New Intel Core i5-14490F 'Black Edition' CPU Rumored to Offer Improved Performance

Introduction to the Intel Core i5-14490F

Industry leakers claim to have spotted a previously unheard-of Intel Core i5-14490F 'Black Edition' CPU that is being shared online. A supposed photo of an unannounced Core i5-14490F SKU has leaked online, and it seems Intel may be preparing to launch a new CPU under its unofficially designated 'Black Edition' series of Chinese market-exclusive processors.

Intel Core i5 13500 Processor

Named after their distinct black packaging, Intel's Black Edition CPUs are among the chipmaker's most elusive processors. These special 'xxx90F' iterations were sold in China and they were often more powerful than their globally available counterparts. Intel could be gearing up to release a new Black Edition processor soon as a photo of what appeared to be an unannounced chip in the series has made its way to the internet.

Rumored Specifications and Features

Hardware industry leaker known as wxnod on Twitter recently shared the photo of this supposed Intel Core i5-14490F on social media, claiming that the SKU will have 10 processing cores and 16 threads like the Core i5-14400. What is most notable about the rumored chip is its improved max turbo frequency of 5.0GHz compared to the i5-14400's 4.7GHz. Despite receiving a performance bump, the i5-14490F will retain its predecessor's 65-watt TDP. Intel's mid-range i5 CPUs are already popular picks among gamers, so a new model that offers better performance without drawing more power would probably become a hit as well.

Intel Core i5-14490F Rumored Specs: 10 Cores (6 Performance Cores + 4 Efficiency Cores), 16 Threads, 2.5GHz base clock, 5.0GHz max turbo frequency, 65W TDP. The leak did not include details regarding pricing and availability, but the Core i5-14490F will likely be released in China with a slight markup over similar chips like the Core i5-14400 at launch. Aside from very high-performance CPUs like the unlocked Core i5-14600K, most of Intel's latest i5 offerings hover between $200 and $250. Should Intel release the Core i5-14490F within that price range, it would have to compete against AMD's best budget gaming CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7600X and the Ryzen 7 5700X.

Implications and Industry Insights

It is unclear how wxnod obtained a photo of the Core i5-14490F, but these kinds of incidents are not that uncommon in the hardware industry. For instance, information regarding new motherboards featuring the Intel 800 and AMD 700 chipsets seemingly leaked on Chinese forums recently. In an even more severe case, the Intel Core i3-14100 prematurely went on sale in China last November ahead of its global early 2024 release. The early units of this entry-level Intel 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh desktop processor were found to be qualification samples, or processors that were not intended for the general market.