I doubt they have stuff on the shelf for a rainy day, but it's undeniable that competition encourages them to ramp up R&D, invest in new processes and factories

I doubt they have stuff on the shelf for a rainy day, but it's undeniable that competition encourages them to ramp up R&D, invest in new processes and factories sooner, lower prices, and push the envelope on what's releasable. Sticking to 12 or even 16 core products would be a lot safer for Intel's gross margins.