Intel returns to the HEDT market. The company is preparing the premiere of the Sapphire Rapids-AP with Golden Cove cores

Intel intends to fight AMD not only in the consumer segment, but also in the professional, though not necessarily server-based, segment. According to the latest information, Intel is preparing the premiere of Sapphire Rapids-AP, i.e. HEDT (High End Desktop) processors with processors based on the Golden Cove architecture, the same that is part of the new Alder Lake processors.

Intel Sapphire Rapids-AP, or new HEDT processors that we are still waiting for

The Sapphire Rapids-AP processor family is expected to appear on the market later this year. At least this is the result of unofficial information provided to the world by Yuuki_AnS from Twitter, which confirmed Intel’s plans through a series of tests of these CPUs at bnechmarks. The note “AP” suggests that these will be MCM-design chips similar to the Sapphire Rapids-SP series, which include a combination of four silicon cores with 14 turned on cores each.

It seems that Intel has decided to sell HEDT processors under the name ‘AP’ instead of ‘X’, but at the moment we do not know the exact details or the company’s plans in this regard. This guess is only largely based on unofficial information. It is currently mentioned that this line will be targeted at the high-end desktop segment and will be launched at the end of 2022.

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This can be summed up briefly – “finally”. The HEDT processor segment has been neglected by Intel in recent years, as the 10th generation Core-X premiered in 2019. The company thus left a lot of room for AMD and Thredripper (WX) processors. This may change later this year, as both companies are to present their next-gen HEDT families with Golden Cove and Zen 3 cores. AMD may, however, abandon these plans in favor of Zen 4 architecture in 2023.