Intel to Launch “Lunar Lake” Core Ultra Chips on September 3rd

Intel’s next-generation Core Extremely laptop computer chips lastly have a launch date: September 3^rd.

Codenamed Lunar Lake, Intel has been touting the chips for practically a yr now. Most just lately, Intel supplied the press a deep dive briefing on the chips and their underlying architectures at Computex again in June, together with a public preview through the firm’s Computex keynote. On the time Intel was making ready for Q3’2024 launch, and that window has lastly been narrowed all the way down to a single date – September 3^rd – when Intel can be internet hosting their Lunar Lake launch occasion forward of IFA.

Intel’s second stab at a excessive quantity chiplet-based processor for laptop computer customers, Lunar Lake is aimed notably at ultrabooks and different low-power cell units, with Intel seeking to wrestle again the title of probably the most environment friendly PC laptop computer SoC. Lunar Lake is critical on this respect as Intel has by no means beforehand developed a complete chip structure particularly for low energy cell units earlier than – it’s at all times been a scaled-down model of a wider-range structure, corresponding to the present Meteor Lake (Core Extremely 100 collection). Consequently, Intel has been touting that they’ve make some severe effectivity developments with their extremely focused chip, which they consider will vault them over the competitors.

All advised, Lunar Lake is slated to carry a big collection of updates to Intel’s chip architectures and chip design methods. Of explicit curiosity is the change to on-package LPDDR5X reminiscence, which is a primary for a high-volume Core chip. As properly, Lunar Lake incorporates up to date variations of just about each considered one of Intel’s structure, from the CPU P and E cores – Lion Cove and Skymont respectively – to the Xe2 GPU and 4^th technology NPU (aptly named NPU 4). And, in a scandalous twist, each of the chiplets/tiles on the CPU are being made by TSMC. Intel isn’t offering any of the energetic silicon for the chip – although they’re offering the Foveros packaging wanted to place it collectively.

Suffice it to say, it doesn’t matter what occurs, Lunar Lake and the Core Extremely 200 collection ought to show to be an fascinating launch.

It’s price noting, nonetheless, that whereas Intel’s announcement of their livestreamed occasion is being labeled a “launch occasion” by the corporate, the transient reveal doesn’t make any claims about on-the-shelves availability. September 3^rd is a Tuesday (and the day after a US vacation), which isn’t a typical launch date for brand spanking new laptops (for reference, the flippantly stocked Meteor Lake launch was a Thursday). So Intel’s launch occasion could show to be extra of a comfortable launch for Lunar Lake; we’ll must see how issues pan out within the coming weeks.