Intel Skylake Core i3 and Pentium Processors Nearing Launch – Low Cost Options For Budget Builders, New Box Art Revealed

While Intel Skylake launched to enthusiasts back in August, budget users have been waiting to get hands on the new Core i3 and Pentium series budget chips which offer more value in terms of performance and pricing. Intel has a large lineup which they are going to launch in a couple of days with online retailers listing the processors on daily basis.

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Intel Skylake Core i3 and Pentium Processors Launching In Few Days – Aimed at Budget Builders

The Skylake-S lineup is made up of 20 total SKUs, most of which have already been launched in the market along with the two Skylake-K chips. Rest of the chips feature four 65W (locked) processors and four 35W low TDP chips. These processors will be compatible with the LGA 1151 socket powered Z170, H170 and B150 chipset based motherboards which are also available, starting today. Featuring full support for DDR4 memory and next generation storage devices, the Skylake-S platform will deliver improved CPU performance and energy efficiency as compared to the Haswell generation of processors. The chips featured in the Skylake-S lineup are listed down below:

• Intel Core i7-6700K
• Intel Core i5-6600K
• Intel Core i7-6700
• Intel Core i5-6600
• Intel Core i5-6500
• Intel Core i5-6400
• Intel Core i3-6320
• Intel Core i3-6300
• Intel Core i3-6100
• Intel Core i7-6700T
• Intel Core i5-6600T
• Intel Core i5-6500T
• Intel Core i5-6400T
• Intel Core i3-6300T
• Intel Core i3-6100T
• Pentium G4520
• Pentium G4500
• Pentium G4400
• Pentium G4500T
• Pentium G4400T

Intel 65W “Mainstream” Skylake-S Processors (Core i7 / Core i5/ Core i3/ Pentium)

The mainstream lineup consists of 10 chips which include the Core i7-6700 that features same specifications as the Core i7-6700K but doesn’t come in an unlocked package. Similarly, the Core i5-6600 also has the same specifications as seen on the unlocked model but without the K-Series design that allows over-clocking support. Clocks for the Core i7-6700 are maintained at 3.4 GHz base and 4.0 GHz boost while the Core i5-6600 is clocked at 3.3 GHz base and 3.9 GHz boost. The Core i5-6500 is a quad core clocked at 3.2 GHz base and 3.6 GHz boost while the Core i5-6400 is a quad core clocked at 2.7 GHz base and 3.3 GHz boost. All of these chips feature a 65W TDP and the Core i5 models pack 6 MB of L3 cache while the Core i7 model gets 8 MB L3 cache. There are also three dual core (Multi-threaded) Core i3 and three Dual Core (Single-Threaded) Pentium processors in the lineup which are listed in the table below.

Intel 35W “Low TDP” Skylake-S Processors (Core i7 / Core i5/Pentium)

Over at the more power efficient side, Intel will launch 4 T-Series chips which stand for low-power. All chips feature just 35W TDP and include Core i7-6700T as a multi-threaded quad core with 2.8 GHz base and 3.6 GHz boost clock. It packs 8 MB of L3 cache. The Core i5 models range from the Core i5-6600T, Core i5-6500T and Core i5-6400T featuring 6 MB of L3 cache, quad core (non-multithreaded designs) and boost speeds ranging from 2.8 to 3.6 GHz. Furthermore, the Core i3-6300T, Core i3-6100T, Pentium G4500T and Pentium G4400T also belong to the low-TDP category, featuring TDPs of just 35W and prices under $150 US for Core i3 series and under $100 US for the Pentium series processors.

As one can tell from the pictures posted above, Intel is making use of the new box art that they introduced with their Skylake processors. The new box art is simple and elegant and a good departure from the previous theme that featured weird AI robots on the front of the box. The Pentium and Core i3 will be excellent choices for the users who are planning to upgrade to the new Skylake platform offering consumers to get updated to Intel’s latest 100-series platform. Intel’s AIB partners have already launched several H170 and B150 series boards to mark the launch of the mainstream platform. Some motherboards even support DDR3 memory although DDR4 and DDR3L are the recommended memory standards for Skylake processors as usage of high voltage DDR3 ram (1.65V) and higher clocked DDR3 rams can damage the Skylake CPUs since the integrated memory controller is not made to run with DRAM of higher voltages.

Intel Skylake-S Processor Lineup:

Intel Skylake-S Desktop Processors Lineup
Model	Process	Cores	Core Clock	Boost Clock	Cache	Memory Support	TDP	Socket	Price
Core i7-6700K	14nm	4/8	4.0 GHz	4.2 GHz	8 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	91W	LGA 1151	$350
Core i5-6600K	14nm	4/4	3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz	6 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	91W	LGA 1151	$242
Core i7-6700	14nm	4/8	3.4 GHz	4.0 GHz	8 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	65W	LGA 1151	$312
Core i5-6600	14nm	4/4	3.3 GHz	3.9 GHz	6 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	65W	LGA 1151	$224
Core i5-6500	14nm	4/4	3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz	6 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	65W	LGA 1151	$202
Core i5-6400	14nm	4/4	2.7 GHz	3.3 GHz	6 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	65W	LGA 1151	$187
Core i3-6320	14nm	2/4	3,9 GHz	N/A	4 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	47W	LGA 1151	$157
Core i3-6300	14nm	2/4	3.8 GHz	N/A	4 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	47W	LGA 1151	$147
Core i3-6100	14nm	2/4	3.7 GHz	N/A	4 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	47W	LGA 1151	$117
Core i7-6700T	14nm	4/8	2.8 GHz	3.6 GHz	8 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$303
Core i5-6600T	14nm	4/4	2.7 GHz	3.5 GHz	6 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$213
Core i5-6500T	14nm	4/4	2.5 GHz	3.1 GHz	6 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$192
Core i5-6400T	14nm	4/4	2.2 GHz	2.8 GHz	6 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$182
Core i3-6300T	14nm	2/4	3.3 GHz	N/A	4 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$138
Core i3-6100T	14nm	2/4	3.2 GHz	N/A	4 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$117
Pentium G4520	14nm	2/2	3.6 GHz	N/A	3 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	47W	LGA 1151	$93
Pentium G4500	14nm	2/2	3.5 GHz	N/A	3 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	47W	LGA 1151	$84
Pentium G4400	14nm	2/2	3.4 GHz	N/A	3 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	47W	LGA 1151	$64
Pentium G4500T	14nm	2/2	3.0 GHz	N/A	3 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$84
Pentium G4400T	14nm	2/2	2.9 GHz	N/A	3 MB	DDR4 2133 MHz	35W	LGA 1151	$60

Apple Ring: Could This Be Cupertino’s Next Big Thing In Wearable Tech?

USPTO published a patent by the name of ‘Devices and methods for a ring computing device’ on Thursday. The patent clearly shows a ringlike projection that uses various input methods of interaction that we will talk about later on. The patent belongs to Apple who is keen to penetrate the wearable market in the forthcoming years. By the look of it, it seems the Apple Ring will act as a controller for various devices and more.

The dubbed, Apple Ring will adhere to features like the company’s last launched gadget, the Apple Watch. Since the Apple Ring or iRing will be a computing accessory, it will feature a touch screen, a processor chip, miniscule chargeable battery and a wireless transceiver. Not big as the Apple Watch, the ring is described in the patent as the biggest substitute of the company’s present wearable tech.

Apple Ring To Feature Functions Similar To the Apple Watch

The ring will be designed to interact with the thumb while the primary finger to wear it on will be the index finger of both hands. Much like the Apple Watch, the operating results could be pretty much the same or better. According to the patent filings, the Apple Ring could come in at two sizes, rectangular and circular. The former will be bigger in size with a bigger touchscreen. Moreover, the device is also said to feature support for 3D Touch, that have been introduced in Apple’s latest addition to the iPhone lineup, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Furthermore, not to judge by the size of the device, there will also be Siri embedded in the software for voice based controls and more. The possible use of the Apple Ring could be to operate Apple devices like the Apple TV, HomeKit, Carplay and more.There are also several wireless features part of the patent filing, showcasing Cellular networks, NFC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Apart from the connectivity implants, the Ring will feature support for tracking heart rate and biometric sensors.

However, one of the features that every user would want would be the Apple Pay via NFC. While NFC is available, users can also pay via Siri commands. All of these features seem quite appealing, the accessory or device is not even close to make its way to the rumor mill. Since Apple files a lot of patents, there are no release times detailed.

As for now, let us know in the comments below how do you guys feel about a computing Apple Ring? Would you guys consider?

Intel Cannonlake CPU With Up To 8 Cores And Coherent Fabric Spotted

A very intriguing entry on LinkedIn of an Intel engineer who’s working on a Cannonlake CPU with up to 8 cores has surfaced a few days ago. The engineer specifically spoke of working on high performance interconnects and a CFF “Converged Coherent Fabric” for Intel’s upcoming 10nm processor. Something that’s very similar to what we’ve heard AMD is introducing with it’s next generation 14nm/16nm Zen core next year.

Cannonlake – Intel’s first 10nm CPU line – represents a Tick in Intel’s Tick Tock cadence. However Intel recently announced that because Moore’s Law isn’t progressing as quickly as it had for the past several decades, the company will start following a slightly different cadence. By which the company introduces two successive products on the same manufacturing process instead of just one, so a Tick Tock Tock in a sense.

Cannonlake To Debut In 2017

Earlier this year, Intel announced that Cannonlake has been delayed from its original debut in 2016 to a 2017 launch. And instead Intel will be launching a refreshed line-up of Skylake chips code named Kaby Lake.

Brian M. Krzanich – Chief Executive Officer & Director – Q2 2015 Intel Earnings Call

As node transitions lengthened, we adapted our approach to the Tick-Tock method, which gave us a second product on each node. This strategy created better products for our customers and a competitive advantage for Intel. It also disproved the death of Moore’s Law predictions many times over. The last two technology transitions have signaled that our cadence today is closer to 2.5 years than two.

To address this cadence, in the second half of 2016 we plan to introduce a third 14-nanometer product, code named Kaby Lake, built on the foundations of the Skylake micro-architecture but with key performance enhancements. Then in the second half of 2017, we expect to launch our first 10-nanometer product, code named Cannonlake. We expect that this addition to the roadmap will deliver new features and improved performance and pave the way for a smooth transition to 10-nanometers.

Is This 8 Core Cannonlake CPU Going To Be A Mainstream Product Or A High-End Desktop/Server Product ?

This development is very interesting from several perspectives, but let’s first go back to the 8 core Cannonlake part mentioned earlier.
There are a few tells which suggest that this could be a server/workstation/high-end desktop part rather than a mainstream Intel CPU. The first is the mention of high speed fabrics and a coherent fabric, something which is going to be utterly vital in driving server and supercomputer performance going forward. Primarily by pushing the performance cost of inter-processor communication significantly down.

The second tell is the core count, Intel has introduced mainstream processors with up to four CPU cores and an increasingly larger graphics engine for the past four years, starting with Sandy Bridge in 2011. And since then, Intel has dedicated as much area gained from porting the chips to smaller, more advanced process nodes as possible to making larger and larger integrated graphics engines. This has allowed Intel to successfully compete with both low-end discrete GPUs from Nvidia and AMD as well as AMD’s own APU solutions, which are famous for having very capable integrated graphics engines.

This brings us to the more interesting discussion about timing. Historically, what Intel has done is introduce a new CPU architecture to notebooks and mainstream desktops first and follow roughly a year later with high performance server and enthusiast – High End Desktop – products. We’ve seen this with Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell and now with Skylake. So it would seem that if this cadence continues then we’re looking at a 2018 introduction of high performance server and HEDT Cannonlake CPUs.

However, it’s not as clear-cut as it may seem at first sight. Seeing as how the delay of Cannonlake was primarily driven by yield issues with Intel’s 10nm process and not due to any architectural set-back. This would infer that Cannonlake-E/Cannolake-EP – high-end desktop and server parts – should launch at their original intended dates, rather than be pushed back with the rest of the Cannonlake line-up.

Either way however, the revelation that Intel is likely going to continue to offer 8 cores as as the maximum on the desktop is fairly good news for AMD. As it means that its high core count Zen based FX processors – which are rumored to have up to 8 CPU cores – may have a good chance to compete in late 2016 and throughout 2017 and even perhaps continue to compete in 2018 once a successor – Zen+ – is introduced.

Uh Oh! No New Windows 10 Mobile or PC Builds Before Microsoft’s Event in NYC

Have you been frantically checking if a new Windows 10 Mobile or PC build is being released to the Windows Insider members? You can stop doing that because Microsoft is not going to drop any new builds until after its event in New York City next week.

No more Windows 10 builds before the event:

Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul in a response to a tweet said that it is “likely” we won’t be seeing any new builds until after the event on October 6, in New York City. Microsoft is expected to unveil the Lumia 950 and 950 XL along with the highly anticipated Surface Pro 4 at the event. Tuesday, next week will be a big day for Microsoft as it takes the stage to showcase a myriad of devices, all being powered by the brand new Windows 10. With the number of devices expected for the event, it is likely that the company is having its attention fixated at the success of the event rather than any new preview builds.

Windows 10 Mobile is currently nowhere near to being a polished end product, but we expect Microsoft to be much ahead in the development since we last received a preview. A new build post-event will showcase exactly how much the company has managed to fix the new mobile operating system, making it smooth and bug free. Windows 10 Mobile is expected to be finalized later in the month with new phones coming in the markets possibly in November.

Aul tweeted last week that Windows 10 build 10550 is in the internal ring and will be dropped to the WIP. That didn’t happen and insiders started expecting something to be released this week instead. Looks like, insiders will have to wait a little longer than expected to see the new improvements and enhancements made to the operating system, including the Edge browser features that Microsoft is implementing based on users’ feedback.

Dual-Screen 5.7-inch LG V10 Wows in Durability Tests

Korean manufacturer LG officially unveiled its very first smartphone in the new V series. Sporting a 2.1-inch secondary screen, the flagship LG V10 comes very close to the features of LG G4. However, with a focus on improved multimedia experience, the secondary display shows time, weather, date, and the battery icons. When you are using the main display, secondary screen will show you notifications without interrupting your usage of the first screen. This means, uninterrupted movie time without having to worry about calls or notifications stopping the streaming.

LG V10 surprises in durability test:

LG V10 is a 5.7-inch smartphone with a 1440 x 2560 resolution display. The secondary 2.1-inch screen has a 160 x 1040 resolution. The smartphone is being powered by a Snapdragon 808 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal memory with a microSD slot support for 2TB of data, 5 megapixel front shooter for 120 degree wide-angle selfies, 16 megapixel primary camera with optical image stabilization, and is fueled by a 3000 mAh removable battery. The smartphone comes pre-installed with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. It was earlier expected that the flagship might come with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. Don’t worry though, you can always download the latest Marshmallow wallpapers to get some early flavor of the new operating system.

Sharing some of the design elements and specifications with LG G4, LG V10 is made to be more durable with a strong stainless steel and DuraSkin, a plastic material for better grip and protection against drops and scratches. LG V4 is also “MIL-STD-810G Transit Drop Compliant” which means it’s resistant to mechanical shocks too. While the device can theoretically take 26 drops from a 122 cm height onto a plywood sheet placed over concrete, folks at AndroidAuthority have taken the device to test it for a few typical drops, a smartphone is prone to. They made the device go through 15 drops including some very unrealistic scenarios and are terming the device as “surprisingly durable.”

The last fall cracks the screen of the device even after which it keeps on working. Built for the Hulk? Here’s the LG V10 durability test for your viewing pleasure:

The LG V10 will be offered in Space Black, Luxe White, Modern Beige, Ocean Blue, and Opal Blue color choices. With pricing yet to be revealed, the device will start selling in Korea this month and will be launched in the US and Asian markets later in the year.