Intel's October launch of its eighth-generation Core mainstream desktop parts was sparser than normal: just six models included in the original rollout. The four-core, four-thread Core i3-8100 and i3-8350K, the six-core, six-thread Core i5-8400 and i5-8600K, and the six-core, 12-thread Core i7-8700 and i7-8700K have remained the only eighth-generation Intel Core options for desktop builders over the last three months. The release of only a single, high-end chipset for the new range of processors was even more unusual.
We recently talked about benchmark database entries for Core i5-8500 chips, and the rumor mongers over at Videocardz say they have gotten their hands on information about eight more chips for Intel's LGA 1151 socket from "an Australian etailer." Pull the pink crystal out of your Himalayan salt lamp and get ready for Friday CPU rumor time.
Model | Cores/threads | Base clock | Boost clock | Price (AUD) | Price (USD*) |
Celeron G4900 | 2/2 | 3.1 GHz | N/A | $64 | $51 |
Celeron G4920 | 2/2 | 3.2 GHz | N/A | $80 | $64 |
Pentium G5400 | 2/4 | 3.7 GHz | N/A | $97 | $72 |
Pentium G5500 | 2/4 | 3.8 GHz | N/A | $127 | $102 |
Pentium G5600 | 2/4 | 3.9 GHz | N/A | $142 | $114 |
Core i3-8100 | 4/4 | 3.6 GHz | N/A | $182 | $145 |
Core i3-8300 | 4/4 | 3.7 GHz | N/A | $211 | $169 |
Core i3-8350K | 4/4 | 4.0 GHz | N/A | $254 | $203 |
Core i5-8400 | 6/6 | 2.8 GHz | 4.0 GHz | $270 | $216 |
Core i5-8500 | 6/6 | 3.0 GHz | N/A | $290 | $232 |
Core i5-8600 | 6/6 | 3.1 GHz | N/A | $329 | $263 |
Core i5-8600K | 6/6 | 3.6 GHz | 4.3 GHz | $395 | $316 |
Core i7-8700 | 6/12 | 3.2 GHz | 4.6 GHz | $466 | $373 |
Core i7-8700K | 6/12 | 3.7 GHz | 4.7 GHz | $560 | $448 |
Two is the magic number when it comes to the entry-level Celeron G4900 and G4920, a pair of two-core, two-thread chips with 2 MB of cache. Buyers looking for the little bit of oomph that Hyper-Threading provides in certain tasks can move up to the Pentium Gold G5400, G5500, or G5600. All three models are two-core, four-thread processors with double the cache of their SMT-less Celeron siblings. If the rumors are correct, these five chips will be the first Coffee Lake-S offerings to wear Celeron or Pentium badging. All Celeron and Pentium Gold Coffee Lake CPUs get Intel's UHD Graphics 620 IGP. The boost clocks for these chips remain unknown.
The existing Core i3-8100 and overclockable Core i3-8350K will reportedly be joined by the Core i3-8300. The ranks of the two-member Core i5 lineup will purportedly double in size with the addition of the locked Core i5-8500 and i5-8600 variants. The new Core i3 models will likely have 8 MB of cache and the new i5s will probably come with 9 MB. No new Core i7 chips appear to be on the horizon. All Coffee Lake processors with Core badging get the UHD Graphics 630 IGP.
The converted Australian pricing in the table above is provided to save gerbils some Googling, and don't necessarily reflect the price tags the chips will wear when they come to our red, white, and blue shores. Videocardz' unnamed American sources predict a price somewhere around $166 for the Core i3-8300 and $228 for the Core i5-8500. The discrepancies between converted Australian asking prices and actual US price tags seem to grow as one climbs the product stack; Intel suggests a price of $359 to $370 for the Core i7-8700K compared to the $448 figure above. Short supply and high demand for the range-topping chip have combined to keep real-world transaction prices somewhat higher.
More interestingly, the rumor mill says the new chips will land on Valentine's Day, February 14. We can't help but speculate that Intel's mainstream alternatives to its pricey, overclocker-friendly Z370 motherboard chipset could come along with or soon after the eight new CPU models. The addition of new processor speed grades and less-costly motherboard chipsets could make Intel's latest offerings more attractive alternatives to budget-conscious builders. Unfortunately, more affordable CPUs won't change the current stratospheric prices for graphics cards and system memory.