Intel Debuts the Entire Range of Sixth-Generation Skylake Processors

Intel has finally confirmed its entire lineup of Skylake processors, produced using a 14nm process, at its IFA keynote address in Germany this morning. The sixth generation of Intel Core processors detailed today consists of 48 new processors, including 20 destined for use in desktop systems and servers and 26 designed for notebooks and tablets, one of which is an unlocked mobile processor meant for enthusiast notebooks.
While the new Skylake range has the usual performance increases typically seen with new chip generations, this time Intel has put more effort into making them run cooler and with less power consumption than in previous generations. This will lead to cooler systems overall, with notebooks expected to see significant battery life increases prompted through a change in processor. Support for Thunderbolt 3 for USB Type-C. Intel RealSense cameras, and improvements to WiDi are also touted.

 

Starting with the S-series chips for desktops, the collection can be broken down into the 35W, 65W, and 91W TDP varieties. Both the 35W and 65W collections include Core i3, i5, and i7 processors as well as Pentium versions, ranging between 2.8GHz and 3.9GHz, with all but one Pentium chip possessing Intel HD Graphics 530. The 91W level actually consists of the Core i7-6700K and i5-6600K processors it launched early last month.

The dual-core Core M range, also known as the Y-series, is made up of Pentium, M3, M5, and M7 processors, with all but the Pentium including 4MB L3 cache, a TDP of 4.5W, and Intel HD Graphics 515. On the low end, the dual-core M3-6Y30 has a base frequency of 0.9GHz, but with a maximum turbo seed of 2.0GHz, while the upper end consists of the dual-core M7-6Y75 with a base frequency of 1.2GHz and a maximum speed of 2.9GHz.

There are 14 processors in the recently-leaked U-series range. Ten dual-core processors are listed under the 15W TDP banner, including Pentium, Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, with a mix of Intel Iris Graphics 540 and Intel HD Graphics 520 spread roughly evenly along with 4MB or 3MB of L3 Cache, though the Pentium has Intel HD Graphics HD and 2MB L3 Cache. Neither the single Pentium nor the Core i3 have Turbo Boost, with each having a base clock of 2.1GHz and 2.3GHz respectively, but the Core i5 and Core i7 have top speeds ranging from 2.8GHz to 3.4GHz.

Under the higher 28W TDP U-series, there are Core i3 to Core i7 processors, but no Pentium chips, with all using Intel Iris Graphics 550. The i3-6167U is a dual-core processor with a base clock of 2.7Ghz and an L3 Cache of 3MB, and is accompanied by the Core i5-6267U and 6287U with boosted clock speeds of 3.3Ghz and 3.5GHz respectively and a 4MB L3 Cache. The highest of the four, the i7-6567U, also has a 4MB L3 Cache, and a maximum boosted speed of 3.6GHz.

The high-performance H-series mobile processors all use Intel HD Graphics 530 and a TDP of 45W. The Core i3-6100H is a dual-core 2.7GHz chip with an L3 cache of 3MB, while the pair of Core i5 chips have 3.2GHz and 3.5GHz boosted speeds and a 6MB L3 Cache. While the four Core i7 chips boast an L3 cache of 8MB for three and 6MB for the other, and clock speeds up to 3.8GHz, the i7-6820HK is an unlocked version that can be overclocked from its 3.5GHz boosted speed.

Lastly, two H-series processors are Xeon models, effectively adding ECC memory support to the mobile processor range. Offering a TDP of 45W, the E3-1535M is a quad-core chip with a turbo speed of 3.8GHz and an 8MB L3 Cache, while the E3-1505M is similar bit with a slightly lower 3.7Ghz speed.