A leak, combined with previous rumors, suggests that Intel’s first wave of 14th-gen desktop CPUs will likely be released in October. However, these chips won’t be the highly anticipated ‘Meteor Lake’ processors expected for laptops. Instead, Intel is refreshing its Raptor Lake CPU architecture, which was already present in the 13th-gen chips.
This information isn’t entirely surprising, as previous leaks had already hinted at the 14th-gen desktop chips being a Raptor Lake refresh, with the new Meteor Lake architecture reserved for mobile processors. The actual next generation of desktop CPUs from Intel will be called ‘Arrow Lake.’
Reputable leaker Enthusiastic Citizen (ECSM) on Chinese social media has shared the latest news, claiming that Intel’s K-series chips for the 14th gen will launch in the 42nd week of the year, starting on October 16. Non-K CPUs are projected for the first week of 2024. While this should be treated as a rumor, it aligns with Intel’s previous release cadence and is likely to be accurate.
However, as a professional hardware journalist, I find it difficult to get excited about this new generation of CPUs. According to current rumors, Intel’s 14000 series is not expected to deliver the significant performance leap that is typically anticipated from a new generation of tech products. This is disappointing news.
What makes it even more frustrating is that Intel’s 14th-gen laptop processors, based on the Meteor Lake architecture, are rumored to bring significant improvements in power efficiency and integrated graphics capable of ray tracing. The Raptor Lake refresh chips are unlikely to enjoy those benefits. Additionally, this is expected to be the first generation of Intel CPUs to adopt the company’s new naming system, and a minor performance jump could undermine the benefits of the rebranding, which are already unclear.
There might be some positives, though. Since Intel’s 14th-gen desktop chips will use the same LGA-1700 chipset as the Raptor Lake architecture, users with existing 12th- and 13th-gen CPUs won’t need to purchase a new motherboard for an upgrade. However, the follow-up Arrow Lake generation will require a new motherboard socket.
