Alongside Intel’s common earnings report yesterday, the corporate additionally delivered a short up on the state of one in all their most necessary upcoming merchandise, Meteor Lake. Intel’s first chiplet/tile-based SoC, which accomplished preliminary growth final yr, has now accomplished power-on testing and extra. The information shouldn’t be sudden, however for Intel it nonetheless marks a notable milestone, and is necessary proof that each Meteor Lake and the Intel 4 course of stay on observe.
Meteor Lake, which is slated to be the premise of Intel’s 14th technology Core processors in 2023, is a crucial chip for the corporate on a number of ranges. By way of design, it’s the first chiplet-based (or as Intel likes to place it, “disaggregated”) mass-market consumer SoC from the corporate. Intel’s roadmap for the Core lineup has the corporate utilizing chiplet-style SoCs on a everlasting foundation going ahead, so Meteor Lake is essential for Intel’s design and structure groups because it’s going to be their first crack at consumer chiplets – and proof as to whether or not they can efficiently pull it off.
In the meantime Meteor Lake can be the primary consumer half that will likely be constructed on the Intel 4 course of, which was previously referred to as Intel’s 7nm course of. Intel 4 will mark Intel’s long-awaited (and delayed) transition to utilizing EUV in patterning, making it one of the vital vital adjustments to Intel’s fab expertise for the reason that firm added FinFETs a decade in the past. Given Intel’s fab troubles over the previous few years, the corporate is understandably keen to indicate off any proof that its fab growth cycle is again on observe, and that they’re going to make their beforehand declared manufacturing milestones.
As for this week’s power-on announcement, that is in-line with Intel’s earlier expectations. On the firm’s 2022 investor assembly again in February, within the consumer roadmap presentation Intel indicated that they have been aiming for a Q2’22 power-on.
We have now formally powered-on our first disaggregated product: Meteor Lake. An unbelievable milestone ensuing from the efforts of so many throughout @intel. Congratulations, group! pic.twitter.com/eKvHzDqSiu
— Michelle Johnston Holthaus (@MJHolthaus) April 29, 2022
In actual fact, it will appear that Intel has barely exceeded their very own targets. Whereas in a tweet put out right now by Michelle Johnston Holthaus, the not too long ago named EVP and GM of Intel’s Consumer Computing Group, introduced that Meteor Lake had been powered on, feedback from CEO Pat Gelsinger point out that Meteor Lake is doing even higher than that. In response to Gelsinger’s feedback on yesterday’s earnings name, Meteor Lake has additionally been in a position to boot Home windows, Chrome, and Linux. So whereas there stays many months of bring-up left to go, it will appear that Meteor Lake’s growth is continuing apace.
However that will likely be a narrative for 2023. Intel will first be getting Raptor Lake out the door later this yr. The Alder Lake successor is being constructed on the identical Intel 7 course of as Alder Lake itself, and can characteristic an enhanced model of the Alder Lake structure.
