Desktop microprocessors: Intel could completely rethink its strategy

Written by Guillaume
Publication date: {{ dayjs(1679506200*1000).local().format("L").toString()}}
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Could the 14th generation of Intel processors be limited to mobile units to better position the 15th generation of desktop processors?

Until now, Intel's "battle plan" seemed quite clear, with a new range of processors every year and a release, each time, in two stages, with first the desktop processors and then the variants for laptops. Thus, at the end of 2021, we could discover the Alder Lake-S processors known as 12th generation, last fall, Intel had marketed the Raptor Lake-S (13th generation). Finally, the 14th (Meteor Lake-S) and 15th (Arrow Lake-S) generations were to follow respectively at the end of 2023 and the end of 2024. That was before.

Indeed, there was first a wave of rumors to evoke the cancellation of the Meteor Lake-S range in order to launch an upgrade of the Raptor Lake-S. However, this was in conflict with Intel's stated intention to introduce a new socket with the Meteor Lake generation, the LGA1851. Refuting this rumor, the Benchlife site - quoted by Tom's Hardware - has presented a new theory about this change in Intel's roadmap, a change that seems to be confirmed day after day. Indeed, Benchlife mentions the cancellation of the Meteor Lake-S range, but not in favor of a new Raptor Lake, no. It would be to focus on Arrow Lake-S, to bring the release of this new range a little closer and to inflate the number of cores a little more.

Thus, while there was talk until recently of Meteor Lake-S processors that can reach 6 powerful cores + 16 effective cores, Intel would focus on the production of Arrow Lake-S processors with a maximum of 8 powerful cores + 16 effective cores. This range of processors would then be accompanied by new chipsets, the Intel 800 series, and would be based on a new socket, the LGA1851. However, this theory raises several questions.

Indeed, Intel, which has the habit of maintaining a new socket on two generations of processors, would skip Meteor Lake-S which was supposed to introduce the LGA1851 socket. Could it be that it will only support one generation? Moreover, Intel, which was planning to offer a new range of processors every fall, would then be resigned to skip the second half of 2023 and focus on a release in the first half of 2024? This information published by Benchlife seems to raise more questions than answers.