Gigabyte, the Taiwanese motherboard maker, has confirmed it is rolling out a BIOS update to support new Intel processors expected to launch in early 2027, in the clearest signal yet that a third refresh of the Raptor Lake architecture is on its way.
The update covers Gigabyte's B760 and H610 motherboard families, allowing owners to upgrade their processors without replacing their existing hardware.
Crucially, the BIOS update spans both DDR4 and DDR5 memory variants, meaning buyers can continue using older, cheaper RAM rather than being forced onto the newer standard.
That is a meaningful concession to cost-conscious builders at a time when memory prices have risen sharply, pushing up the overall cost of building or upgrading a PC.
Intel's Robert Hallock, vice president and general manager of the company's enthusiast channel business, had already signalled the direction of travel, saying in August that the LGA 1700 socket still had life in it and that DDR4 availability would continue.
Gigabyte has not released processor specifications or pricing, but leaked details attributed to tipster Jaykihn point to a range that could carry Intel's Core 200 branding across Core 3, Core 5, and Core 7 tiers.
The purported lineup includes a 20-core Core 7 with eight Performance cores and 12 Efficient cores at 65W, a 16-core Core 5 at 125W, a 10-core Core 5 at 65W with 24MB of L3 cache, and a four-core entry-level Core 3 also rated at 65W.
The announcement notably excludes Z690, Z790, and B660 boards, which share the same socket, suggesting Intel's support plans for those platforms do not extend to the new chips.
