Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake-S CPUs are going to introduce a slew of new technologies when they debut in the last quarter of this year. In addition to the first x86 processor based on a hybrid (heterogeneous) core architecture, they’ll also be the first consumer lineup to feature support for DDR5 memory and the PCIe 5 interface. However, as per info from a Chinese outlet, it’s likely that only the higher-end Core i7 and i9 SKUs will come with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support.
The 600-series chipsets will reportedly support PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory only on the high-end boards (Z690) while the budget-grade B660 and H610 will be limited to DDR4 and PCIe 4.0. The 13th Gen Raptor Lake processors which are supposed to be a refresh of Alder Lake with more chipset-level features are expected to extend PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support to the budget chipsets such as the B760 and H710.
Intel is expected to launch the Alder Lake-S processors for the desktop and DIY market in October this year, along with the new LGA1700 socket and 700-series chipsets. These are going to be the first non-14nm processors from the company in this segment.
