In the past few days there have been many new details about Intel’s future desktop platform based on the LGA 1200 and the new Rocket Lake S processors. In addition to numerous smaller benchmark results from various online databases, there are also complete tests from the Asian region. But since we want to form our own picture of the new processors, we forego a detailed consideration of these results.

In any case, there is an indication that Rocket Lake-S is a new edition of Comet Lake-S, but has two cores less to offer in the maximum case. This is cushioned by using the new Willow Cove cores. The clock rate and consumption are at the level of the current CPU generation from Intel.

In the meantime, there are no longer any doubts about the time of the start. While an official presentation at the CES is quite conceivable in a few days, the start will probably take place a few weeks later. There have already been many reports about late March, which now seems to be confirmed. MSI support confirms Intel Rocket Lake-S for March and Gigabyte speaks quite blatantly in a press release of “The latest 11 th Gen. Intel Core processors will be launched on March 2021.” – the 11. Core generation will appear in March.

The statement by Gigabyte that Intel would use the same architecture here is certainly more of a smile:

“The new processors keep the same architecture as the previous generation but they enable the PCIe 4.0 support “

This is only partially correct, because these are Sunny Cove cores, which offer an IPC plus of about 20% to have. However, production continues in 14 nm .

Gigabyte, MSI and other manufacturers have already confirmed that their existing Z 490 – and H 470 – motherboards will be able to accommodate the new Rocket Lake S processors . Compatibility with PCI-Express 4.0 is also given in most cases. At the start of Comet Lake-S, the manufacturers had already advertised PCI-Express 4.0, but the processors lacked the corresponding support – this will change with Rocket Lake-S.

In addition to the new cores and PCI-Express 4.0, the processors offer support for DDR4 – 2021, an integrated Xe-LP graphics unit and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. Which additional functions will be added via the new chipsets remains to be seen.