Intel has confirmed that its 11th Gen Rocket Lake desktop processors will be out sometime in the first quarter of 2021, with PCIe 4.0 support on board.

The timing of Intel’s announcement is likely not a coincidence. AMD is about to unveil its first CPUs based on its next-gen Zen 3 architecture for desktop computers tomorrow, in what will almost certainly provide the most competition for Intel’s dominance for high-powered PCs yet. Intel’s confirmation that it has its own new chips on the way next year feels like a reminder to PC builders that there are options available beyond whatever flashy hardware AMD announces.

While Intel’s news is vague when it comes to an actual release date, Videocardz reports that the chips are set to arrive in March 2021. The new Rocket Lake-S chips are also said to be compatible with existing Intel 400-series motherboards, which should be helpful for anyone looking to upgrade next year when the new chips do launch.

Wccftech also has some more information on what to expect from Intel’s next major revamp of its desktop processors, which are still expected to use the same 14nm process that Intel has been using for years. However, Wccftech claims that Intel will be backporting some of the architecture improvements it debuted with the Willow Cove architecture from its 11th Gen mobile processors, which should offer some more substantial upgrades despite the fact that Intel hasn’t managed to release its 10nm desktop products yet.

In addition to PCIe 4.0, the new Rocket Lake-S lineup is also expected to offer the company’s new Xe graphics, along with integrated Thunderbolt 4 (and USB4) support.