Once again, Intel is at the juncture of their yearly adjustments to their consumer lineup. With the recent debut of the Core i9-14900KS, the full 14th Gen Core series is now unveiled, offering the LGA-1700 platform an expanded range of choices. Retailers who still have stocks of 12th and 13th Gen Core series CPUs may breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Intel plans to discontinue certain variants of these CPUs, especially the boxed editions.
Due to the abundance of aftermarket CPU coolers available, Intel users seldom rely on Intel’s stock coolers. This serves as a key factor behind Intel’s sale of CPUs in boxes, aside from marketing objectives. Additionally, K-series CPUs generally omit stock coolers due to their higher 125W default TDP. Consequently, many opt for versions sans the box, termed OEM or tray versions, which are often more affordable and readily accessible from leading retailers who utilize them for their prebuilt systems.
These CPUs are poised to step into the limelight ahead of the first-gen Raptor Lake CPUs, as Intel has officially announced the commencement of the discontinuation phase for boxed models, starting March 21. Orders for these CPUs will be accepted until May 24, with the last shipments scheduled for June 28. Nevertheless, boxed models are not expected to disappear from shelves immediately; they are projected to remain available for months, if not years, before being completely sold out. In fact, even now, 12th Gen Core boxed models can still be found easily at retailers.
At the moment, Intel is focusing on its complete range of the 14th Gen Core series, which is now available. However, these will eventually be phased out with the arrival of the Core Ultra 200 series, internally dubbed “Arrow Lake.” Nonetheless, this transition isn’t anticipated to occur until at least Q1 2025.
Source: Intel