Intel Expands 8th Gen Core: Core i9 on Mobile, Iris Plus, Desktop, Chipsets, and vPro
by Ian Cutress on April 3, 2018 3:01 AM ESTCoffee Lake with Iris Plus at 28W
Intel recently announced its ‘Intel Core with Radeon RX Vega’ processor line, featuring a H-series processor combined with an AMD graphics chip and a sizeable amount of high-speed HBM2 memory connected via Intel’s proprietary EMIB technology. These parts are designed to service the high-end for integrated graphics, going above and beyond any other integrated graphics solution in the past. That used to be a post held by Intel’s processors that used eDRAM, using the Iris, Iris Pro, and Iris Plus branding. Now the Iris line sits in the middle, acting as Intel’s graphics focused products in the mid-power range.
For the launch today, Intel is lifting the lid on four separate Iris Plus-based processors. These all use the Coffee Lake microarchitecture and are built on Intel’s 14++ process. All four of these processors are in Intel’s ‘GT3e’ graphics configuration, which uses Intel’s Gen 9.5 graphics with 48 execution units (EUs) and 128 MB of eDRAM. This is compared to the GT2 configurations seen on most other processors, that have 24 EUs and zero eDRAM.
| AnandTech | Cores | Base Freq |
Turbo Freq |
L3 | vPro | DRAM DDR4 |
iGPU EUs |
iGPU Freq |
|
| Core i7-8559U | $431 | 4 / 8 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 8 MB | No | 2400 | 48 EUs | 300 / 1200 |
| Core i5-8269U | $320 | 4 / 8 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 6 MB | No | 2400 | 48 EUs | 300 / 1100 |
| Core-i5-8259U | $320 | 4 / 8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 6 MB | No | 2400 | 48 EUs | 300 / 1050 |
| Core i3-8109U | $304 | 2 / 4 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4 MB | No | 2400 | 47 EUs | 300 / 1000 |
Intel has split these new CPUs up into a single Core i7-8559U, which is a quad-core processor with the most L3 cache, two Core i5 parts that are also quad-core but have reduced L3 cache, and a Core i3-8109U processor that is dual core, but with the same amount of L3 cache per core as the Core i7-8559U.
In Intel’s manufacturing parlance, this means that the Core i7 and Core i5 are all ‘4+3e’ units, meaning four cores and GT3 graphics with eDRAM. By contrast, the Core i3 is a ‘2+3e’ processor, with only two cores but the same GT3e graphics with eDRAM as the i7/i5. Based on the design of these processors, the Core i3 sits as the lower binned part: it is manufactured as a 4+3e design, but due to processor defects is only suitable to run two cores. As with most of the other mobile processors, the higher performance parts often get the highest frequency graphics as well. In this case, the Core i7-8559U sits at the top at 1200 MHz.
For the eDRAM, in previous generations Intel has moved from going all parts at 128 MB to having some move down to 64 MB, but now moves back up to all of them having 128 MB again. For the eDRAM implementation, Intel is still using their second generation eDRAM implementation whereby the eDRAM acts as a L4 buffer for supplying the L3 from DRAM through the System Agent – this is compared to the first generation where the eDRAM was a victim cache. This methodology allows the eDRAM to speed up more use cases than just graphics, and the 50 GBps bidirectional bandwidth is certainly a big leap over main DRAM bandwidth (that some OEMs run in single channel mode anyway). Iris Plus processors can also be equipped with discrete graphics, although this is up to the OEM.
The 28W Iris Plus processors will match the other mobile counterparts on chipset, and support the new features such as integrated Intel 802.11ac Wi-Fi and native USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) support. We do not know to what extent these are supported, and are waiting on more information. The Iris Pro parts will also support Optane-accelerated storage.
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satai - Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - link
When you buy Core, you just buy the number of cores you want. Ignore everything else (unless you have some niche needs such as ECC).close - Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - link
@satai, stop being a shill. You already use some arguments that don't make sense (like insisting that everybody who buys a laptop knows the TDP of the CPU and can make the difference for performance based on that - which is asinine but here you are claiming it).Intel has been muddying the waters when it comes to branding for at least a decade. Dozens of SKUs meant only to confuse even people with more than basic knowledge. Mixed model numbers and random feature allocation that even this article confirms. Unless you walk around with the slide deck or learned the ARK website by heart you'll never know what model does what and what the numbering represents.
The Ryzen naming scheme is pretty clear and understandable at least by comparison. And while it could create some confusion between mobile and desktop specs, that's minor. There's a very solid overlap in corecount between mobile and desktop (like 4/4 and 4/8 models in the in the 3 and 5 ranges).
And I'm pretty sure it was done simply because it's the only way to fight a company that sold you the same crappy advancements YoY for a boatload of money. If even AT kicks Intel to the curb you know that whoever is defending them is either paid to do it or needs some adult supervision.
satai - Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - link
"nsisting that everybody who buys a laptop knows the TDP of the CPU"I don't say or think such a thing.
"Dozens of SKUs meant only to confuse even people with more than basic knowledge"
google with site:ark.intel.com
If you are not able o do this...
"The Ryzen naming scheme is pretty clear and understandable at least by comparison. "
Partly because AMD competes only in some segments...
"There's a very solid overlap in corecount between mobile and desktop (like 4/4 and 4/8 models in the in the 3 and 5 ranges)."
So you need to have apriori knowledge that this is about 5 and 3 and not for 7 anyway...
ToTTenTranz - Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - link
This update seems to put Microsoft in an awkward position for their high-end Surface Pro.They've been using the 15W Iris Pro part for high-end for quite a while. All of a sudden Intel only has 28W parts with Iris Pro. A visit to the ark website tells us all these Iris Pro 655 models only have a cTDP down to 20W, which is may not be nearly enough for Surface Pro's cooling system.
One would think the Ryzen 2700U would be the perfect replacement candidate for Microsoft, but the lack of LPDDR support may prove "mortal" for tablets, as we're yet to see a single 12" tablet with detachable keyboard based off AMD's 15W offerings.
But most of all why the hell are all these new sub-35W APU offerings not coming with LPDDR4 support? Looks like such a waste..
Gunbuster - Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - link
You make it sound like MS is not already in an awkward position on Surface after hitting a brick wall trying to get into Enterprise business and having on average eight daily visitors to their brick and mortar stores.PeachNCream - Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - link
"Many people expect Apple to be Intel’s biggest customer with these parts, however the future of the product line is unclear, with Intel unwilling to discuss the roadmap on what is being called ‘Kaby Lake-G’."There's already been recent news about Apple possibly moving to a different CPU supplier in Macintosh systems in 2020, so less than 2 years from now. Maybe in the short term, Apple will be a customer for such chips, but the mid- to long-term future appears to be quite different. Here's a link to a source article about that:
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-t...
Ratman6161 - Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - link
Apple has been hovering around 8% - 10% market share in laptops and a bit lesser share for desktops for a very long time. 10% is certainly enough for Intel to take notice but not enough for them to be coming out with CPU's specifically for them.satai - Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - link
Apple sells/buys with above average prices. That makes them pretty valuabe customer.Intel did some tweaks of CPUs for them before (smaller packaging for C2D for Air and possibly others).
12Parsecs - Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - link
https://ark.intel.com/products/77912/Intel-Xeon-Pr...;-)
tipoo - Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - link
There we go, ULV quads and Iris Plus were probably what the 13" rMBP was waiting on.