Intel has taken the wraps off its forthcoming next-gen Meteor Lake processors following its successful 12th (Alder Lake) and 13th Gen (Raptor Lake) processors with its new E- and P-core design. Its first chip built on the Intel 4 process node with Foveros 3D packaging, Intel calls Meteor Lake its “biggest architectural shift in 40 years” and that it will “lay the foundation for innovations for the PC,” as noted by Tim Wilson, VP, Design and Engineering Group and GM, SoC Design at Intel.
Here’s what you need to know about Meteor Lake and why it has the potential to be a massive game changer for the PC industry in 2024.
Meteor Lake is Intel’s next-gen CPU and the first built on the Intel 4 process, which is part of Intel’s long-term goal of “5 nodes in 4 years.” Previous generation naming would suggest it would be called Intel 14th Gen, but Intel is moving away from its older naming schema. Some reports have suggested Meteor Lake may reflect a reboot in generation numbers. Current rumors suggest Intel 14th Gen is simply a refresh of Raptor Lake, although Meteor Lake may play a part in that for laptops.
Meteor Lake processors are expected to ship in late 2023 or early 2024 in new laptops with thinner and lighter designs, better cooling, and much better battery life.
Interestingly, while Meteor Lake may finally start to match Apple on efficiency, the design and feature set for Meteor Lake began over four years ago before Apple’s M-series existed. That means Meteor Lake isn’t so much a reaction to Apple’s M-series but was planned independently.
