ASRock routinely breaks rules with Intel – like with the SkyOC firmware hack that allows non-K CPU overclocking. In the latest breach, ASRock mentioned Intel's new Core i7-6950X Broadwell-E processor and listed some of its core specs. The CPU will be part of the line replacing Haswell-E (which was the first consumer architecture to host DDR4 memory) and the X99 platform.
Motherboard manufacturer ASRock says that the Intel Core i7-6950X will host 10 physical cores with hyperthreading (total of 20 threads). ASRock indicates that its existing X99 motherboards will be able to leverage a firmware patch to unlock support for Broadwell-E, meaning that HW-E owners may not have to upgrade motherboards if firmware hacks are available. ASRock's will be posted here.
As for other chips, the Core i7-6900K will be one of the highest-end, non-X-class (Extreme) parts with eight cores and sixteen threads. We previously posted a specifications leak of the Intel i7-6950X, 6900K, 6850K, and 6800K; the specs table is reproduced below.
| Cores/Threads | Frequency / Turbo | Total Cache | Memory Speed | TDP | |
| i7-6950X | 10/20 | 3.0GHz / 3.5GHz | 25MB | 2400MHz | 140W |
| i7-6900K | 8/16 | 3.2GHz / 3.7GHz | 20MB | 2400MHz | 140W |
| i7-6850K | 6/12 | 3.6GHz / 3.8GHz | 15MB | 2400MHz | 140W |
| i7-6800K | 6/12 | 3.4GHz / 3.6GHz | 15MB | 2400MHz | 140W |
Note that these specifications are not official from Intel and could still prove inaccurate. As of now, the 6950X specs have thus far proven correct, as validated by ASRock.
- Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke.