Intel has canceled its codenamed Meteor Lake-S processor for desktops and is about to tug within the introduction of Arrow Lake-S to the primary half of 2024, in line with a brand new rumor printed by BenchLife. Nonetheless, some market observers imagine the rumor is wrong, and Intel’s Meteor Lake-S is on monitor to hit desktops within the first half of 2024.
Curious Desktop Roadmap
Intel has been discussing the benefit of its disaggregated Meteor Lake processor for cell computer systems for a few years and is predicted to launch pocket book variations of those CPUs in 2023. However as an alternative of releasing Meteor Lake-S processors together with its 800-series chipsets in 2H 2023 or 1H 2024, the corporate intends to introduce codenamed Arrow Lake-S CPUs suitable with the identical platform controller hub (PCH) household (Intel Z890, W880, Q870, B860, and H810) within the first half of subsequent yr, BenchLife suggests.
Because the data comes from an unofficial supply, it must be taken with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, there is likely to be a rationale behind the rumor. Intel’s desktop and workstation roadmap leaked late final yr, indicating that the corporate plans to introduce Raptor Lake-S Refresh for consumer PCs in Q3 2023. The Meteor Lake-S platform was not set to be launched in 2023.
Intel’s Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake processors are the corporate’s first CPUs for consumer PCs that use disaggregated multi-tile designs. Intel’s Meteor Lake’s compute tile is about to be produced on Intel 4 node (beforehand often known as Intel 7nm, the corporate’s first know-how to make use of excessive ultraviolet lithography). In distinction, Arrow Lake’s compute tile is about to be made utilizing the corporate’s Intel 20A (2nm-class) fabrication course of. As well as, the CPUs are anticipated to function a graphics tile produced by TSMC on its N3E manufacturing know-how.
Meteor Lake-S and Arrow Lake-S processors are anticipated to make use of Intel’s LGA1800 socket (additionally known as LGA1851 generally) and 800-series chipsets. In concept, Intel may substitute the previous with the latter, however that might not be potential. Whereas Intel’s 20A node is about to be manufacturing prepared within the first half of 2024, this doesn’t imply that Intel shall be ready to help a high-volume 20A-based product launch within the first half of subsequent yr.
That is maybe why {hardware} spotter @SquashBionic doesn’t imagine Intel can pull in Arrow Lake to 1H 2024. As a substitute, the blogger implies that Meteor Lake-S continues to be on monitor for 1H 2024.
To this point, Intel has not disclosed something about configurations of Meteor Lake’s and Arrow Lake’s compute tiles. Nonetheless, BenchLife asserts that Arrow Lake-S processor’s compute tile will comprise eight high-performance cores and 16 energy-efficiency cores, which aligns with the variety of general-purpose cores Raptor Lake has. In the meantime, 6P+16E Meteor Lake won’t ever be launched for desktop, BenchLife asserts. In the meantime, Intel has by no means provided 6P+nE configurations for socketed desktops in anyway. As for reminiscence help, each Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake processors are anticipated to help DDR5-6400 reminiscence, enhancing their efficiency significantly.
Dashing 20A-Primarily based Product?
Producing 24-core silicon on Intel 4 and Intel 20A node must be extra useful from a prices perspective than making a extremely built-in monolithic 24-core Raptor Lake-S CPU on Intel 7 course of know-how (previously known as 10nm Enhanced SuperFin), assuming that yields are related. Subsequently, Intel must be very inclined to introduce each Meteor Lake processors sooner quite than later.
Nonetheless, dashing 20A-based Arrow Lake CPUs to the market might not be the perfect thought. Intel’s 20A is a quite revolutionary node as it’s set to introduce the corporate’s RibbonFET gate-all-around transistors with PowerVia bottom energy supply. Often, the corporate begins to roll out new nodes with desktop components, however it isn’t used to tug in CPUs made on a brand-new node to market by not less than half a yr.
Whereas it will be good to see Intel’s Arrow Lake-S available on the market forward of schedule, there are means too many issues that don’t add up with the report. Subsequently, take into account the details about Arrow Lake-S in H1 2024 as a rumor that has a excessive chance of being false.