Intel Meteor Lake CPU: specifications, desktop, date

In this article, we analyze what the 14th generation of Intel processors will bring us, and rip off everything that is currently known about the architecture, performance and release of the Meteor Lake processor.

When will Meteor Lake be released?

In February 2022, Intel released its latest Raptor Lake processor, and is already announcing the next microarchitecture, also called "lake", - Meteor Lake.  For the first time, official news about the imminent release of the new processor was made in March 2021, but since then the the roadmap has overgrown with rumours, leaks and speculations.

Intel said that Meteor Lake will be released as early as 2023, although the exact date for the start of sales of devices with the 14th-gen processor is still unknown. According to some leaks, shipments of the Meteor Lake chip for laptops could start in October of 2023, which has not yet been officially confirmed. Again, according to insiders, it will take more time for the desktop version of the chip to be released. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the release of the processor will be postponed to 2024 at all, as the release roadmap may undergo changes. It is also unknown if this will affect the launch of the next and higher performing Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors scheduled for 2024.

How much better will Meteor Lake be?

Intel wants to compete with Apple processors and wants to provide not just a CPU, but to create, in collaboration with the chip manufacturer TSMC, a next generation computer on a chip, similar to Apple's M-series processors. Meteor Lake will be based on the latest hybrid architecture already used in Intel's latest Alder Lake and Raptor Lake processors. This 3D packaging technology allows chip tiles to be stacked on top of each other. Starting from Meteor Lake, this architecture will feature, for the first time in Intel's history, a multi-chip "Intel Foveros" integrated design consisting of an application processor, a graphics processor, and interfacing chips. In the words of Intel's representatives, the 14th generation of Intel processors will provide high performance in "computing, artificial intelligence and graphics" in one package, while allowing each tile to be designed for the needs of specific segments.

The original plan for the architecture was to build the CPU on 7nm process node (also known as "Intel 4"), adding to it separate GPU, I/O, and system-on-a-chip (SoC) dies. However, this original composition may have to undergo changes in terms of using one's own Intel 4. According to a DigiTimes insight, Intel may now be in the process of replacing its 7nm process node with TSMC's 5nm process node, which is already well proven and fully available. It is on this TSMC's architecture that Apple's M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max processors are based. 

The leaks reveal that the Meteor Lake processor will have 14 cores, divided into six high-performance and eight efficient cores. Low power consumption and high performance, this is what Intel is betting on. The 14th generation chips will get new "Core Ultra" branding to emphasize optimization for low power consumption. According to OneRaichu, the Meteor Lake chip could be at least 1.5 times more efficient than its predecessor, Raptor Lake, as it will consume around 34% less power while still delivering similar performance. But what will be frequency of the Meteor Lake? It's not yet known, but a clue could be that the Raptor Lake boosts up to 6.0 GHz (and its most advanced versions can even reach frequencies up to 6.2-6.5 GHz). It is worth mentioning that the recently introduced AMD's Ryzen 7 7840U clocks at 3.30 GHz with up to 5.10 GHz boost frequency.

There are also rumours that Meteor Lake will be released along with a new socket LGA 1851, and this heralds the coming of new motherboards.

How much will Meteor Lake cost?

According to estimates by some experts, the price of a processor can be comparable to the cost of 13th generation processors, and, depending on the specification, can vary from $400 to $600. However, the price of new processors is significantly affected by the competition waged by the largest chip manufacturers. In this regard, the price will be determined not without regard to what AMD offers.