Intel’s 8th Gen “Coffee Lake” desktop processors could launch on October 5

Last month, Intel introduced the first 8th Generation U-series Core processors aimed at thin and light notebooks. Most folks, however, have been waiting for Intel to unveil the first desktop processors based on the 8th Generation Intel Core processor family. According to a new report, Intel is likely to launch the first desktop “Coffee Lake” processors on the 5th of October. Since the new processor family comes with an increased core count compared to the previous generation, Intel is expected to price the new processors at a premium.

As always, the initial lineup is expected to be very limited, although we are expecting to see at least four new processors with six cores and a few quad-core SKUs as well. In Europe, the entry-level Core i3-8350K will apparently be priced at 199 EUR (Rs.15,300 approx.). The more powerful Core i5-8600K is expected to be priced at 299 EUR (Rs.23,000 approx.), while the mighty Core i7-8700K will be priced at 419 EUR (Rs.32,200 approx.).

SKU Cores/Threads Core Clock Max. Turbo L3 Cache TDP Memory
Core i7-8700K 6/12 3.70 GHz 4.70 GHz 12MB 95W Dual-channel DDR4-2666
Core i7-8700 6/12 3.20 GHz 4.60 GHz 12MB 65W Dual-channel DDR4-2666
Core i5-8600K 6/6 3.60 GHz 4.30 GHz 9MB 95W Dual-channel DDR4-2666
Core i5-8400 6/6 2.80 GHz 4.00 GHz 9MB 65W Dual-channel DDR4-2666

Initially, consumers will be limited to motherboards based on the Z370 Express chipset, which does support overclocking. The mainstream H370, as well as the value-oriented H310 chipset-based motherboards, are expected to become available later this year. For the enthusiast segment, Intel is rumored to debut the Z390 chipset in the second half of 2018. All of the new chipsets use the LGA 1151v2 socket, making them compatible with the Coffee Lake processors. A few upcoming motherboards based on the Z370 chipset have started leaking online already, so we can expect these new boards to be made official alongside the desktop Coffee Lake processors early next month.