While AMD has moved into a slower, one-generation-every-two-years schedule, Intel is still releasing yearly chips. And we’re getting close to the end of the year, which means it’s time for Intel to announce new CPUs. There have been lots of rumors about the company’s upcoming Intel 14th gen CPUs, and now, the company has confirmed that these chips are coming to a computer near you sooner than later — complete with a bunch of changes.
Intel is set to launch its 14th gen processors, to be launched as “Core Ultra” and codenamed Meteor Lake, on December 14th. Among the many things the company said about its upcoming processors, Intel claims it will be its most power-efficient lineup yet, while also offering up to twice the graphics performance.
Meteor Lake is unique because it employs a heterogeneous computing “chiplet”-like approach where different components are separate pieces of silicon printed at different sizes and then integrated. Meteor Lake processors are composed of tiles including CPU and GPU components, each manufactured on different processes. This design allows for greater flexibility and power efficiency. Modular chip designs have been used by AMD, so Intel is actually late to the party, but better late than never.
One of Meteor Lake’s standout features is its “low power island,” a separate part of the processor that can run independently and is optimized for tasks that require minimal power. This design innovation aims to reduce power consumption drastically. One of the bigger issues with Intel chips has been power consumption, to the point these CPUs are extremely easy to overheat. With it being one of the main pain points of Intel chips, it’s only logical for it to be one of the company’s biggest priorities this generation.
Intel has also introduced a 3D performance hybrid architecture that intelligently manages power usage by selectively activating high-power cores only when necessary, optimizing efficiency. And it also happens to include an AI coprocessor that Windows can monitor in the Task Manager.
Meteor Lake’s GPU, called “Xe LPG,” promises up to twice the performance per watt compared to previous models. It also supports Intel’s XeSS, an intelligent upscaler, which could enhance frame rates. The processor includes native support for AV1 video, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, and advanced connectivity options.
Intel is investing heavily in Meteor Lake and its future chip technologies, committing billions of dollars to expand production capacity. However, specific performance details and specs have not been disclosed yet — we’ll know those when Intel announces the new chips in December, so mark the date.
Source: The Verge