Intel's Kaby Lake-series processors, which are scheduled to launch in the third quarter, but will not begin volume production until the end of 2016, while AMD is set to release its Zen architecture-based processors at the end of the fourth quarter. The two CPU products families are expected to enter fierce competition by the end of the year, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

Intel originally planned to have the 10nm Cannon Lake succeed its 14nm Skylake architecture in mid-2016, but has changed its plan to push the 14nm Kaby Lake as the successor, allowing its 10nm process more time to increase yield rates.

Intel's Kaby Lake-series will begin with the U-series which will start small volume production in mid-June, with mass production to start in November or December. The corresponding chipsets including the Z270 and H270-series will be announced in October at the earliest.

AMD plans to release AM4 socket-based eight-core high-end Summit Ridge and Raven Ridge-series processors both using its Zen architecture and manufactured on Samsung Electronics' and Globalfoundries' 14nm processes in the first quarter of 2017. Several motherboard players expect the new platform's improved performance and strong price competitiveness to give AMD some competitive advantages.