Why it matters: You’ve probably heard whispers about Intel’s next big release, Lunar Lake. The upcoming chip platform is slated to arrive later in 2024, succeeding the current Meteor Lake offerings for notebooks. From what we’re learning, Lunar Lake could pack quite a punch, especially with its innovative memory integration.
The platform will introduce on-package memory, a significant step considering it’s a first for Intel processors. This additional memory will be available alongside the CPU, GPU, and NPU right on the chip. Recent test files from the chipmaker, uncovered by @InstaLaX64, reveal two Lunar Lake CPUs sporting the novel design – the Core Ultra 5 234V and 238V.
Both chips pack eight cores divvied up into a 4+4 split of performance Lion Cove cores and efficiency Skymont cores. However, the memory loadout is what sets them apart, with the 234V rocking 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM while the 238V sibling doubles that to 32GB of the same blazing-fast memory type.
These early test files list unimpressive base clocks of just 2.1GHz for the two chips, but reports suggest the boost clocks could reach up to 3.1GHz, likely dialed down for testing purposes. For context, Meteor Lake’s boost speeds generally soar into the upper 4GHz territory, so we can likely expect similar zippy performance from Lunar Lake, despite its low-power focus.
There is a new #LunarLake SKU among the #Intel test machines: “Core Ultra 5 238V”. I don’t know in what respect is better than the 234V.
238V:https://t.co/zvAQwOoZ6z
234V:https://t.co/VYBxVgkB9x https://t.co/pFcm78WDW3 pic.twitter.com/7fB7h6sOLK– InstLatX64 (@InstLatX64) May 16, 2024
Speaking of which, that’s precisely the niche Intel is gunning for with Lunar Lake – ultra-efficient computing in the 8W-30W power envelope. But don’t let the modest wattage fool you.
Leaks point to Lunar Lake packing an all-new microarchitecture, an NPU AI accelerator, and integrated Xe “Battlemage” graphics. The GPU component, in particular, is noteworthy, as Lunar Lake will be the first product to feature Intel’s shiny new Xe2-LPG architecture.
As for the silicon powering these chips, the jury’s still out on whether they’ll harness Intel’s 18A or 20A process nodes. There are even whispers of TSMC’s 3nm tech potentially being in the mix too – another first for Intel.
Rounding out the details is the possibility that Lunar Lake could be accompanied by Arrow Lake, the upcoming platform that’ll be aimed at higher-wattage gaming systems. If the rumor mill churns true, Arrow Lake will tout similar CPU architectures to its Lunar Lake counterpart but trade off higher core counts for older, less capable Xe-LPG Alchemist graphics.
