Intel to Boost Raptor Lake Supply on DDR4 Demand; 2027 'Raptor Lake Next' Rumored at 20 Cores

Intel has announced it will continue selling Raptor Lake processors and plans to keep them as a core component of its product portfolio for several years to come. The decision stems from growing demand for CPUs driven by artificial intelligence applications, which has left Intel's production capacity constrained, particularly on the Intel 7 process node. Raptor Lake supports both DDR5 and DDR4 memory, a feature that has drawn significantly more market attention amid the current DRAM supply shortage and sharp price increases. Months ago, Intel had already stated that Raptor Lake would remain an important part of its client strategy and that it would maintain adequate supply.

Due to the sharp rise in DRAM prices, with DDR5 memory costs multiplying several times over, demand for Raptor Lake has increased notably in the short term. Robert Hallock, vice president of technical marketing for Intel's client business, confirmed in an interview that consumers have shown strong interest in the LGA 1700 platform that supports DDR4 memory, and acknowledged that Intel had not foreseen this sudden shift in market demand when allocating capacity. He also said Intel would increase Raptor Lake supply in the future, though he did not disclose specific volumes or a timeline.

Intel will adjust its production plans according to market demand to ensure Raptor Lake availability. The company has not announced additional chip specifications or product revisions, but has emphasized continued support for existing platforms. Regarding subsequent products, Intel has provided no official confirmation, and all related arrangements are subject to formal announcements.

Separately, unconfirmed reports suggest a "Raptor Lake Next" refresh could arrive in 2027 with up to 20 cores, though Intel has not commented on these rumors.