Last month we finally got our first look at Intel's latest 14nm technology for desktop computers when we reviewed the Core i7-5775C, codenamed Broadwell. Intel's transition to the 14nm node was difficult and as a result Broadwell processors were delayed to the point where they practically don't exist in the retail market.
Even as I write this it's extremely difficult to purchase the Core i7-5775C, which is all the more surprising given what I am writing about: today marks the real arrival of Intel's 14nm desktop processors and they aren't codenamed Broadwell, but rather Skylake.
Whereas Broadwell was a 'tick' in Intel's "tick-tock" manufacturing and design model, offering a die shrink along a few minor tweaks, Skylake is a 'tock' which means the redesign should provide greater CPU and GPU performance with reduced power consumption, while remaining on the same 14nm manufacturing process as Broadwell.
Notably, the usual "tick-tock" cycle will be broken in 2016 with a third 14nm part known as Kaby Lake. Intel says its transition to 10nm chips will now come later than expected, pushed back to the second half of 2017 when a new architecture codenamed Cannonlake will arrive.
As we understand it, this is a hard launch and Skylake processors should be available immediately, at least the chips being announced anyway. However, rumor has it that supplies will only last for a few days, running dry before the end of launch week. Again, the lack of supply likely comes down to issues with the 14nm process and it isn't uncommon new CPUs and GPUs to be plagued by such problems.
A number of significant changes will be introduced with Skylake, chief among them being the introduction of the new LGA1151 socket, which isn't backward compatible with anything previously available, as I'm sure you've already guessed.
So unlike Broadwell, those with a 9-series motherboard won't simply be able to upgrade to Skylake, instead requiring a new motherboard that supports an Intel 100 Series chipset, also known as Sunrise Point.
The memory controller found on the Skylake processors has been upgraded to support DDR4 memory, much like Haswell-E, though support will be limited to dual-channel operation rather than quad.
Unlike Haswell-E, it appears Skylake processors support DDR3 memory as well, so it will be up to the motherboard manufacturers to decide which memory standard they are going to use and we'll likely see a multitude of DDR3 and DDR4 boards. It'll be interesting to see if there are any boards that support both DDR3 and DDR4 DIMMs, like what we saw back in the Core 2 days with boards offering both DDR2 and DDR3.
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