Intel Core 2000HX: Raptor Lake Could Make a Comeback in Gaming Laptops in 2027

Intel is reportedly preparing a new line of laptop processors based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Old wine in a new bottle?

WhileAMD announced a few days ago that it plans to significantly increase the number of its chips available on the market in 2027, Intel, for its part, appears to be aiming to combine its latest technologies—Nova Lake is still scheduled for early next year—with components that are clearly older. Indeed, according to information from the VideoCardz website, the manufacturer is reportedly preparing a series of processors called Core 2000HX, which would be based on Raptor Lake. This isn’t entirely new news, as the return of Raptor Lake had already been mentioned, but further details have emerged, along with a new naming convention used by Intel.

Several rumors point to the return of the Raptor Lake architecture at Intel. © VideoCardz

These Core 2000HX processors are, in fact, the Core 200HX models already mentioned in several rumors. Initial reports suggest at least three distinct processors. At the top of the lineup would be a Core 9 2000HX featuring 24 cores, divided into eight high-performance cores (P-cores) and sixteen efficient cores (E-cores). Two Core 7 variants are also reportedly in the works: one with 20 cores (eight P-cores and twelve E-cores) and the other with 14 cores (six P-cores and eight E-cores). However, these specifications should be taken with a grain of salt. The final product names, clock speeds, thermal envelopes, and performance specifications for these processors have not yet been confirmed. It is therefore too early to precisely determine how they will stack up against competing chips or Intel processors already on the market.

The decision to reuse Raptor Lake appears to be driven by economic considerations. Rather than developing an entirely new platform, Intel could extend the lifespan of a familiar and proven architecture that, to top it all off, has the advantage of being compatible with both DDR5 and DDR4. Currently, RAM prices are completely out of control, but DDR5 is still a step above DDR4, and using the latter could allow laptop manufacturers to design powerful machines at a relatively low cost. Intel has likely also planned not to set the price of these new Core 2000HX chips too high. Of course, we’ll now have to wait for official details from Intel and the pricing for both the processors and the laptops designed to run them.