Intel is rumored to equip Arrow Lake-H with three cores
As the release of Meteor Lake approaches, an influx of information regarding Intel’s subsequent Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors has emerged. According to Intel’s disclosed CPU roadmap, Arrow Lake is set to debut in 2024, with Lunar Lake following in 2025.
Previously, Intel highlighted that the Meteor Lake’s System-on-Chip (SOC) module incorporated two low-power (LP) E-Cores, operating at subdued frequencies yet boasting superior power efficiency, adept for handling tasks with minimal processing demands, such as streaming media, negating the need to activate the computation modules equipped with both P-Core and E-Core. Recent revelations suggest that the forthcoming Arrow Lake-H and Lunar Lake-M will adopt a similar configuration:
- Arrow Lake-H – Lion Cove P-Core + Skymont E-Core + Crestmont LP E-Core (SOC)
- Lunar Lake-M – Lion Cove P-Core + Skymont E-Core + Skymont LP E-Core (SOC)
Evidently, within Arrow Lake-H, both the P-Core and E-Core have been upgraded to the new Lion Cove and Skymont architectures, respectively. However, its LP E-Core in the SOC will retain the Crestmont architecture from Meteor Lake, indicating a simultaneous integration of three kernel architectures. The computational modules of Arrow Lake-H will employ the Intel 20A manufacturing process, while other modules might see involvement from third-party foundries, potentially leveraging TSMC’s N3/N4/N5/N6 processes.
Conversely, in the subsequently released Lunar Lake-M, Intel plans to elevate the SOC’s LP E-Core to the new Skymont architecture. Its computational modules might utilize either the Intel 20A or Intel 18A processes, possibly adopting a more refined process than Arrow Lake-H for other modules.
Adding to the intrigue are the rumors concerning upgrades to the VPU/NPU on Lunar Lake, suggesting a significant leap compared to Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake. Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group (CCG), once noted that the new architecture adopted by Lunar Lake predominantly targets performance improvements per watt for mobile devices.
