Intel Powers Up the Edge: AI Processors Unveiled
At the Embedded World conference held in Nuremberg, Germany, Intel and its subsidiary Altera unveiled new processors, FPGAs, and programmable solutions optimized for edge computing, extending artificial intelligence (AI) functionalities to the realm of edge computing. Among the most notable introductions is the Meteor Lake-PS series of Core Ultra processors.
Despite having engineering samples already in circulation, Intel decided to cancel Meteor Lake for the desktop platform after several reversals, opting instead to target the mobile market within the consumer sector. However, the revelation of a new industrial motherboard designed for edge computing exposed Intel’s alternative strategy of reviving Meteor Lake-S, which supports the LGA 1851 socket. The abandoned client computing group’s proposal has transformed into the Meteor Lake-PS, now featured within the product line for networking and edge groups.
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The Meteor Lake-PS series is categorized by TDP into 45W and 15W models, with the former bearing the suffix “HL” and including the Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 5, and the latter designated “UL” and offering the Core Ultra 3, totaling nine products in all.
Furthermore, the 45W models feature the Intel Arc GPU, while the 15W models are equipped with Intel Graphics, mirroring the differentiation seen in the Core Ultra processors used in laptops.
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Meteor Lake incorporates second-generation hybrid architecture technology, with the P-Core utilizing the Redwood Cove architecture in place of the Golden Cove, and the E-Core adopting the Crestmont architecture as a replacement for Gracemont. Additionally, a low-power LPE-Core has been introduced, along with an NPU to better distribute various AI tasks, marking a key selling point promoted by Intel.
Intel plans to launch the Arrow Lake-S or the Core Ultra 2 series processors, in the fourth quarter of 2024, which will also utilize the LGA 1851 socket. It remains uncertain whether the accompanying 800 series motherboards will support these Meteor Lake-PS series processors.
