Zen 4 X3D Limited to 8-Core and 6-Core, No Meteor Lake in 2023: Frosty Year Expected for CPU Market

A reliable source with CPU and platform leaks, ECSM_Official, made some new predictions about release timelines of upcoming desktop processors, and how 2023 could play out for Intel and AMD. 2022 is done, with no new desktop processor SKUs expected to launch from either brands. Intel is expected to flesh out its 13th Gen Core “Raptor Lake” desktop processor family in Q1 2023, with the addition of “locked” non-K SKUs spanning all four brand extensions (i3/i5/i7/i9). Besides these, Intel is expected to launch its new flagship, the Core i9-13900KS, with boost frequencies hitting the 6 GHz mark, in an attempt to ward off the threat from “Zen 4” with 3D Vertical Cache, a technology that springboarded “Zen 3” gaming performance to match that of “Alder Lake.”

Both the i9-13900KS and AMD Ryzen 7000X3D processors are expected to launch toward the middle of H1-2023 (March-April). AMD is only expected to launch 6-core/12-thread and 8-core/16-thread SKUs with the 3DV cache technology. These would be single-CCD packages. There’s no word on dual-CCD ones with 12-core or 16-core counts, so a Ryzen 9 7950X3D is not on the horizon. AMD is expected to debut its entry-level A620 motherboard chipset in Q2-2023. This chipset reportedly lacks CPU overclocking capability, is expected to lack PCIe Gen 5, and caps memory speed to DDR5-4800.

Intel is expected to refresh its 13th Gen Core processor lineup with new SKUs in Q3-2023. For now, all that’s known about these “Raptor Lake Refresh” processors is that they come with 100-200 MHz speed bumps over existing 13th Gen Core SKUs of the time. This would also mean that the LGA1700 platform and “Raptor Lake” will be Intel’s mainstay throughout 2023, and the 14th Gen “Meteor Lake” isn’t launching until 2024.

While “Meteor Lake” will dominate Intel’s mobile processor lineup, it will have a limited presence on the desktop side, due to its core-count of 6P+16E, despite IPC uplifts on both the P-cores and E-cores. These processors will, however, debut the next-generation Socket LGA1851 platform. 2024 will see Intel launch both the “Meteor Lake” and 15th Gen “Arrow Lake” processors. The “Arrow Lake” SoC will restore core-counts to the familiar 8P+16E, with IPC uplifts for at least the P-cores, over those on “Meteor Lake.” In summary, 2023 will be a lukewarm year for new processor/platform launches, mainly due to the downturn in the PC industry. Intel and AMD will want to make less-risky bets.