Intel says LGA-1700 is still a good socket
Intel has confirmed that Raptor Lake will remain part of its processor lineup for years. The company says demand for older LGA-1700 processors increased unexpectedly as high DDR5 prices pushed buyers back toward DDR4 systems.
Robert Hallock (Intel), told Tom’s Hardware that the company plans to continue offering Raptor Lake alongside newer platforms. He also expects the current supply and pricing situation to improve over time.
“Going forward, 10nm products like Raptor Lake; that is a core part of the portfolio that I want to offer to people for years to come. LGA 1700 is still a good socket. Lots of people [are] still interested in DDR4, so [we’ll] keep offering, and you’ll see [pricing] smooth out over time. It’ll come back to normal. That’s the plan.”
— Robert Hallock, Intel Vice President and General Manager of Enthusiast Channel Business
Core 200
This confirms what we have been reporting for several months. In June, we confirmed Intel’s plans for Core 200 “Raptor Lake Next,” another Raptor Lake refresh scheduled for LGA-1700. The series is currently planned for production in early 2027 and is expected to retain compatibility with existing DDR4 and DDR5 platforms.
Intel did not expect demand for these older chips to increase so quickly. According to Hallock, buyers looking for cheaper platforms still wanted the fastest processors available without moving to more expensive DDR5 systems.
“If people are going to go to more affordable hardware, they still want the fastest available for their money, and that happened to be Alder Lake and Raptor Lake. So there was a sudden inrush of demand into these parts – certainly not anticipated when you start your wafers, and your builds, long before that moment ever happens. So it’s very hard to predict,”
– Robert Hallock, Intel Vice President and General Manager of Enthusiast Channel Business
That demand has already affected retail pricing. Tom’s notes that the Core i5-14600K, which spent much of last year at $200 or below, has climbed to around $250. The Core i7-14700K has also moved back toward $380 after frequently selling below $350 last year. Intel says additional Raptor Lake inventory is coming, although Hallock did not confirm which processors will receive additional supply.
Source: Tom’s Hardware
