Intel Arrow Lake (15th Gen, Core Ultra): Leaks, Release Date + Everything We Know!

Summary

The video explores Intel's current situation, highlighting both positive and negative developments. It covers the rumored Qualcomm takeover, issues with Intel's 13th and 14th gen desktop chips, and the excitement surrounding the upcoming 15th gen Arrow Lake desktop processors. Built on TSMC's 3nm process, these chips are expected to deliver improved performance and efficiency, aiming to compete with AMD. The video also discusses new socket designs, potential AI integrations, and the impact on gaming performance. With Arrow Lake launching in October 2024, Intel’s future rests on its success in the desktop CPU market.

Takeaways

• 🔥 Intel is currently facing a lot of news: rumors of a Qualcomm takeover, excitement about the Core Ultra Series 2 launch, and issues with stability in its 13th and 14th gen desktop chips.
• 🚀 Intel's upcoming 15th gen Arrow Lake desktop CPUs are expected to bring significant performance improvements, particularly in efficiency, to challenge AMD.
• 🏗️ Originally planned for Intel's 20a process, Arrow Lake CPUs will now be manufactured by TSMC using its 3nm process, which marks a shift in Intel's in-house production strategy.
• ⚡ The move to TSMC’s 3nm process is expected to improve multicore performance by around 15%, but it also raises questions about the impact of Intel abandoning its 20a process.
• 🧠 AI is a hot topic, and Intel plans to integrate AI acceleration with its Arrow Lake processors, but some models may miss out on Microsoft's Co-Pilot Plus certification due to lower AI processing power.
• 💡 The LGA 1851 socket will be introduced with Arrow Lake CPUs and support PCIe 5.0 SSDs, but its physical dimensions will stay mostly similar to the LGA 1700, ensuring easier cooling solutions.
• 🕹️ Intel will market Arrow Lake as gaming CPUs with built-in AI accelerators, though most high-performance users will still pair them with dedicated GPUs.
• ❄️ The Core Ultra 9-285k will feature a max clock of 5.7 GHz, 250W power consumption, and a mix of 8 performance and 16 efficiency cores, ideal for power users.
• 🔄 There will be no hyperthreading in Arrow Lake chips, aligning with Intel's recent removal of this feature in Luna Lake laptop processors.
• 💻 For those upgrading, Arrow Lake CPUs will only support DDR5 memory, meaning DDR4 users will need to switch to newer memory for future builds.

Q & A

What is the significance of Intel's 15th gen Arrow Lake CPUs?

The 15th gen Arrow Lake CPUs are crucial for Intel as they aim to bring improved performance per watt, directly competing with AMD. These processors are expected to be more efficient than the current 13th and 14th gen chips, which are known for running hot.

What changes in manufacturing are associated with Arrow Lake compared to previous Intel CPUs?

Unlike the previous Intel CPUs built on Intel's 7 process (10nm), Arrow Lake will be fabricated using TSMC's 3nm process. This shift marks a significant upgrade in efficiency but also reflects Intel's inability to fully handle the manufacturing process in-house.

How does Arrow Lake differ from Intel’s planned 20a process?

Originally, Arrow Lake was planned to use Intel's 20a process, but that plan was scrapped. The shift to TSMC's 3nm process is expected to deliver similar improvements, but some speculate the 20a process could have provided around a 15% gain in multicore performance.

What socket will Arrow Lake use, and why is it significant?

Arrow Lake will use the LGA 1851 socket, originally intended for Intel's cancelled Meteor Lake-S processors. This new socket supports PCIe 5.0 SSDs directly connected to the CPU, offering significantly faster read and write speeds compared to previous models.

Will Arrow Lake CPUs support DDR4 memory?

No, Arrow Lake CPUs are expected to drop support for DDR4 memory, meaning users will need to upgrade to DDR5 memory for any 15th gen builds.

What AI capabilities are expected in Intel's 15th gen processors?

Arrow Lake CPUs are anticipated to include AI-accelerating features like Intel's XE LPG+ GPU architecture and extended matrix extensions (XMX). These will enhance data processing and graphics performance, though they may not meet the requirements for Microsoft's Copilot Plus certification.

How does Arrow Lake’s expected power consumption compare to current Intel processors?

Arrow Lake processors are expected to have similar power draw to Intel's 13th and 14th gen Raptor Lake chips, with PL1 TDPs around 125 watts and peak power consumption reaching up to 250 watts in turbo mode for high-end models like the Core Ultra 9 285k.

Why is there no hyperthreading in Arrow Lake processors?

Intel has moved away from hyperthreading in its recent processors, including Luna Lake laptop chips, and this trend is continuing with Arrow Lake. The removal of hyperthreading aligns with their current architectural choices to optimize core efficiency.

How is Intel marketing Arrow Lake processors for gamers?

Intel is branding Arrow Lake as the world's first gaming CPUs with an AI accelerator, although gamers are more likely to pair these processors with a dedicated GPU for enhanced gaming performance.

What impact does the cancellation of the Arrow Lake-S refresh have?

With the cancellation of the Arrow Lake-S refresh, the upcoming Arrow Lake desktop chips will be the only generation to use the LGA 1851 socket until the rumored Nova Lake arrives in 2026. This places increased importance on the success of the initial Arrow Lake chips launching in October.