Intel rumored to be working on major core update

Intel is working on a number of future generations and revisions to its x86 product line, and while details are often sketchy, we may have gotten an inadvertent look into the future thanks to an employee’s social media post.

It can be hard to keep all the codenames straight, but I’ll give it a try. Intel has three major processor codenames: Rapids, for its data center processors, such as Sapphire Rapids; Falls for its high-end gaming and enthusiast desktop parts; and Lake for its mainstream and consumer desktops. It also has a number of projects code-named Core, which focus on, obviously, a core architectural revision.

The current generation of core architecture is Lion Cove, which makes up the current generation of Performance core (P-core) used in both desktop and server products. After that comes the Royal Core architecture. Its presumed successor, Cobra Core, is where it gets interesting.

According to rumors, the Royal Core architecture will ditch hyperthreading to focus on improving single-core performance and efficiency. Instead, Intel will replace hyperthreading with something called rentable units, which splits multithreaded instructions into two partitions and decides whether the partitions are to be handed off to P-cores or E-cores.

As for Cobra Core, an Intel employee reportedly posted on LinkedIn that he was working on Royal/Cobra Core during his time at Intel. The post, spotted by the Korean enthusiast site Gamma0burst, stated that the intention of the Royal/Cobra Core projects was “to create and execute a new architecture for Intel x86 processors with more power efficiency and high performance compared to the other competitors in the market.”

So, it sounds like Intel could be planning a significant revamp of its core x86 architecture, not unlike what AMD did several years ago with the Zen architecture. However, Gamma0burst does not provide a direct link to the LinkedIn profile, and Intel certainly isn’t about to confirm this bit of rumor.

How much credibility should this be given? Enthusiast sites love to engage in speculation, but they are well connected and often right. And LinkedIn has been a source of many leaks by engineers doing exactly what this one did – posting about work on a future, unannounced project that they shouldn’t be talking about.

And if nothing else, it’s a good idea, notes Alvin Nguyen, an analyst with Forrester Research. “I have not heard anything on this rumor, but it does make sense. Improving their single core performance, efficiency, and adopting a Zen-like reboot of their x86 architecture will help Intel make their desktop processors more competitive with AMD where they [AMD] still hold advantages in power efficiency and gaming performance,” Nguyen said. 

Plus, it is a long way off. Current speculation puts Royal Core on track for a 2025 release and Cobra Core for a 2027 release.