Officially, Intel Arrow Lake is expected to be a tuned and optimized follow up to Meteor Lake on the Intel 4 process. These processors are scheduled to be released in the 2023-24 timeframe – pretty soon – so the intensity of leaks has naturally been increasing. Now, the popular PC diagnostic app HWiNFO has made the first mention of adding support for Arrow Lake-S processors.
(Image credit: Future)
Quietly included in the ‘upcoming changes’ section of the HWiNFO software version history pages, Arrow Lake-S support features in pre-release: v7.41, Build 5020, which is available now. Other cutting-edge tech supported by this release of the diagnostic software include; AMD Phoenix (enhanced support), GeForce RTX 4070 and RTX 4050 Laptop GPUs, and more.
Before we get all excited about Arrow Lake-S being released, please remember that HWiNFO sometimes adds support to hardware quite some time before products are launched/released. For example, it added enhanced support for Meteor Lake processors back on Nov 1, 2022. In addition, Intel’s latest official roadmap mentioning Arrow Lake doesn’t pinpoint any release date but indicates it should be out before the end of 2024.
Intel hasn’t publicly updated its roadmap since last July, and the weight of rumors and leaks leads us to believe things might have been shaken up since the above slide was published. Our latest information is that Intel has canceled Meteor Lake for desktops. Instead, Meteor Lake is set to be a mobile-only platform, introduced with new laptop designs later this year. Furthermore, rumors suggest that where Meteor Lake-S would have stood, desktop systems makers and DIYers would have to be satisfied with a Raptor Lake–S Refresh CPU line instead.
If the rumors outlined above play out, the first taste of an Intel disaggregated multi-tile processor available for the desktop will be the headlining Arrow Lake-S. This writer had told himself that his next desktop PC upgrade would be to Meteor Lake-S, with the first wave of motherboards sporting the new LGA 1800 socket – so that plan will now be forever in limbo… However, as none of this launch intent/timing info is official, please take the above with a dose of salt.
As the adjustments to the Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake rollout plans remain unconfirmed, we can’t provide any cast iron reasoning for changes. However, suppose things unfold as outlined above instead of following the official roadmap. In that case, Intel might be keeping its desktop segment powder dry to weather the widely predicted downturn / slow period for PCs.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
