Intel’s Arrow Lake-U CPUs with low power consumption are expected to serve as a more affordable option compared to Lunar Lake chips. These CPUs aim to cater to thin and light designs by opting for a die shrink strategy instead of introducing groundbreaking architectural changes.
Intel’s upcoming “Arrow Lake” processors mark the company’s first significant architectural leap following the introduction of the 12th Generation “Alder Lake” hybrid processors.
In an effort to highlight what Intel refers to as “core truths,” the company has emphasized the distinctive characteristics of rival products, particularly critiquing unconventional naming conventions by competitors like AMD, who offer previous generation Ryzen CPUs under the latest generational naming scheme, which is a bit misleading and could result in drastic performance differences if unaware.
Intel’s approach appears to introduce some confusion as their 14th Generation is notably divided between a Raptor Lake Refresh and Meteor Lake CPUs for mobile devices.
This complexity becomes apparent, especially when considering the new “Core Ultra” processors. For instance, the Core Ultra 7 155H, based on Meteor Lake, exhibits performance regression in certain scenarios, while the Core 7 150U seems to be grounded in the previous generation “Raptor Lake”.
Intel’s upcoming significant enhancement for laptops is directed towards low-power platforms and will manifest in Lunar Lake, with initial designs expected to be available on shelves by the close of 2024.
In parallel, Intel is gearing up for the release of its Arrow Lake lineup, designed to cater to various platforms such as desktops, laptops, handhelds, and Mini PCs.
While Arrow Lake CPUs primarily focus on the high-end and mainstream CPU segment, they will also be extended to thin and light designs, presenting a more cost-effective alternative to Lunar Lake.
According to Bionic_Squash, Arrow Lake-U is positioned as a more cost-effective substitute for Lunar Lake. It will utilize the identical core architecture (Redwood Cove/Crestmont) as Meteor Lake, fine-tuned for the enhanced Intel 3 node with an anticipated 10% improvement in performance per watt in multi-threaded workloads.
Intel’s Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake CPUs, tailored for low-power platforms, are expected to employ distinct process technologies. Arrow Lake-U is projected to utilize Intel’s 3 process node, bringing about a 10% improvement in performance per watt compared to Meteor Lake-U.
Meanwhile, Lunar Lake-MX chips are expected to deliver substantial performance per watt and notable IPC gains, utilizing a sub-3nm node (20A or 18A), as reported by the company, or could just as very well be entirely tapped out leveraging silicon from rival semiconductor, TSMC.
Who of course doesn’t see Intel’s long absence in the semiconductor sector to be a threat.
Personally, I find it disconcerting that a company known for its “commitment” to consumer honesty and the mantra of “innovation inside” would opt to label a previous generation product as an “Arrow Lake” CPU.
Rest assured that Intel consumers heading into 2025 won’t be needing to consult the name wheel to decipher between Intel Core processors, simply because there’s no actual name indication that would suggest that your CPU is actually based upon Arrow Lake or Meteor Lake, Intel will once again be offering multiple different generations of Core processors under a singular generational roof albeit in low-power mobile segments only.
After the whole “Core Truth” bullshit a couple of months ago it would be wise for Intel to refrain from marketing these low-power U-series CPUs as an entirely “new” generation, especially when the information suggests that they might simply be a die shrink of Meteor Lake on the Intel 3 process fabrication.
But hey, whatever floats your boat Patrick. You stupid dick.
Rest assured that Meteor Lake processors in a 3nm drag will provide no actual meaningful performance improvements over the regressive nature of current generation Core Ultra CPUs but rather it will just trim away at the excess power fat that Intel Core processors retain versus vastly more efficient AMD Ryzen counterparts.
