Intel wrapped up its annual innovation event in San Jose, where the chipmaker gave us a glimpse of what’s in store in the coming years. If you don’t have an hour and a half to sit down and watch CEO Pat Gelsinger’s keynote, here are some key things we learned.
Meteor Lake launches on December 14
The company officially introduced its “Meteor Lake” generation (officially known as the Intel Core Ultra) to the world during the Innovation keynote. These will follow the 13th generation “Raptor Lake” line; they will be the first chips built on the new Intel 4 process and the first with a dedicated AI coprocessor inside.
They’re also Intel’s first consumer CPUs to combine different chiplets for each component (which competitors like AMD and Qualcomm have been doing for a while). In this case there are four tiles: compute, graphics, SoC, and I/O.
The SoC tile itself is essentially a low-power processor. In addition to features such as wireless connectivity, native HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1 standards and an integrated memory controller, the Tile contains separate ‘low power island’ E-cores specifically intended for lighter workloads. The idea is that this design could relieve lighter processes of the energy-consuming calculation tile. In theory, this could allow the chips to save energy. That’s why Intel calls Meteor Lake the most efficient client processor it’s ever made.
In terms of gaming, Meteor Lake can integrate Intel’s Arc graphics directly onto the chip. Not each The Meteor Lake processor will get these – they come “select MTL processor-powered systems with dual-channel memory” according to the fine print.
Intel will challenge AMD’s 3D V-Cache…at some point
In a Q&A session, Pat Gelsinger was asked whether Intel would challenge the 3D V-Cache technology that powers desktop chips like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, technology that was also unveiled for laptops earlier this summer. Gelsinger confirmed in response that Intel has a similar idea on its roadmap, although it won’t be part of the Meteor Lake generation.
For those unfamiliar, 3D V-Cache allows AMD to stack additional cache (fast short-term memory) directly on the CPU. The results we saw from the ROG Strix Scar X3D (the monster RTX 4090 gaming laptop on which 3D V-Cache made its mobile debut) were great for AMD and worrisome for Intel. It’s an incredibly powerful device that blows Intel’s 4090 offering out of the water.
Intel needs a response to 3D V-Cache if it wants to stay at the top of the high-end gaming market. Sounds like it depends on the case.
Lunar Lake exists
At least some capacity. The Day 1 keynote included the world’s first display of a Lunar Lake system; we saw the PC generate a Taylor Swift-style song and a photo of a giraffe wearing a cowboy hat. You know, like computers do.
Intel also confirmed that Lunar Lake is on track for release in 2024. Like its predecessor, the sequel to Meteor Lake will use Intel’s Foveros design. It should also mark the commercial debut of Intel’s 1.8nm manufacturing process, known as Intel 18A. (In human terms: the transistors will be very, very, very small.)
“Panther Lake” is in full swing
Gelsinger confirmed that a CPU generation called “Panther Lake” will be announced in 2025, and that the company has started work on it. (This name was leaked earlier this year after an Intel engineer accidentally posted it on LinkedIn.) We know almost nothing about Panther Lake at this point, but Intel says it will go into production at factories in the first quarter of 2024 .
For those keeping track (and let’s be honest, I know all of you are), this means the progression will likely be: Meteor (2023), Arrow (2024), Lunar (probably 2024), Panther (2025) .
Modular chiplets are being developed
Gelsinger showed off Pike Creek, the world’s first working UCIe-compatible chiplet-based processor. UCIe stands for “Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express,” and it is essentially a plug-and-play standard that allows several silicon modules to work together in a single chiplet package. One chipmaker can take another company’s chiplet and snap it into their design. In theory, this would allow chip manufacturers to better specialize in certain types of chiplets and bring their products to market more quickly.
Intel will use the UCIe interface after Arrow Lake and will be the first company to show functional silicon. (Intel donated the first version of the UCIe specification to the standards organization that develops it.)
Resin is out, glass is in
Intel currently uses an organic resin as the basis for its chips. The company announced that it is transitioning to a new technology in which chips remain on a glass bed. This should give Intel more room to build in additional transistors, as well as (Intel expects) better data transfer, less warping, and less mechanical breakage under heat.
Don’t get too excited: this isn’t coming until the second half of this decade and will first appear in massive data centers.
A few reporters were shown this production process at Intel’s factory. CNET has some nice photos.
Xeon things are happening
Gelsinger has announced the upcoming Sierra Forest Xeon processor, which has 288 E-cores. You know, just in case you find that however many cores you have now isn’t enough for your backyard data center.
Intel also confirmed that the 5th generation “Emerald Rapids” Xeon line will be launched on December 14 this year.
Pat Gelsinger is a Swiftie
He didn’t say this himself, but his colleague Craig suggested that this might be the case, and Gelsinger nodded sheepishly, which is all the proof I need. What do we all think is his favorite album? I get Reputation mood.
See you at the Eras Tour, Pat!