A driver resource file mentioning several unreleased Intel processor generations has been unearthed by momomo_us on Twitter. They suggest that this screenshot of device descriptors comes from a file which is part of an Intel Management Engine Interface (MEI) release. A screenshot taken of the file contents makes reference to current generation processors as well as upcoming Raptor Lake (RPL), Meteor Lake (MTL), and even Lunar Lake (LNL) CPUs.
Next up on the Intel CPU release calendar are the 13th Gen Core Raptor Lake processors, due in H2 this year. We know these will be coming to desktop users and will be supported by existing LGA1700 Intel 600 series chipset motherboards, as well as spawning their own enhanced 700 series chipset motherboards for new adopters, or those who must like on the cutting edge.
While some may be looking forward to 13th Gen Raptor Lake chips, there appears to be stronger interest in Meteor Lake. The upcoming 14th Gen Meteor Lake chips will represent a more compelling step in the roadmap than Raptor Lake for a number of reasons. Meteor Lake chips will be the first to move to the Intel 4 process, will intro a new tiled architecture with disaggregated cores, will come packing a TSMC N3 manufactured GPU and the new graphics engine will feature up to 192 EUs. All these tech goodies will be fused together with Intel Foveros 3D packaging technology.
In momomo_us's purported Intel MEI resource file screengrab we see reference made to MTL-S – a socketed desktop Meteor Lake processor, MTL-M a laptop version of Meteor Lake, and MTM-P a Meteor Lake performance laptop processor. We know direct from Intel, that Meteor Lake is going to be a versatile and scalable processor family. It has been confirmed the family will be delivered in a wide range of SKUs from 5 to 125 W TDPs. Meteor Lake test samples successfully booted up earlier than expected so we expect them to be on-time for their scheduled introduction.
Per the key diagram above, setting out Intel's "leadership roadmap," Meteor Lake will be followed by 15th Gen Arrow Lake (ARL), which looks set to move straight to Intel 20A and become available in 2024 – very fast progress if it plays out.
Next up will be Intel's 16th Gen Lunar Lake (LNL) processors, which are mentioned in the newly unearthed driver resource file. Lunar Lake processors will use Intel 18A process CPU cores and an unnamed external foundry for GPUs, and perhaps some other SoC components. Intel's CEO Pat Gelsinger, recently made what appeared to be an important visit to Samsung in South Korea, and we speculated that the meeting could be about an Intel SoC collaboration – perhaps Lunar Lake. Samsung's strength is in memory though, so we might be looking at some kind of logic/memory implementation using Intel/Samsung technologies as the best outcome from the talks.
