 2011-3 to have a minimum of 6 Cores, 12 Threads. another good thing is TDP to be 84W < and below in relevance to CPU on the mainstream side and the Price to remain same for mainstream and performance.

 

[newtekie1]

Yea I know and i thought that to be crazy as the difference between the two was near nothing I guess im just used to using AMD and having many CPU choices from even three gens back to use in my current mobo unless there is some major major difference, hell even Steamroller is meant to fit AM3+ right?

To me Intel is just making it confusing with all these new sockets, but that's just me.

AMD isn't much better at times, 754, 939, and FM1 all only lasted for a single generation of processors.

I can under stand I guess with this new 8 core as its intels first and all, but i just don't get it with socket 1150, that socket is going to be very short lived?

Actually, this isn't Intel's first 8-Core. There are 8-core Sandy Bridge-E processors. And Socket 1150 will have the same life span as 1155 basically.

 

[de.das.dude]

So you need to once again replace your motherboard, its not a drop in replacement? and im guessing the price will be around $1500?

you mean $2000

 

[de.das.dude]

The LGA 2011 socket will be updated too, dubbed LGA 2011-3, the socket will see the pin layout changing while remaining numerically the same. The change, going by Intel's own slides, claiming superior efficiency. The chip's IHS received a makeover as well, looking very different from current Intel offerings.

i call BS on this. its just to make you all buy a new motherboard XD
long live AMD
i went from an am2 motherboard to am2+ to AM3+ with the SAME CPU XD

 

[Stephen.]

AMD isn't much better at times, 754, 939, and FM1 all only lasted for a single generation of processors.



Actually, this isn't Intel's first 8-Core. There are 8-core Sandy Bridge-E processors. And Socket 1150 will have the same life span as 1155 basically.

The mean the Desktop Part not the once marked for server, we know there are on the Xeon Part and Xeon can work on desktop, anyway they are talking the desktop variants.

 

[newtekie1]

The mean the Desktop Part not the once marked for server, we know there are on the Xeon Part and Xeon can work on desktop, anyway they are talking the desktop variants.

No, he was specifically talking about the socket and how he can see how a new socket would be required because they're releasing an 8-core processor. My point was that the current socket already supports 8-core processors.

 

[de.das.dude]

and its already stated that the new socket is just a restructuring of pins. its numerically the same. this is just so that people have to buy new boards. nothing esle.

 

[Melvis]

AMD isn't much better at times, 754, 939, and FM1 all only lasted for a single generation of processors.



Actually, this isn't Intel's first 8-Core. There are 8-core Sandy Bridge-E processors. And Socket 1150 will have the same life span as 1155 basically.

Yea I know AMD has had some very short lived sockets as well, but when it comes to there main socket witch is AM2/3 etc these have lived along time with many CPU upgrade paths. But can any CPU's from socket 1366/1150/1156/155/2011 be used in each others socket? I Honestly don't know lol

you mean $2000

I dont want to know. I dont get over an i5 when building computers for clients Theres just no need for anything more powerful.

The mean the Desktop Part not the once marked for server, we know there are on the Xeon Part and Xeon can work on desktop, anyway they are talking the desktop variants.

Yea i did mean the desktop part more so then the server part, as even AMD has had 12 core CPU's out for years but that hasn't come to the desktop lol.

I did realize there have been 8 core CPU's from intel in the past called umm I cant remember started with a D? but it wasn't for desktop/main stream so never worried about it.

No, he was specifically talking about the socket and how he can see how a new socket would be required because they're releasing an 8-core processor. My point was that the current socket already supports 8-core processors.

Which socket do you mean? the one that already supports 8-core processors? 1155?

 

[Ikaruga]

First. I was like "yeehaa ;D", then I saw "second half of 2014" :/

 

[newtekie1]

Yea I know AMD has had some very short lived sockets as well, but when it comes to there main socket witch is AM2/3 etc these have lived along time with many CPU upgrade paths. But can any CPU's from socket 1366/1150/1156/155/2011 be used in each others socket? I Honestly don't know lol

754 and 939 were their main socket. And you can't exactly take a AM2 processor and put it in an AM3+ board, or an AM3+ processor and put it in an AM2 board. AM2 only had 2 real generations of support too, Athlon 64 and Phenom. AM2+ carried over Athlon 64 support, but by the time it came out Athlon 64 processors were already off the market, so what is the point in considering that as backwards compatibility? And AM3 officially only supported one processor generation as well, Phenom II.

Which socket do you mean? the one that already supports 8-core processors? 1155?

The current socket 2011 supports 8-Core processors and the processors are already available.

 

[erocker]

this is just so that people have to buy new boards. nothing esle.

Are you positive?

 

[de.das.dude]

intel is evill... hurr durr.
more boards bought = more revenue from manufacturers! win for everyone!

 

[TheLostSwede]

So much bitching about new motherboards/sockets here, but clearly none of you noted that the new platform supports DDR4 which is highly likely the main reason for the socket change. Considering Intel would have to make major changes to the memory interface of the CPU, it's easy to see why they had to change the CPU socket.
If you don't want to pay for it, no-one's going to be forcing you to upgrade, so there...

 

[buggalugs]

who cares about buying a new board....I expect a new board when a new enthusiast CPU comes out that has better features than previous. More sata 6GB/s ports, plenty of USB 3.0 ports etc. If you're spending $500-$600 on a 8 core processor, buying a new board isn't a big deal.

Anyway the current X79 platform sucks, the sooner they kill that off the better. Maybe Haswell-e will save the highend.

 

[de.das.dude]

So much bitching about new motherboards/sockets here, but clearly none of you noted that the new platform supports DDR4 which is highly likely the main reason for the socket change. Considering Intel would have to make major changes to the memory interface of the CPU, it's easy to see why they had to change the CPU socket.
If you don't want to pay for it, no-one's going to be forcing you to upgrade, so there...

doensnt intel house the memory controller in the chipset?