It looks like Intel is going all out with their upcoming HEDT line of processors that are part of the Skylake X and Kaby Lake X family. The latest leak from Videocardz (via Anandtech Forums) alleges that the chips will feature a brand new naming scheme and also details their specifications.

Intel Skylake X Flagship Core i9-7920X Specifications Supposedly Leaked, Family To Feature Core i9-7900X, Core i9-7820X and Core i9-7800X

The latest specifications aren't confirmed by Intel as of yet but they are very juicy in terms of details. The first most interesting detail is that Intel is finally going to stop using the age-old Core i7 branding on their high-end processors and go straight for Core i9 branding. The new Skylake X processor family is targeted at very high end enthusiasts and multi-tasking geared desktop PCs that require top notch performance in various tasks.

While the Skylake X family will be entirely composed of Core i9 series processors, the Kaby Lake X family will feature the Core i7 branding as they still are processors (although entry level) for the HEDT X299 PCH. There are a total of four Skylake X processors which come with the new 14nm Skylake architecture while the two Kaby Lake X processors features the latest 14nm revision to Skylake, known as the Kaby Lake uArch.

The Skylake X family houses the flagship chip of the lineup, the Core i9-7920X which as the specifications suggest is a beast of a chip. So let's get on with the specifications of these HEDT Skylake X and entry-level HEDT Kaby Lake X processors.

Intel Core i9-7920X - Intel's Flagship Skylake X Processor Featuring 12 Cores, 24 Threads

Starting with the flagship, we have the Core i9-7920X processor. This chip is a juggernaut featuring a total of 12 cores and 24 threads. The total cache on this behemoth is 16.5 MB (L3). Although lower than whole cache featured on previous HEDT processors, the new cache runs more efficiently and reduces chip size and cost while delivering better performance. The chip will ship with a TDP of 160W and will feature a quad channel IMC allowing for up to eight DDR4 DIMMs (two per channel) clocked at 2666 MHz (native).

Intel's Skylake-X platform promises to introduce the first ever 12-core SKU for the Mainstream/HEDT segment.

The chip will also feature a total 44 PCIe Gen 3.0 lanes which are enough for running a range of multiple discrete GPUs and fast NVMe storage devices. The chip is expected to launch in August, a whole month after the initial lineup hits the market and will cost close to $1500 US as we have seen already with the 10 Core, 20 thread pricing of Broadwell-E Core i7-6950X flagship CPU.

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Intel Core i9-7900X - Intel's Massive Multi-Tasking Processor Featuring 10 Cores, 20 Threads

The Intel Core i9-7900X is the 10 Core, 20 thread replacement to the Core i7-6950X. This chip will come with 10 cores, 20 threads but on a new Skylake architecture. The chip would feature a total of 13.75 MB cache, that's 1.375 MB per core. The core clocks are maintained at 3.3 GHz base, 4.3 GHz boost with Intel Turbo 2.0 and 4.5 GHz boost with Intel Turbo 3.0. That's a vast improvement over the current models and the chip will supposedly feature good overclocking capabilities with its TDP of 160W. The chip will have 44 PCIe Gen 3.0 lanes.

Intel X299 motherboards will feature very high-end designs.

The chip will be aimed as a fast multi-threaded option for users who cannot afford the Core i9-7920X. It is expected to launch on June 26th for a price close $999 US or beyond. There's a chance that Intel may give Skylake X more competitive pricing based on the fact that Ryzen 7 is already out in the market and AMD is soon going to launch their HEDT X399 processors featuring 8, 12, 16 core processors.

Intel Core i9-7820X - Intel's More Cost Optimized 8 Core, 16 Thread Chip Replacing the Core i7-6900K

The Core i9-7820X will be Intel's cost optimized, under $1000 US variant. It will ship with 8 cores, 16 threads. The chip will be clocked at 3.6 GHz base, 4.3 GHz boost with Turbo 2.0 and 4.5 GHz base with Turbo 3.0. The chip carries 11 MB of L3 cache and will feature 28 PCI-e Gen 3.0 lanes.This processor is going to feature a TDP of 140W.

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The chip will be a replacement to the Core i7-6900K which has been a very popular chip on Intel's current X99 enthusiast platform. The chip will also launch in June and will directly tackle the Ryzen 7 1800X. Although, price wise, it could sell for higher versus 1800X's $499 US market price.

Intel Core i9-7800X - Intel's Most Affordable 6 Core, 12 Thread Option in The Skylake X Family

Lastly, we have the most affordable Skylake X option of the four. Do note that I say Skylake X and not the entire X299 family as there are also Kaby Lake X chips coming to the X299 platform. The Core i9-7800X is going to feature 6 cores, 12 threads and will carry a total of 8.25 MB of L3 cache. Clock speeds for this chip will be maintained at 3.5 GHz base and 4.0 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0.

There's no Turbo Boost 3.0 on this chip but Skylake X has one significant advantage on all chips. The L2 cache has been increased from 256 KB per core to 1 MB per core and that will lead to improvements in overall performance of the system. The chip will feature a TDP of 140W and will be available in June. This part will directly tackle the Ryzen 5 1600X with 6 cores and 12 threads but would likely come at a higher price tag since the AMD part costs $249 US and the Core i7-6800K which the Core i9-7800X was close to $400 US in pricing.

Intel Core X Series Processor Family Specifications: