Intel's new 9th Gen desktop CPUs may have ditched integrated GPUs to take on AMD

Intel looking to tackle Ryzen 3 with cheaper, GPU-less chips?

With the launch of AMD's hotly-anticipated Ryzen 3rd Generation processors just around the corner – the new CPUs are expected to be officially unveiled this Wednesday, January 9 at AMD's CES 2019 conference – Intel has today used its CES event to finally announce it's adding six more 9th-gen Core processors, ranging from Core i3 to Core i9, set to release soon.

The new processors join the company's three existing 'flagship' 9th-generation desktop chips, which launched in October last year – the Core i5-9600K, i7-9700K, and i9-9900K – as well as the 9th-generation X-series for HEDT systems.

Intel didn't officially announce full details of the new processors, but we've been able to dig up information on all six of them via some URL experimentation in Intel's ARK product database:

• Intel Core i3-9350KF: 4-cores, 4-threads, no integrated graphics, clocked at 4.0GHz to 4.6GHz
• Intel Core i5-9400: 6-cores, 6-threads, Intel UHD Graphics 630, clocked at 2.9GHz to 4.1GHz
• Intel Core i5-9400F: 6-cores, 6-threads, no integrated graphics, clocked at 2.9GHz to 4.1GHz
• Intel Core i5-9600KF: 6-cores, 6-threads, no integrated graphics, clocked at 3.7GHz to 4.1GHz
• Intel Core i7-9700KF: 8-cores, 8-threads, no integrated graphics, clocked at 3.6GHz to 4.9GHz
• Intel Core i9-9900KF: 8-cores, 16-threads, no integrated graphics, clocked at 3.6GHz to 5.0GHz

What's perhaps most intriguing about them is that five of the six new chips appear to be part of a brand new F-series of processors, which have removed (or most likely disabled) the integrated graphics chip that almost every mainstream Intel processor now includes. That may be an attempt to reduce costs (as it will allow the chip-maker to sell CPUs with non-functional GPUs) but it will likely also mean these processors run cooler and use less power – and they could be better for overclocking as a result.

Somewhat surprisingly, Intel didn't expressly mention the new F-series at its press conference. If these new GPU-less processors do come at a reduced price, they may also be aimed at tackling AMD's Ryzen family of processors, which largely offer better bang for the buck than their Intel equivalents.

With many mid-range and higher-end PCs still coming equipped with a dedicated graphics card, Intel's integrated chips often go to waste, so offering a range of cheaper, GPU-less processors may help Intel win back some of the value-oriented market segment that it's recently been losing to AMD.

We've asked Intel for confirmation of these details and for a comment on the F-series and will update this story with further information as it comes to hand.


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