https://www.pcgamer.com/amd-7000-series-v-cache-cpus-to-figh…
The first skirmish between AMD and Intel for gaming supremacy will be interesting enough, but the best SKUs are going to be held back until after the first wave of launches. We already know that AMD plans to release 3D V-cache equipped versions of some of its models. These will certainly provide improved gaming performance over non-3D Zen 4 models. Can Intel fight back? There’s a new rumor suggesting that Intel’s best chips might be able to reach up to 6GHz thanks to a mature process and architectural improvements.
The usual itchy Twitter finger leakers, including @Greymon55(opens in new tab) suggests that Raphael-X (7000 series V-cache chips) will come ‘very quickly’ after the initial launch. Remember, the 5800X3D(opens in new tab) launched almost 18 months after the 5800X, so perhaps an early 2023 launch is possible. I would guess a launch in 2022 is unlikely as that would leave only three months after a September launch. There’s a reason that AMD might break the emergency glass sooner though. Intel’s 13th Gen CPUs could be very competitive.
That leads me to what Intel may bring to the fight. @OneRaichu(opens in new tab) indicates that Intel’s Raptor Lake CPUs can clock very well. There’s the possibility that Intel will be able to release a SKU that can clock up to 6GHz. That would be incredible. The Intel 7 process is now mature and given we saw the 12900KS clock at up to 5.5GHz(opens in new tab), some tweaks from Intel could conceivably stretch that to 6GHz for a hypothetical i9 13900KS.
This begs the question. Clocks or cache? Cache or clocks? We have a peek at what to expect if we compare the Ryzen 7 5800X3D to the Core i9 12900K or KS. The 5800X3D is generally regarded as the faster gaming CPU, even though its clocked lower than the regular 5800X. That alone is undeniable evidence that many (but not all) games benefit from huge amounts of L3 cache.