Raptor Lake


Raptor Lake is Intel's codename for the 13th and 14th generations of Intel Core processors as well as some Core Series 1 and 2 processors. It is based on a hybrid architecture, utilizing Raptor Cove performance cores and Gracemont efficient cores. Some lower-end SKUs branded as Raptor Lake are based on Alder Lake, with Golden Cove P-cores and Alder Lake-equivalent cache and memory configurations. Like Alder Lake, Raptor Lake is fabricated using Intel's Intel 7 process. Raptor Lake features up to 24 cores and 32 threads and is socket compatible with Alder Lake systems. Like earlier generations, Raptor Lake processors also need accompanying chipsets.
Raptor Lake CPUs contain a clock tree circuit vulnerable to accelerated aging and permanent damage at elevated voltages. The BIOS code and microcode used with these CPUs supplied improperly high voltages, [|resulting in instability] as the circuit degrades over time. Intel claims that aging issues have been since fixed in the latest BIOS and microcode patches, which can be installed by updating the motherboard's BIOS. Once damaged by overvoltage, these CPUs cannot be fixed by a patch and must be replaced.
In lower end processors, there are several models that use dies manufactured with the previous generation Alder Lake architecture. Despite their last generation-architecture, Intel's official names for these processors are "Raptor Lake" and "Raptor Lake Refresh".

History

Raptor Lake launched on October 20, 2022. On January 3, 2023, at CES 2023, Intel announced additional desktop CPUs and mobile CPUs. The 14th generation was launched on October 17, 2023. Raptor Lake's microarchitecture was developed by Intel's R&D center in Haifa, Israel.
In September 2022, an Intel spokesman revealed that Raptor Lake was created to benefit from process improvements before Meteor Lake arrives since the next microarchitecture was likely to be delayed.
Raptor Lake competes with AMD's Ryzen 7000 series that was launched about one month earlier on September 27, 2022.
The 14th-generation Raptor Lake Refresh is the last processor family to use the old "Core i" branding scheme in use since 2008. The Raptor Lake-U Refresh series is the first processor family to use the new "Core 3/5/7" branding scheme introduced in mid 2023.
On December 14, 2023, Intel announced the Raptor Cove-based Xeon E-2400 series for entry-level servers.

Features

CPU

  • Up to 24 cores:
  • * Up to 8 Raptor Cove performance cores
  • * Up to 16 Gracemont efficient cores in 4-core clusters
  • L2 cache for the P-core increased to maximum 2 MB and for the E-core cluster to maximum 4 MB
  • Up to 36 MB shared L3 cache

    GPU

  • Up to 96 execution units
  • Intel Xe-LP microarchitecture
  • Up to 1.65 GHz frequency
  • Up to 4 displays

    I/O

  • Up to DDR5-5600 and LPDDR5X-6400
  • Dual-channel memory; up to 2 DIMMs per channel, up to 256 GB
  • Support XMP 3.0
  • Up to 28 PCI Express 5.0 lanes including 8 dedicated to Direct Media Interface
  • * from CPU: x16 PCIe 5.0, x4 PCIe 4.0, x8 DMI 4.0
  • * from Platform Controller Hub : x8 PCIe 4.0
  • Integrated Thunderbolt 4 and WiFi 6E support
  • * Supported via PCH on desktop processors
  • * Directly supported by CPU on non-HX mobile processors
  • * No support on HX mobile processors, could be added via external controller

    Technology

  • Third-generation Intel SuperFin transistors
  • Increased P- and E-cores maximum frequencies
  • Increased power efficiency

    List of 13th-generation Raptor Lake processors

Desktop processors

Raptor Lake-S

On September 27, 2022, at their Innovation event, Intel officially revealed six unlocked Raptor Lake SKUs launching for desktop on October 20, 2022. The highest-end Raptor Lake SKU, the 13900KS, which can hit up to 6.0 GHz at stock configuration, debuted in 2023.
Common features of Raptor Lake desktop CPUs:
  • Socket: LGA 1700.
  • Memory support:
  • * All models support up to 128 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of DDR5 RAM after a BIOS upgrade.
  • * All models support DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode.
  • * All models support up to DDR4-3200 or DDR5-4800. The i5-13600 and all models above it support DDR5 speeds up to 5600 MT/s with max 2 DIMMs slotted, 4400 MT/s if 4 DIMMs are slotted.
  • All models provide 28 PCI Express lanes:
  • * 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes
  • * 4 PCIe 4.0 lanes
  • * 8 DMI lanes
  • Models without the F suffix feature either of the following integrated UHD Graphics GPUs, all with base frequency of 300 MHz:
  • * UHD Graphics 770 with 32 execution units, or
  • * UHD Graphics 730 with 24 execution units
  • Max Turbo Power: the maximum sustained power dissipation of the processor as limited by current and/or temperature controls. Instantaneous power may exceed Maximum Turbo Power for short durations. Maximum Turbo Power is configurable by system vendor and can be system specific.
  • CPUs in bold below feature vPro Enterprise and UDIMM ECC memory support only when paired with a motherboard based on the W680 chipset. Other SKUs do not support ECC memory at all.
Suffixes to denote:
  • T – Low power
  • F – No integrated graphics
  • K – Unlocked clock multiplier
  • KF – Unlocked clock multiplier + No integrated graphics
  • KS – Unlocked clock multiplier + Special edition
Alder Lake and Raptor Lake mixed models:
  • 13400, 13400F
Alder Lake models:
  • 13600, 13600T, 13500, 13500T, 13490F, 13400T, 13100, 13100F, 13100T

    Mobile processors

All mobile processors except for the HX series support the following types of memory: DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR5X-6400, LPDDR4X-4267. The HX processors only support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200.
The processors are connected to PCHs using an OPIO 2.0 x8 interface, except for the HX series which uses a DMI 4.0 x8 interface. Except for the HX series, the processor and PCH are packaged together on a multi-chip package.
The HX series uses 45x37.5mm BGA 1964, and the other mobile processors use 25x50mm BGA 1744, on a Type 3 or Type 4 HDI.

Raptor Lake-HX

The HX processors are desktop processors repurposed for mobile use, with all models unlocked for overclocking.
  • CPUs in bold support vPro Enterprise and UDIMM ECC memory support when paired with the WM790 mobile workstation chipset.
  • i7-13650HX and above feature Turbo Boost 3.0, which is at the same speed as Turbo Boost 2.0.
  • i9-13980HX supports Thermal Velocity Boost to 5.6 GHz
Alder Lake and Raptor Lake mixed models:
  • 13700HX, 13450HX
Alder Lake models:
  • 13600HX, 13500HX

    Raptor Lake-H

  • The iGPU of CPUs in italic is UHD, not Iris Xe.
  • i7-13620H and above feature Turbo Boost 3.0, which is at the same speed as Turbo Boost 2.0.

    Raptor Lake-PX

These CPUs use BGA1792.

Raptor Lake-P

Raptor Lake-U

The iGPU of CPUs in italic is UHD, not Iris Xe.

List of 14th-generation Raptor Lake processors

Desktop processors

Raptor Lake-S Refresh

An iterative refresh of Raptor Lake-S desktop processors were launched as 14th-generation Core processors on October 17, 2023. Raptor Lake-S Refresh uses the same B0 and C0 silicon steppings as Raptor Lake with no physical changes. The most major change with Raptor Lake-S Refresh is that one fewer E-core cluster is disabled in silicon for Core i7 SKUs.
CPUs in bold below feature UDIMM ECC memory support only when paired with a motherboard based on the W680 chipset according to each respective Intel Ark product page.
  • Alder Lake and Raptor Lake mixed models:
  • * 14400, 14400F
  • Alder Lake models:
  • * 14500, 14500T, 14490F, 14400T, 14100, 14100F, 14100T, 300, 300T

    Embedded processors

Raptor Lake-E Refresh

Embedded Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs lack E-Cores and contain only P-Cores.

Mobile processors

Raptor Lake-HX Refresh

An iterative refresh of Raptor Lake-HX mobile processors, called the 14th generation of Intel Core, was launched on January 9, 2024.

Server processors

  • CPUs support 2-channel DDR5-4800 ECC memory
  • 48 PCI Express lanes total between CPU and chipset
  • * CPU: x16 PCIe 5.0, x4 PCIe 4.0
  • * C260 PCH: x20 PCIe 4.0, x8 PCIe 3.0
  • LGA1700 socket

    List of Core Series 1 processors

Mobile processors

These Raptor Lake-based processors are branded as "Core Series 1" vs. the Meteor Lake-based ones which are branded "Core Ultra Series 1."

Raptor Lake-U Refresh

List of Core Series 2 processors

Mobile processors

These Raptor Lake-based processors are branded as "Core Series 2", Unlike Arrow Lake's "Core Ultra Series 2".

Raptor Lake-U Re-refresh

Raptor Lake-H Re-refresh

Instability and degradation issue

In February 2024, reports had begun surfacing of users of K-versions of the 13th- and 14th-generation Core i7 and i9 desktop CPUs commonly experiencing crashing issues in certain workload scenarios, such as video games that use DirectX 12, and HandBrake. The issue was initially attributed to Nvidia GeForce graphics drivers; however, in a driver update published on April 13, 2024, Nvidia acknowledged the instability problem as being associated with the Intel 13th- and 14th-generation CPUs, and that owners of them should contact Intel customer support for further assistance. Some users and game developers worked around the problem by applying lower power limits, undervolting or underclocking the CPU.

Analysis

Intel refers to the issue as a "Vmin shift instability"; in other words, the minimum voltage required to operate the chip is increased due to silicon degradation. By April 18, 2024, Intel had a root-cause investigation underway.

First round of patching

By April 2024 it was believed by some hardware reviewers to be silicon degradation from power limits being set too high by the motherboard's default settings. Shortly thereafter, motherboard manufacturers began rolling out BIOS updates which provide an "Intel Baseline Profile" preset in the overclocking menu, which intends to enforce the power limits of the official Intel specification. Hardware reviewer Hardwareluxx had found that there is an average performance loss of 9% across a number of applications with the Baseline profile, compared to the motherboard's default profile, when tested using the i9-14900K.
The BIOS update is also not expected to "fix" any already-compromised CPUs.
In addition, TechSpot found that the Intel Baseline Profile is inconsistent between the motherboard manufacturers, with Gigabyte setting a PL2 of 188 W, while Asus sets a PL2 of 253 W which is the official Intel specification. TechSpot further criticized Intel, stating that they had claimed in the past several years that the motherboard manufacturers not adhering to Intel's official specification for power limits were considered normal and "within spec".
Despite the attempted Intel Baseline Profile fix through BIOS updates, instances of crashes still continue to be reported as of July 2024, now largely affecting game-server providers equipped with server-grade LGA1700 motherboards. One datacenter service provider reported that it was switching some of its customers to AMD-powered game servers because of the severity of the problems and the lack of prompt fixes. Gaming laptops have also been found to be affected, although to a lesser degree.