Leaked document reveals Intel 'Haswell' chips potentially bound for 2013 iMacs

All but one of the Core i5 and Core i7 chips are quad-core, with as many as 8 threads, as revealed in a document VR-Zone this week (via Neowin.net). In addition to faster speeds, the new chips will also include Intel's next-generation HD 4600 integrated graphics processor.

On the high-end, the Core i7-4770K processor will run at a base frequency of 3.5 gigahertz with 8 megabytes of total cache. With Intel Turbo Boost Technology, it will max out at 3.9 gigahertz.

The 2013 Haswell lineup includes a total of six "standard power" desktop processors, with two of them being more powerful Core i7 models. Also listed are eight "low power" processors that include three Core i7 variations.

The most powerful among the low power processors is the Core i7-4770S, which will have a base frequency of 3.1 gigahertz, but can run at up to 3.9 gigahertz with Turbo Boost. The slowest processor of the bunch is the Core i5-4430S, which will run at 2.7 gigahertz base frequency with 6 megabytes of total cache, 4 cores and 4 threads.

The listed Haswell desktop processors are most likely to make their way into Apple's all-in-one iMac lineup, which are the only Macs to use desktop processors. The Mac Pro, which is due to receive a significant update in 2013, uses Intel's Xeon server chips, while the Mac mini currently relies on low-power mobile processors.

No release date has been given for the new Haswell chips, but it's unlikely that they will appear in new Macs anytime soon, as the iMac lineup was just given a major refresh with a new design and Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors.