The official specifications and prices of Intel's upcoming HEDT Haswell-E platform which includes the flagship Core i7-5960X Extreme Edition processors have been unveiled by Videocardz. The source has leaked the press deck for the Haswell-E platform which shows several new details along with a preview of the upcoming X99 motherboards which include the ASUS X99 Deluxe.
Intel Haswell-E Core i7-5960X, Core i7-5930K, Core i7-5820K Specifications Unveiled
The Intel Haswell-E processor lineup would include three SKUs, the Core i7-5960X, Core i7-5930K and Core i7-5820K. All processors are built on the 22nm Haswell architecture which means that they will improve the IPC performance while keeping the same power limits as previous generation processors due to enhanced power efficiency of the Haswell microarchitecture. Before moving into the feature set of the platform itself, we will detail the SKUs that will be launching in 29th August 2014:
Intel Core i7-5960X Processor
The Intel Core i7-5960X Extreme Edition would be the flagship processor of the lineup boasting 8 Cores and 16 threads. The Haswell-E Core i7-5960X will house 2.6 Billion transistors inside its 22nm die and measures at 335.2 mm which is considered a huge die. The die block diagram also shows that the Core i7-5960X is not a 12 core die as previously expected which turns out to be a Xeon core. We can see 8 Cores with a large amount of shared L3 cache in the middle with a DDR4 memory controller at the bottom and Queue, Uncore and I/O at the top side. This would be Intel’s first 8 Core consumer processor and would be clocked at 3.0 GHz base and 3.5 GHz boost frequency. The processor would feature 20 MB of L3 cache, 140W TDP and support for DDR4-2133 MHz memory. Being the flagship processor of the Haswell-E lineup, the Core i7-5960X would end up with a price of $999 US.
In terms of raw performance, the Core i7-5960X is around 20% faster in terms of 4K Video Editing, 32% faster in 3D rendering and 14% faster in games and AI processing compared to the last generation Core i7-4960X CPU that is the flagship Ivy Bridge-E offering. The models will be available with Intel's TS13X liquid cooler which has been in the market since the first generation of Sandy Bridge-E processors and is priced in between $85-$100 and compatible with LGA 2011-3, LGA 2011, LGA 1366 and LGA 115* platforms.
Intel Core i7-5930K Processor
The Core i7-5930K would be the second best processor of the flock featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. Featuring a clock speed of 3.5 GHz base and around 3.7 GHz boost, the Core i7-5930K would integrate 15 MB L3 Cache and a TDP of 140W. The processor would be able to support DDR4-2133 MHz memory. From specifications, the Core i7-5930K looks a lot like the current generation Core i7-4960X processor however we are looking at better IPC due to the improved Haswell microarchitecture. The price for the Core i7-5930K would be $583 US at launch.
Intel Core i7-5820K Processor
The Core i7-5820K would be the entry level processor of the lineup featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. The CPU comes with a 15 MB L3 Cache, 3.3 GHz base clock, 3.6-3.8 GHz boost clock, 140W TDP and support for DDR4-2133 MHz memory. Being similar to the Core i7-5930K in terms of technical specifications aside from the clock speeds, the Core i7-5820K might just become an attractive processor for the X99 chipset platform since it will be priced at $389 US. There is one limitation however that the processor features only 28 PCI-Express lanes which compared to 40 PCI-E lanes on the other two processors is skimmed down however, the processor would be able to cope with 2-Way and 3-Way SLI setups easily.
The Intel Haswell-E platform will offer up to 79% more performance compared to their 4 core processors on the Z97 platform and massive multi-threaded performance.
ASUS X99 Deluxe Preview:
The ASUS X99 Deluxe has been showed off in one of the slides and from the looks of it, ASUS is going with a black and white color scheme on their X99 Deluxe offering boasting their 5-Way Optimization design scheme. The X99 Deluxe looks like a pretty solid motherboard with its new thermal armor spanning the entire audio and IO section and several PCI-e and SATA ports configured around the PCH heatsink. The heatsink itself is fitted with a heatpipe solution which spans the entire assembly to dissipate heat effectively. We will have another post with full details up when ASUS plans to show the official picture of the motherboard.
Intel Haswell-E Processors lineup Specifications:
| Model | Intel Core i7-5960X | Intel Core i7-5930K | Intel Core i7-5820K | Intel Core i7-4960X |
| Platform | Haswell-E | Haswell-E | Haswell-E | Ivy Bridge-E |
| Process | 22nm | 22nm | 22nm | 22nm |
| Cores/Threads | 8/16 | 6/12 | 6/12 | 6/12 |
| Cache | 20 MB L3 | 15 MB L3 | 15 MB L3 | 15 MB L3 |
| Core Clock | 3.0/3.5 GHz | 3.5/3.7 GHz | 3.3/3.6 GHz | 3.6/4.0 GHz |
| Socket | LGA 2011-3 | LGA 2011-3 | LGA 2011-3 | LGA 2011 |
| TDP | 140W | 140W | 140W | 130W |
| Memory | DDR4-2133 MHz | DDR4-2133 MHz | DDR4-2133 MHz | DDR3-1600 MHz |
| Chipset | X99 | X99 | X99 | X79 |
| Price | $999 | $583 | $389 | $999 |
Meet The Wellsburg-X “X99″ Enthusiasts Chipset
Ofcourse, the platform would require a new platform control hub or PCH. Intel is preparing their latest Wellsburg-X chipset that would power the next generation HEDT platform featuring 14 USB ports (6 USB 3.0 and 8 USB 2.0), 10 SATA 6GBps ports, integrated clock support, 8×1 PCIe 2.0, Clarksville GbE PHY and the Realtek Audio Codec.The chip has a max TDP of 6.5W and measures 23x22mm which is larger than the X79 chipset.
First Desktop Platform To Feature DDR4 Memory Support
Coming to the memory controller, yes, Intel’s Haswell-E is officially the first HEDT platform to feature support for DDR4 memory. The DDR4 memory controller lies on the processor itself through which it is directly connected. The new DDR4 memory modules consume only 1.2 V of power compared to 1.65/1.5V standard with DDR3. The can feature upto 16 banks of memory and require a 288-Pin DIMM connectors which would be available on the new X99 chipset motherboards. The DDR4 memory controller offers Quad channel memory support. DDR4 would offer faster clock speeds and the Haswell-E platform supports frequencies o 2133 MHz, 2667 MHz O.C +.
LGA 2011-3 Socket Supports Haswell-E Processors
Intel is also preparing the latest LGA2011-3 socket which has similar dimensions but a different ILM key pattern which allows only for Haswell-E processor compatibility. Intel adds compatibility for both their Channel DRX-B Liquid cooler and T-HPHS air cooler with the LGA 2011-3 socket for Haswell-E processors.
Better Overclocking Support For Overclockers
Just like Haswell and Ivy Bridge-E before it, Haswell-E would retain the great overclocking features that would ship with the “K” series and “Extreme Edition” processors. Both the memory and processor can be overclocked beyond limits with unlocked turbo limits, unlocked core ratios in 80/100 increments, programmable iVR voltage, support for XMP mode, unlocked memory controller and voltage limits, native support for memory upto 2667 MHz, Unlocked PCH and PLL voltage controls and more. A single Haswell-E processor would feature 2 x16 and 3 x8 Gen 3 PCI-e support with 40 lanes and would be directly connected to the DDR4 memory controller and the Wellsburg X99 chipset. The feature set would remain the with technologies such as SSE4, AVX, VT, AESNI under its belt.
