Intel Bartlett Lake: A New Kind of Mid Range CPU Power
A new Intel Bartlett Lake desktop CPU has appeared in early benchmarks and it is already turning heads. This chip uses 10 performance cores only and no efficiency cores at all yet it reportedly delivers about 26 percent better multi core performance than the popular Core i5 14400 which actually has more total cores on paper.
For PC gamers and hardware enthusiasts this is a big deal. It suggests that Intel is testing a different balance between pure performance cores and the mixed performance and efficiency core design we have seen in recent generations. If these early numbers hold up Bartlett Lake could be a very interesting upgrade option for mid range gaming builds.
10 Performance Cores Versus Hybrid Designs
Current Intel mainstream CPUs like the Core i5 14400 use a hybrid layout. They combine a smaller number of big performance cores with a group of smaller efficiency cores. In theory this helps with background tasks power efficiency and heavily threaded workloads. However not all software uses E cores well and some gamers prefer simpler layouts with strong P cores only.
The early Bartlett Lake sample changes the formula. Instead of six performance cores and four efficiency cores it is built around ten full performance cores and no E cores. That means.
- All cores are high performance cores
- Simpler scheduling for Windows and games
- Potentially higher clock speeds per core
Despite having fewer total cores compared to the 10 core hybrid setup in the Core i5 14400 Bartlett Lake is reported to reach roughly 26 percent higher multi core performance. In other words ten strong P cores beat six P cores plus four weaker E cores in this particular comparison.
This highlights how important core quality and architecture are. It is not just about counting cores. If each core is faster and the chip can keep high clocks across all of them the real world performance can be far better than what the spec sheet suggests.
What This Means For Gamers And PC Builders
For gaming most titles still care more about fast individual cores than about huge core counts. Extra threads can help with game engines background software and streaming but there is usually a point of diminishing returns. Going from six to eight or ten strong P cores often has more impact than adding a pack of weaker E cores.
A CPU like this Bartlett Lake sample could deliver.
- Higher and more stable frame rates in CPU heavy games
- Better performance for streamers who game and encode on the same system
- Simpler tuning for overclocking and undervolting since there is only one core type
If Intel leans into this design it might position Bartlett Lake as a straightforward choice for mid range gaming PCs. Builders who were unsure about hybrid layouts or had issues with E core related scheduling may find an all P core chip more attractive especially if it lands at a similar price point to current Core i5 models.
On the productivity side a strong ten core P core only chip is also appealing for workloads like content creation light 3D work and compilation tasks. While ultra high core count CPUs still rule in heavy professional use cases this kind of processor could offer a great mix of gaming and creator performance for more mainstream budgets.
Looking Ahead For Desktop CPU Competition
These early Bartlett Lake numbers also matter in the broader CPU war. AMD has focused on strong homogeneous cores with Ryzen and has avoided mixing different core types on desktop. If Intel now experiments with P core only chips again while keeping its newer architectures it could bring the fight closer in some price brackets.
Key things to watch as more details emerge will include.
- Final clock speeds and boost behavior across all ten P cores
- Power consumption and thermals under full load
- Actual gaming benchmarks versus existing Intel and AMD chips
- Pricing compared to current Core i5 and Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 processors
If Intel manages to keep power draw under control while delivering that 26 percent multi core uplift over the Core i5 14400 this Bartlett Lake CPU could become a very popular choice for new gaming rigs and upgrades from older platforms.
For now the important takeaway is simple. Ten well designed performance cores can beat a mix of performance and efficiency cores even when the hybrid chip technically has more cores. As Bartlett Lake gets closer to release expect more detailed benchmarks and clearer answers about where this new all P core design fits in the desktop gaming landscape.
Original article and image: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/benchmarks-of-performance-core-only-bartlett-lake-cpu-emerge-10-core-offers-26-percent-faster-multithreaded-performance-than-14-core-i5-14400-12-core-version-launch-could-be-imminent
