Intel Cascade Lake-X release date, news and rumors

In 2017, Intel reacted to the threat of Threadripper by pumping out high core count (HCC) Skylake-X processors in the consumer space. And, while processors like the Core i9-7980XE outperformed the highest-end Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, they were also much more expensive, leading more enthusiast consumers to go with AMD’s high-end desktop (HEDT) solution. 

We expected Intel to follow Skylake-X with Cascade Lake-X processors, but it turns out that microarchitecture is solely focused on server-grade equipment. And, thankfully, we don’t have to sit and wait for Cascade Lake-X to materialize, as we’ve already seen the small business-focused Intel Core Xeon-E Cascade Lake processors hit the market, with higher end varieties releasing later.

Just because Cascade Lake is focusing on server chips doesn’t mean that there isn’t excitement to be had. So, keep this page bookmarked, as we’ll update it with all the latest information.

Cut to the Chase

• What is it? Intel next line of high-end desktop CPUs
• When is it out? Late 2018 or early 2019
• How much will it cost? TBD 

Intel Cascade Lake-X release date

Even though we’ve finally got word from Intel about Cascade Lake server processors, the release schedule for Cascade Lake-X is kind of a mess. 

There are some Cascade Lake Xeon processors hitting the street today. Intel has released, the Xeon E-2100 line processors, aimed at small businesses, with up to 6 cores. Intel also hinted at up to 48-core server-grade Cascade Lake processors hitting the market in early 2019, according to a report from Ars Technica. We can’t wait to see what those higher-end chips can do.

That’s all we know for now, but something tells us that there will be much more to Cascade Lake over the next few months, so stay tuned for all your Cascade Lake release date information. 

Intel Cascade Lake-X price

This is where things might get uncomfortable, so brace yourself. Intel doesn’t exactly have a history of releasing HCC and HEDT processors for what we would call ‘reasonable’ prices. So, we expect the pricing of Cascade Lake-X to fall in line with, or exceed Skylake-X’s pricing. 

However, the early days of Cascade Lake looks reasonable, with the small business-targeted pricing being pretty reasonable. The prices of the Cascade Lake Xeon E-2100 line is as follows:

• Intel Xeon E-2186G: $450 (about £340, AU$620)
• Intel Xeon E-2176G: $362 (about £270, AU$500) 
• Intel Xeon E-2146G: $311 (about £230, AU$430) 
• Intel Xeon E-2144G: $272 (about £210, AU$376)
• Intel Xeon E-2136: $284 (about £220, AU$390) 
• Intel Xeon E-2134: $250 (about £190, AU$350)   
• Intel Xeon E-2126G: $255 (about £190, AU$350)
• Intel Xeon E-2124G: $213 (about £160, AU$290)
• Intel Xeon E-2124:  $193 (about £150, AU$270)

When it comes to the eventual Cascade Lake-X chips, and the Xeon W chip the prices are going to be much higher. So, we’ve taken the liberty of listing the pricing of Skylake-X processors below.

• Intel Core i7-7800X: $383 (£329, AU$519)
• Intel Core i7-7820X: $589 (£509, AU$799)
• Intel Core i9-7900X: $989 (£819, AU$1,309)
• Intel Core i9-7920X: $1,189 (£990, AU$1,589)
• Intel Core i9-7940X: $1,387 (£1,099, AU$1,899)
• Intel Core i9-7960X: $1,684 (£1,399, AU$2,279)
• Intel Core i9-7980XE: $1,979 (£1,649, AU$2,729)

Intel Cascade Lake-X specs

Assuming for a second that the 28-core CPU showed off at Computex is indicative of what we can expect from Cascade Lake-X, things are about to get bananas.

Skylake-X offered significantly higher core counts than the previous generation of HEDT processors because it was manufactured on a smaller die. Cascade Lake-X doesn't have the same advantage as it’s still based on 14nm++ manufacturing.

So while it will be able to offer slightly higher core counts, core clocks and power efficiency than Skylake-X, the leap in performance isn’t going to be as breathtaking.

Still, Intel could use this process refinement to deliver a better value proposition – maybe offering a 10-core CPU for under $1,000. This could attract plenty of enthusiasts over to this server and enterprise platform, rather than more affordable mainstream CPUs.

Intel has finally revealed the Intel Xeon W-3175X, which is a 28-core processor, meant for high-end server solutions. We don’t quite know what it’s going to be able to do, as it won’t be coming out until December 2018, but we do have specs for the Xeon E-2100 series of processors, which are targeted at small business-grade servers. Those specs are as follows:

• Intel Xeon E-2186G: 6-cores, 3.8GHz base, 4.7GHz boost
• Intel Xeon E-2176G: 6-cores, 3.7GHz base, 4.4GHz boost
• Intel Xeon E-2146G: 6-cores, 3.5GHz base, 4.5GHz boost
• Intel Xeon E-2144G: 4-cores, 3.6GHz base, 4.5GHz boost
• Intel Xeon E-2136: 6-cores, 3.3GHz base, 4.5GHz boost
• Intel Xeon E-2134: 4-cores, 3.5GHz base, 4.5GHz boost   
• Intel Xeon E-2126G: 6-cores, 3.3GHz base, 4.5GHz boost 
• Intel Xeon E-2124G:  4-cores, 3.4GHz base, 4.5GHz boost
• Intel Xeon E-2124: 4-cores, 3.3GHz base, 4.3GHz boost

That’s all we know for now, so now we just have to wait for Intel to reveal what’s in store – and we’ll be sure to update this page the second we know more.

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