Intel confirms that the 11th generation of Rocket Lake desktop processors is coming in early 2021

Intel has confirmed that 11th-generation Rocket Lake desktop processors will come out sometime in the first quarter of 2021, with PCIe 4.0 support on board.

The timing of Intel’s announcement was likely not a coincidence. AMD is about to unveil its first CPUs based on the next-generation Zen 3 architecture for desktop computers tomorrow, in what will surely provide the most competition for Intel’s dominance in high-power PCs to date. Intel’s confirmation that it has new chips of its own next year seems like a reminder to PC builders that there are options available that go beyond whatever flashy hardware AMD announces.

While Intel’s news is vague when it comes to the actual release date, Video Cards Reports The chipset is scheduled to arrive in March 2021. The new Rocket Lake-S chips are also said to be compatible with existing Intel 400 series motherboards, which should be useful to anyone looking to upgrade next year when the new chipset is launched.

Wccftech It also contains more information about what to expect from Intel’s next major revamp of desktop processors, which are still expected to use the same 14nm process Intel has been using for years. However, Wccftech Intel claims some of the structural improvements that debuted with the Willow Cove architecture of its 11th-generation mobile processors, which are supposed to offer some basic upgrades despite the fact that Intel hasn’t been able to launch 10nm desktop products yet.

In addition to PCIe 4.0, the new Rocket Lake-S lineup is also expected to offer the company’s new Xe graphics, along with built-in Thunderbolt 4 (and USB4) support.