There are major changes in the naming of Intel processors. The latest 14th generation chipset, formerly known as Raptor Lake Refresh, is now available for purchase. This means it will be the last time Intel will use its Core i-series branding.
Over the past decades, Intel has tweaked its brand, launching the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 brands in 2008 with the release of the Nehalem architecture. The company has been committed to this brand for 15 years, and has updated the range by adding the Core i9 branding to denote the most powerful chips in 2018.
As for the 14th generation processors, they will be the last to use this brand. Some of these processors include the Core i9-14900K, Core i7-14700K, and Core i5-14600K. Intel has also announced that it will launch more 14th generation desktop CPUs over the next year.
Intel also intends to launch Meteor Lake processors for laptops and 15th generation Arrow Lake processors for desktops, and will move to its new Core Ultra brand.
Despite these changes, Intel will continue to divide its processors into Core and Core Ultra categories. For example, a Core i7-14700K processor could be similar to a Core Ultra 7 14700K processor. But it is still not entirely clear how the improvements will affect the processors’ performance and their ability to overclock.
There may be some confusion regarding the new nomenclature, but the transition is expected to be painless. Even months after AMD changed its laptop processor naming system, there’s still some confusion regarding AMD’s mobile CPUs. Hopefully, Intel will avoid the same mistake.
In addition, Intel did not indicate an official name for the new generation. The official name of the Core i9-14900K is “Intel 14th Generation Core i9-14900K.” According to the new scheme, it will be called “Intel Core Ultra 9 14900K”. This may cause some confusion among buyers about the specifications of the new CPUs.
These are changes that affect the year 2024, so they will eventually be a problem.
