Retailer listings suggest Intel’s next-gen CPUs could arrive sooner than expected

Intel’s next-gen processors have been spotted listed by a retailer earlier than we anticipated, given the widely rumored launch date of (later in) October.

As Tom’s Hardware reports, Telemart, a Ukrainian retailer, listed a bunch of ‘K’ series Raptor Lake Refresh processors on its store (models which are unlocked and can be overclocked, and are expected to be the first products Intel wheels out).

The Core i9-14900K, Core i7-14700K and Core i5-14600K were the models listed – that and their KF variants, which don’t have integrated graphics. There’s no pricing info at this point, but we did see some listed specs which align with what the rumor mill has suggested in the past.

Namely that these 14th-gen CPUs will be 200MHz faster than their predecessors for boost speed (in most cases, anyway – with perhaps an exception or two dropping down to a mere 100MHz increase).

Furthermore, the 14700K is shown as the only chip which increases the core count, with Intel throwing in an extra four efficiency cores, again as rumored multiple times in the past. (Those efficiency cores are the low-power ones, so won’t make a major difference – but they will help as extra muscle for tougher multi-core tasks, and certainly, this CPU will be a strong candidate for our best processor list).

Analysis: Proceed very cautiously

Of course, these Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs are not available to pre-order, or even priced with placeholders – but their very appearance suggests that maybe Intel’s on-sale date could be a touch closer than we thought.

Currently, the expectation on the grapevine is for an October launch for 14th-gen processors, and likely a mid-to-late timeframe during that month. Seeing listings now, some two months ahead of that purported release schedule, might be a hint that next-gen models could turn up earlier in October.

Or it could just be a retailer accidentally-on-purpose jumping the gun to grab some limelight – as is always a possibility, especially when more minor retailers spill these kind of leaks (this isn’t Best Buy or Newegg, after all). So, we’d add a whole heap of caution – a double helping – here.

Time will tell, but it’s fair enough to say that this is at least a hint that Intel’s Raptor Lake Refresh processors might just turn up a bit sooner than expected – or certainly that they’re on track. At least the first batch of ‘K’ models anyway, as the other non-K processors (the ones that can’t be overclocked) aren’t expected until the start of next year.

These are on-sale dates, remember – the initial announcement of Raptor Lake Refresh will come earlier, in theory at Intel’s Innovation event (on September 28), just a month from now.

Processor upgrade: how to choose the right CPU Best gaming CPU: 5 top processors reviewed and rated Here are the best cheap processor deals right now