Intel Lunar Lake CPU SiSoft Benchmark Run Reveals Early Performance and Specs

A purported Intel Lunar Lake processor has been tested with the SiSoftware Sandra benchmarking suite, and @Olrak29 of Twitter/X spotted the information residue in an online database. The results include a smorgasbord of CPU details, though as usual we need to exercise caution in interpreting them at this stage.

Overall, the processor is ranked as one that delivers “excellent performance,” and is faster than 95% of CPU rivals that have been tested using Sisoft’s tools. In some ways, it's surprising to see Lunar Lake systems already being tested — and with results being submitted. Intel’s Meteor Lake launch is still over two months away. However, we did get a Lunar Lake laptop demo at the recent Intel Innovation 2023 event. Perhaps this SiSoft entry is similar to that laptop.

The SiSoft entry describes the system under test here as featuring a “Genuine Intel(R) 0000 1.00GHz (5M 20c 3.91GHz + 2.61GHz, 3.3GHz IMC, 4x 2.5MB + 4MB L2, 2x 8MB L3).” Later, a further reference suggests the computer system is a “Lunar Lake Client System (Intel LNL-M LP5 RVP1).” Let's try to parse that information.

According to the results, and taking them at face value, the processor in this Lunar Lake (LNL) system features a 4+4 core configuration. Those will be a mix of Lion Cove and Skymont architecture cores addressing performance and efficiency, respectively.

Elsewhere, the SiSoft report indicates the CPU is a low-power laptop chip and has a TDP of 17W. The CPU cores run at a base frequency of 1.0 GHz, with a 3.91 GHz speed during the test run. As always with early results of this sort, we wouldn't read too much into those numbers. This is almost certainly an engineering sample that isn't running anywhere near final clocks.

L2 and L3 caches are mentioned in the results as well, though again the readings need an extra pinch of salt as they come from an early sample with an unsupported CPU architecture. Still, the information suggests a 2.5MB L2 cache per P-core, and 4MB of additional L2 cache for the E-cores, with 16MB of L3 cache. Those are all at least in the ballpark of what we'd expect to see for Lunar Lake.

An integrated GPU should be part of the package as well, though there's no information on that. (Ignore the "20CU" capacity — that has nothing to do with graphics.) We expect Intel’s Xe2-LPG graphics in Lunar Lake, with LPDDR5 system memory, but the SiSoft information doesn't give any indication of what GPU is present or how it might perform.

Whatever the actual specs of the processor might be, we know that this will be one of the first chips to use an Intel 18A CPU tile. Intel has indicated Lunar Lake is due for release in portable devices starting in 2024, aiming at perf/watt leadership. Arrow Lake processors for desktops may share the same core architecture, but with greater core counts and speed while using more power. Those are expected to be released around the same time or slightly before Lunar Lake chips.

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