First specifications for the Intel Broadwell-E CPU family have been leaked and it seems like the chip giant is once again bringing an update to the core count on their HEDT processors. The Broadwell-E lineup which is Intel's next generation HEDT (High-End desktop) family will be based around the X99 platform and will bring new SKUs to the consumer market that will be compatible with current generation of motherboards.

Intel Broadwell-E Specifications Leaked - Core i7-6950X Rocks 10 Cores and 20 Threads

For years now, Intel has been offering quad core and even dual core options on their mainstream lineup. The multi-threading design is available on their top-tier chips but it isn't equivalent of actual cores on the die itself. To feed the need of enthusiasts, Intel has split their lineups into two categories, the mainstream family and the enthusiast family. The mainstream family consists of parts that are focused on regular consumers with gaming, business and home uses. Now Intel has done a good job in providing some decent overclocking features with K series processors that are featured in the mainstream lineup and board partners offer some cool motherboard options to users on the platform but those who need the best performance from Intel look at the HEDT lineup which includes the high-end desktop parts ranging from top of the line chips, motherboards and I/O options.

For years, Intel has segmented their top-of-the-line processors in the HEDT family with Extreme and Unlocked series options. Starting off with the first HEDT option that was available with the Core i7-965 Extreme Edition and the Core i7-980X which launched later, Intel has released several generations of HEDT processors, each one besting the previous in a couple of ways. The Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell generations have all seen their own HEDT processors from the Core i7-3960X, Core i7-4960X and the latest Core i7-5960X. The Core i7-980X was Intel's first 6 core processor and the Core i7-5960X is Intel's first 8 core processor. They both retailed at a launch price of $999 US but looks like Intel is going to unleash another beast soon.

The latest news on the Broadwell-E family comes straight from XFastest who have confirmed that Intel's Core i7-6950X processor which is also the flagship processor of the Broadwell-E lineup will feature 10 cores and 20 threads. The processor will run at a base clock of 3.00 GHz followed by a turbo boost clock which is yet to be determined but I think Intel has made a point, that they are not stopping at 8 cores for their HEDT family but increasing the core count even further for consumers. The processor rocks 25 MB of L3 cache (2.5 MB per core) and will be compatible with current generation X99 motherboards that feature the LGA 2011-v3 socket. There's no reason to believe that board partners of Intel won't launch new motherboards to mark the arrival of the first 10 core processor from any company, whether Intel or AMD in the consumer market. Although Intel and AMD have both released higher core count processors in the server and workstation market, no 10 core high-performance CPU has yet launched in the desktop PC market.

Intel HEDT Flagship Processors (Gen vs Gen Specifications Comparison):

Intel HEDT Processor Families: