Gigabyte: Intel Will Sell New DDR4 CPUs in 2027

By Indie Kings | October 17, 2026

Updated October 17, 2026: Gigabyte has confirmed in two separate press announcements that Intel will launch new LGA1700 processors in early 2027, and that those CPUs will work on motherboards carrying DDR4 as well as DDR5 memory. Two Gigabyte statements issued days apart first covered the B760 and H610 chipsets, then expanded support to the entire Z790, B760 and H610 lineup.

Intel is selling CPUs in 2027 that run on DDR4, and this time it is not a leaker saying it. Gigabyte, one of the largest motherboard manufacturers in the world, put it in writing in its own press releases on October 9 and October 13, 2026, per coverage from Videocardz on October 9 and October 14 and a matching Club386 report on October 9. The backdrop is the memory price crisis: DDR5 has become expensive enough that Intel's own executive has cited demand for DDR4 compatible systems as a reason to keep the old socket alive.

What Gigabyte Confirmed, and When

On October 9, 2026, Gigabyte issued a press announcement titled as BIOS support for upcoming LGA1700 processors across its entire lineup of Intel B760 and H610 motherboards. The statement said the new processors are built on Socket LGA1700 and are expected to launch in early 2027, and that Gigabyte users "can be ready from day one." Videocardz reported the announcement the same day, and Club386 matched it on October 9 with its own piece titled around Gigabyte confirming upcoming new Intel LGA1700 CPUs.

The key DDR4 line sits inside that October 9 statement. Per Gigabyte's own wording as quoted by Club386: "Owners of existing B760 and H610 motherboards, DDR5 and DDR4 models alike, can step up to upcoming processors." That sentence is the whole story. A motherboard vendor, not a leaker, has committed its product stack to CPUs that will ship in 2027 and still run on a 2021 era memory standard.

Importantly, Gigabyte's announcement does not name any processor. Videocardz noted the absence outright: the release never mentions Raptor Lake Next or Core 2000 by name, and it also does not address other LGA1700 chipsets such as Z690, Z790 or B660. Club386 drew the same thread, pointing out that Gigabyte only listed support for H610 and B760 boards in the first announcement, leaving the high end Z790 out, at least initially.

Two Announcements, Five Days Apart

The second Gigabyte statement is dated October 13, 2026, and Videocardz reported it on October 14. This one extends BIOS support to Gigabyte's entire lineup of Intel Z790, B760 and H610 motherboards, adds the enthusiast class Z790 chipset to the list, and again covers models equipped with DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Gigabyte claims to be the first motherboard manufacturer to provide this level of compatibility across all three chipset families.

The October 13 statement also frames the update as an upgrade path. Per Videocardz's summary of the announcement, Gigabyte specifically mentions building new PCs and upgrading current systems without replacing the motherboard or the memory. For a DDR4 board owner, that is unusually direct language from a vendor: buy a new 2027 CPU, keep the board, keep the RAM.

Item	Announcement 1	Announcement 2
Gigabyte statement date	October 9, 2026	October 13, 2026
Chipsets covered	B760, H610 (entire lineup)	Z790, B760, H610 (entire lineups)
Memory standards	DDR5 and DDR4 models alike	DDR4 and DDR5 models
CPU launch window stated	Early 2027	Future LGA1700 processors
CPU named in release	No	No
Vendor claim	First maker with support across B760 and H610	First maker across all three chipsets
Reported by	Videocardz and Club386, October 9	Videocardz, October 14

Read together, the two announcements close a gap the first one opened. Videocardz noted on October 14 that the original release, limited to B760 and H610, raised questions about whether the CPUs would target only budget or industrial systems, since Z790 boards were left out. The October 13 expansion answers that: the 2027 LGA1700 CPUs are supported on enthusiast class boards too, so they are not a niche part only.

Why Intel Is Going Backwards on Memory

The context is memory pricing. Per Videocardz, rising DDR5 prices have made existing DDR4 platforms an alternative for buyers who want to avoid a complete system replacement. Per Club386, there is "good news for anyone with some DDR4 RAM who can't afford current prices for DDR5." Neither outlet imports outside data beyond that framing, and neither do we.

Intel has already said the quiet part. In August, Intel executive Robert Hallock confirmed, in comments reported by Videocardz and sourced by Club386 to a Tom's Hardware interview, that Intel intends to continue offering LGA1700 processors for years, citing a sudden inrush of demand for LGA1700 chips tied to DDR5 prices and interest in DDR4 compatible systems as one reason. Hallock told Club386 in a separate interview that "Raptor Lake will continue to be abundantly available."

The Club386 laptop piece from October 7 adds the business logic on the silicon side. Raptor Lake chips are cheaper to produce than Intel's multi tile Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake CPUs, and choosing Raptor Lake brings support for both DDR5 and DDR4 memory, which lets manufacturers exploit DDR4's lower prices to ship devices with more RAM for less money. The same cost logic applies on the desktop: a 2027 CPU that boots on a DDR4 board lets a buyer upgrade the processor without buying into expensive DDR5.

The Chips Behind It: Core 2000 and Raptor Lake Next

Gigabyte never names the CPUs, but both Videocardz pieces connect the timing to Intel's so called Raptor Lake Next, reportedly marketed as the Core 2000 series on desktop, with launch expected in early 2027. Videocardz previously confirmed through its own reporting that Intel planned another Raptor Lake refresh, with production scheduled for late January 2027.

The specifications remain unconfirmed leaks, so attribute accordingly. Per Videocardz, the desktop lineup is expected to include a 125W 16 core part with 8 Performance and 8 Efficient cores, alongside a 65W 20 core configuration with 8 Performance and 12 Efficient cores. Leaker Jaykihn indicated the 16 core model is intended to replace the Core i5-14600K, which has 14 cores. Per Club386's October 9 piece, at least four configurations are expected, including a Core 3 with four P-Cores and no E-Cores, a Core 5 with six P-Cores and four E-Cores, and a Core 7 with eight P-Cores and 12 E-Cores, with the Core 5 model carrying Core i7 class specs into the affordable Core 5 range. None of this is officially confirmed by Intel.

On branding, Videocardz reports the desktop family under the Core 2000 series name, with its topic tag and coverage calling it Intel Core 2000. The four digit scheme mirrors the mobile Core 2000HX branding reported by Club386 on October 7, and it avoids clashing with the newer Core Ultra 200 Arrow Lake chips, which carry an NPU that Raptor Lake designs lack and use newer graphics with features such as ray tracing support that Raptor Lake's older Iris Xe and UHD graphics do not have, per Club386.

Laptops: Core 2000HX Brings Raptor Lake Back to HX Class

The same architecture is reportedly headed for laptops. Per Club386's October 7 report, sourcing leaker Golden Pig on Weibo, Intel will reintroduce Raptor Lake on mobile under the Core 2000HX banner, not 200HX as previously rumoured, with DDR4 support making these ideal parts for affordable laptops. The piece notes Raptor Lake has already been refreshed once on desktop as the 14th gen lineup and has also been rebranded as Core 100 series and Core 200 series chips, so a third act is consistent with Intel's recent habits.

On configurations, Club386 cites earlier reporting from leaker @jaykihn0 on X stating that Raptor Lake Next on mobile will only feature HX performance class variants, with at least three models: an 8P+16E Core 9, an 8P+12E Core 7, and a 6P+8E Core 7. The chips reportedly lack vPro and SIPP support, meaning they will not be offered in enterprise class devices. No release schedule was given for the mobile parts, though Club386 reasons they may also arrive in early 2027 given their similarity to the desktop Raptor Lake Next parts.

The timing pattern is coherent across the four reports. Raptor Lake production restarts in late January 2027 per Videocardz's earlier confirmation, the desktop CPUs launch early 2027 per Gigabyte's October 9 statement, and the mobile Core 2000HX parts are expected to land around the same window per Club386. DDR4 compatibility runs through all of it, on leaked mobile specs and on vendor confirmed desktop boards alike.

What It Means If You Own a DDR4 Board

If you run a Gigabyte B760 or H610 DDR4 board, the concrete takeaway is a BIOS update, already available through Gigabyte's official support website per the October 9 coverage. Gigabyte says owners of supported motherboards only need the BIOS update before installing the new CPUs. If you run a Gigabyte Z790 DDR4 board, the October 13 announcement extends the same promise to you.

The practical math is the point of the whole exercise. DDR5 prices have surged, per the context lines in both Videocardz pieces and Club386. A new early 2027 CPU that drops into a DDR4 board means a buyer can refresh the processor while sidestepping a DDR5 purchase that currently feels painful. That is exactly the demand Hallock described in August, and it is why a top tier motherboard vendor is spending two press releases in five days on BIOSes for a six year old socket.

[NEEDS VERIFICATION] Exact CPU model names, clocks and pricing for the Core 2000 desktop series remain unconfirmed by Intel as of October 17, 2026.

FAQ

Is Intel really making new CPUs that support DDR4?
Yes, per Gigabyte's own press statements of October 9 and October 13, 2026, which confirm support for upcoming early 2027 LGA1700 processors on DDR4 and DDR5 motherboard models alike. Intel itself has not commented on the specific processors.

Which motherboards are confirmed to support the new CPUs?
Per Gigabyte, its entire B760 and H610 lineup as of October 9, expanded to its entire Z790, B760 and H610 lineups as of October 13. Both statements cover DDR4 and DDR5 variants.

What is Raptor Lake Next?
It is the working name, per Videocardz coverage, for another refresh of Intel's Raptor Lake architecture, reportedly sold on desktop under the Core 2000 series brand and expected in early 2027. It would be the third desktop Raptor Lake series after 13th gen and 14th gen.

When do the new CPUs launch?
Gigabyte's October 9 announcement states the new LGA1700 processors are expected to launch in early 2027. Production is scheduled for late January 2027 per Videocardz's earlier reporting.

What do existing owners need to do?
Per Gigabyte, only a BIOS update, which is already available through its official support website for the covered boards. No hardware changes to the motherboard or memory are required.

Are Core 2000HX laptops confirmed?
No. Per Club386's October 7 report citing leaker Golden Pig, Core 2000HX is the reported branding for Raptor Lake Next laptop chips with DDR4 support, with HX-only variants of at least three configurations per leaker @jaykihn0. These are leaks, not Intel confirmations.

Our take: This is the most honest thing Intel has done in years. Instead of pretending everyone can afford a DDR5 rebuild, the company is keeping a six year old socket on life support because the memory market made upgrading whole platforms unreasonable, and Gigabyte backing that with two written commitments in five days tells you vendors see the same demand. A 2027 CPU on 2021 memory is not romance, it is crisis management, and it is probably the cheapest upgrade path in town right now.

Bottom Line

Gigabyte confirmed in press statements dated October 9 and October 13, 2026 that new Intel LGA1700 processors are coming in early 2027 and will be supported across its entire Z790, B760 and H610 motherboard lineups, including DDR4 models. The CPUs are expected to be the Raptor Lake Next family, reportedly branded Core 2000 on desktop after production starts in late January 2027, and reportedly Core 2000HX on laptops per Club386's October 7 report of leaker Golden Pig's claims. Intel has not officially named or specified the chips, but its own executive cited DDR4 system demand driven by DDR5 prices as a reason to keep LGA1700 alive. For DDR4 board owners, the practical step is a BIOS update that is already live on Gigabyte's support site.

Sources

Image: Gigabyte Intel B760 motherboard. Credit: Club386.