Skip to main content

Intel Raptor Lake sets a sizzling new record for clock speeds

Intel shared some teasers about the upcoming Raptor Lake platform, and if this doesn’t get you hyped, we don’t know what will.

According to Intel, the new processors will be capable of hitting 6GHz clock speeds at stock settings — but that’s not all. Intel also teased that the CPU has set an overclocking record, surpassing the 8GHz barrier. In addition, we now know the performance Intel expects to deliver with Raptor Lake, and the jump from Alder Lake looks to be quite huge.

Recommended Videos

#RaptorLake at #IntelTechTour

DDR5-5600
1st 6 GHz
8 GHz OC World Record pic.twitter.com/7uTRMStRs3

— Andreas Schilling 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@aschilling) September 12, 2022

Please enable Javascript to view this content

All of the information comes from Intel Tech Tour in Israel. We’re likely to hear more in the next couple of weeks, but even the things we already know are pretty exciting. We’ve learned more about Intel Raptor Lake and what to expect from the lineup. Let’s dive in.

For starters, Intel stated that Raptor Lake wouldn’t exist if not for the fact that Meteor Lake CPUs were not going to be ready on time. The development of these 13th-gen processors started roughly two years ago, and because the platform is so similar to Alder Lake, Intel was able to complete the process quickly. Despite the similarities, Raptor Lake is said to deliver a marked jump in performance.

Intel expects Raptor Lake to offer a 15% boost in single-threaded workloads and a massive 41% boost in multi-threaded operations, as well as an overall “40% performance scaling,” as noted by Tom’s Hardware. This is a smaller jump than was expected based on early benchmarks, but it’s still a big deal.

As for the clock speeds, it’s true — Intel has confirmed that there will be a Raptor Lake CPU that can hit 6GHz at stock settings. This implies a processor that’s even better than the upcoming flagship Core i9-13900K, which presumably means a Core i9-13900KS, the follow-up to this generation’s Core i9-12900KS.

Intel could certainly use a buffed-up Core i9-13900KS, especially if it arrives at a later date, which it most likely will. AMD will have a strong ace up its sleeve with the 3D V-Cache versions of Zen 4 coming out in 2023, so Intel may be able to match that performance with the rumored Core i9-13900KS. However, when it comes to the price, AMD might be more affordable if the current generation is anything to go by — Intel’s Core i9-12900KS was certainly not cheap.

Intel Raptor Lake leaked specs.
Information about the upcoming Intel Raptor Lake CPUs. Igor's Lab

Aside from the 6GHz stock speed, Intel has also teased a new record in overclocking achieved by Raptor Lake — the CPU has managed to hit 8GHz, which is an insane new high. Of course, liquid nitrogen cooling was a necessity here, so this is not a clock speed that most users will ever see on this platform. This isn’t a complete world record in overclocking — that belongs to the AMD FX-8370 that was pushed to a whopping 8.7GHz in 2020 — but it’s certainly a record for Intel’s 10nm platform.

We are likely to learn more about Intel Raptor Lake in the next couple of weeks. The processors are rumored to launch in October, following an official announcement from Intel on September 27 — the same day AMD launches its next-gen Ryzen 7000 processors.

Monica J. White
Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…
Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake CPUs might run into cooling trouble
The cold plate and heat pipes on the Noctua NH-D15 G2 CPU cooler.

By nearly all accounts, Intel is gearing up to release its 15th-gen Arrow Lake CPUs in a matter of weeks. The new generation, which will compete for a slot among the best processors, will use the new LGA 1851 socket, and the redesigned package might be problematic when it comes to keeping the CPU cool.

According to famed overclocker and YouTuber der8auer, the hot spot on Arrow Lake CPUs is "quite a bit further north," meaning that the hottest part of the CPU is situated at the top of the package. Different hot spot locations is nothing new -- for instance, AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X has a hot spot more toward the southern part of the package -- but it's something that cooling companies will need to account for in order to get the best performance.

Read more
Intel Arrow Lake is right around the corner
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger presents Intel's roadmap including Arrow Lake, Lunar Lake, and Panther Lake.

Intel's upcoming Arrow Lake processors have been the topic of much speculation in the last few months, but we're finally at the finish line. Multiple sources are reporting that the release date we've been hearing about for weeks is now final, meaning that Intel's next-gen processors are now less than a month away. Here's what we know.

With no Intel Innovation event this year, things have been quiet as far as Arrow Lake goes -- but the leaks never cease. The initial Arrow Lake (also known as Intel Core Ultra 200 series) release date that various tipsters spoke about was always said to be October 10, but a few weeks ago, it was revealed to be October 24. Now, with today's new information, we can say with some confidence that it appears to be the final release date.

Read more
More than seven months later, Intel CPU instability issue might be over
Intel's 14900K CPU socketed in a motherboard.

We first reported on the Intel CPU instability issue in February 2024, and since then, Intel has offered various fixes that helped, but still failed to fix the problem once and for all. Now, it finally seems like the owners of Intel's best CPUs might soon be able to rest easy. Intel has shared a new update that pinpoints the four causes of Raptor Lake problems and provides a fix.

Intel's July update on the matter disclosed that the company was aware of issues within the microcode and that the problem was related to incorrect voltages. Today's update breaks this down into four operating scenarios that can cause problems. Intel now refers to these long-lasting issues as the "Vmin Shift Instability."

Read more