Posted by Nathan Kirsch | Thu, Mar 05, 2015 - 8:34 AM

We have been telling you that Intel would be putting Iris Pro graphics to socketed processors since 2013 when Broadwell processors were first spotted on the Intel road map. Last night at a presentation held by Intel in San Francisco we finally for a chance to see a system with an upcoming 5th Generation Intel Core i7 Broadwell Processor with Intel Iris Pro graphics running a Dell 5K display! This was nice to see as it is the first time that an LGA-socketed processor has been given Intel Iris Pro graphics!

“Intel recently introduced our 5th Generation Intel Core processors resulting in a wave of products built on Intel’s industry-leading 14nm process technology. In a new disclosure at GDC, Intel showed the first 5th Generation Core LGA-socketed CPU with Intel Iris Pro graphics. This 65 watt unlocked desktop processor, available mid-2015, will bring new levels of performance and power efficiency to Mini PCs and desktop All-In-Ones. Since 2006 the 3D performance of Intel Graphics has increased nearly 100 fold (Intel 3DMark06 measurements) and powerful form factors from Acer, Medion and Intel’s own NUCs are becoming available with 5th Generation Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Graphics.” – Intel PR

The demonstration system was running an EVGA Z97 Classified motherboard (P/N: 152-HR-E979-KR) and it sounds like all Intel Z97 based boards will be Broadwell ready, which shouldn’t shock anyone. The 5th Generation Intel Core i7 Broadwell Processor that Intel used for the demo was a 65W TDP part that was fully unlocked. The reference Intel CPU Cooler appeared to be sufficient for cooling this Broadwell processor as third party or water cooling was not used on the system. That said, Intel wasn’t showing off any games on the system just yet and was only sowing Ultra HD images off on the Dell 5K display. The Dell UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K Monitor – UP2715K has a screen resolution of 5120×2880 and it is great seeing that supported by an Intel integrated graphics solution.

One of the reasons that Intel picked the EVGA Z97 Classified motherboard to show off Iris Pro running a 5K display was because this particular board has dual DisplayPort video outputs that are needed to run the Dell UP2715K display. Intel says that we can expected a Broadwell socketed, unlocked, 65W desktop processor with Iris Pro Graphics will arrive in sometime in mid-2015. These processors will certainly spice things up for Intel when it comes to graphics performance and we see socketed CPUs with Iris Pro graphics being popular in Mini-ITX form factor builds!