Intel Announces Its 8th Gen Core Processors, Will Debut In Notebooks First

Intel has today launched its 8th generation Core processors, unveiling the first four models that will see the light of day. If you’re asking why Intel is launching its 8th gen series mere months after its Core X series, the simple answer is that neither product stack will compete with each other right now, as the launching 8th gen chips will be bound for notebooks, not desktops, and certainly not the high-end enthusiast space.

When Intel launches a new generation of its Core processors, we generally expect to stick with the launching architecture for at least a year. This time around, the situation is different, and to be honest, a little confusing. These launch CPUs bound for notebooks might bear the 8th gen name, but they’re actually built on a refreshed Kaby Lake, which is part of 7th gen.

So, what’s the deal? On a press call, the company said that with all of the work these Kaby Lake refreshed chips have received, and the fact that the core count boost is no small jump, these SKUs deserve the 8th gen moniker.

Here’s the current list of Kaby Lake refreshed SKUs:

At the moment, Intel hasn’t cleared up anything about 8th Gen core on the desktop, and on the press call, the company repeatedly had to shoot down desktop-related questions. And, to be fair, the confusion was understandable: here we were witnessing a launch of new generation processors only in notebooks, and ultimately based on the last-gen architecture. It’s a bit hard to follow.

Nonetheless, these four SKUs are notable for the fact that they double the number of cores and threads of the closest competition in the 7th Gen lineup. They’re no slouches, either: they might be clocked at modest speeds, but their Turbo can fix that when in a pinch. As we’d expect, this platform sticks to a dual-channel memory controller, and tying into that, the maximum supported speed is DDR4-2400.

Intel says that it has secured 145 design wins in conjunction with this launch, powering the next generation of devices, which will hopefully hit the market very soon (although at this point it’s a wee bit late for beating the student rush).

Intel is expected to follow-up on these launch CPUs with the desktop counterparts in the months ahead, which, as rumor currently has it, will require the support of a new chipset.