Highly expected: Several European retailers have listed 11th-generation Intel processors, codenamed Rocket Lake. It is a slim range, with only two significantly different designs. It’s also a bit restless, with fewer key points than the previous generation and higher prices across the board.
Rocket Lake, however, has one thing: the symmetry. It consists of six hexakern models and 8 octakern models. Good job, Intel.
The hexa cores contain the i5-11400, 11400F, 11500, 11600, 11600K and 11600KF. The octa-core contains the i7-11700, 11700F, 11700K and 11700KF, and the i9-11900, 11900F, 11900K and 11900KF. All models have Hyper-threading.
While a discussion of prices is about to follow, this is a good time to point out that the 11700KF (the cheapest overclockable octa-core model) for the humble overclocker is the same as the 11900K. These prices are therefore excellent for some; it cannot be denied.
| Processor | Kere / drade | Base clock (GHz) | L3 case (MB) | Overclockable | Integrated graphics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i9-11900KF | 8/16 | 3.5 | 16 | ✓ | ✗ |
| i9-11900K | 8/16 | 3.5 | 16 | ✓ | ✓ |
| i9-11900F | 8/16 | 2.5 | 16 | ✗ | ✗ |
| i9-11900 | 8/16 | 2.5 | 16 | ✗ | ✓ |
| i7-11700KF | 8/16 | 3.6 | 16 | ✓ | ✗ |
| i7-11700K | 8/16 | 3.6 | 16 | ✓ | ✓ |
| i7-11700F | 8/16 | 2.5 | 16 | ✗ | ✗ |
| i7-11700 | 8/16 | 2.5 | 16 | ✗ | ✓ |
| i5-11600KF | 6/12 | 3.9 | 12 | ✓ | ✗ |
| i5-11600K | 6/12 | 3.9 | 12 | ✓ | ✓ |
| i5-11600 | 6/12 | 2.8 | 12 | ✗ | ✓ |
| i5-11500 | 6/12 | 2.7 | 12 | ✗ | ✓ |
| i5-11400F | 6/12 | 2.6 | 12 | ✗ | ✗ |
| i5-11400 | 6/12 | 2.6 | 12 | ✗ | ✓ |
As has happened before, Belgian retailer 2Compute has launched a cascade of price hikes by listing the full range of Rocket Lake listings. From there, the identification codes for all the processors can be traced, and other search list can be found. On average, we found four to five listings for each processor. You may find more if you search tomorrow.
Prices vary widely between retailers, which is partly due to their different pricing schemes, and also partly due to their different locations. In some cases, prices for the same model differed by up to 30 percent between retailers.
Nevertheless, the numbers can be added together and compared to the MSRP and live prices of current generation products. We have compiled reasonable price estimates for all the processors, roughly based on the median price, with outliers and other deviations (such as those that appear to include excessive taxes).
Overall, Rocket Lake processors are listed for 10 to 20% more than their current generation equivalents, with the margin rising with the price. In some cases, the margin between the offers and the current generation’s MSRPs is larger, but the margin only increases by 20% when the offers are compared to the live prices on Amazon.
| Processor | Code | 2Calculate (€) | Average (€) | Average (USD) | Current generation equivalent MSRP (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i9-11900KF | BX8070811900KF | 475,80 | 500 | 600 | 472 |
| i9-11900K | BX8070811900K | 499.70 | 510 | 615 | 488 |
| i9-11900F | BX8070811900F | 384.20 | 410 | 495 | 422 |
| i9-11900 | BX8070811900 | 408.10 | 440 | 530 | 439 |
| i7-11700KF | BX8070811700KF | 352.70 | 350 | 420 | 349 |
| i7-11700K | BX8070811700K | 376.60 | 410 | 495 | 374 |
| i7-11700F | BX8070811700F | 282.00 | 300 | 360 | 298 |
| i7-11700 | BX8070811700 | 305,90 | 320 | 385 | 323 |
| i5-11600KF | BX8070811600KF | 219.00 | 220 | 265 | 237 |
| i5-11600K | BX8070811600K | 242.90 | 260 | 315 | 262 |
| i5-11600 | BX8070811600 | 206.60 | 230 | 280 | 213 |
| i5-11500 | BX8070811500 | 187.50 | 200 | 240 | 192 |
| i5-11400F | BX8070811400F | 145.50 | 150 | 180 | 157 |
| i5-11400 | BX8070811400 | 169.40 | 180 | 225 | 182 |
Some dealer data suggests Rocket Lake will be cheaper than the current generation. For example, 2Compute lists some of the lowest prices for Rocket Lake and some of the highest prices for the current generation. If their numbers are used for comparison only, Rocket Lake seems to be 10% cheaper than the current generation.
As a commentator point out, this only applies to 2Compute. Overall, Rocket Lake looks a bit more expensive for the time being than previous generations. But does more expensive mean worse? Not at all.
Small jewels were hidden all over the series. An 11400F can come out at a similar price as the 3600X and perform better or better. An 11600KF can overpower the 5600X while at the same time performing better. A 11700KF can offer the 5800X tough competition at a similar price. And of course, the 11900K could once again become the fastest game processor, giving Intel some room for pricing.
Intel did not hesitate to discuss Rocket Lake, and motherboard manufacturers each unveiled several new Z590 models that will accompany the launch. The countdown will definitely start soon. One of the retailers offering Rocket Lake even writes that they will receive inventory before the end of the month.