Monday, January 8th 2024
Intel Fattens the U-segment with "Raptor Lake Refresh" Based Core Series 1 Processors
Intel's current generation mobile processor product stack is vast, to say the least. In Q4-2023, the company launched its Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" mobile processors spanning the U-segment (7 W to 28 W), and H-segment (35 W to 45 W). Today, the company capped the upper end of the stack with the 14th Gen Core HX-series mobile processors based on "Raptor Lake Refresh," which dial up core counts to 8P+16E. And now, the company is adding more choice to the U-segment with the Core Processor Series 1, based on a lower core-count variant of the "Raptor Lake Refresh" architecture.
The Core Processor Series 1 follows the same nomenclature as the Core Ultra, where the "Ultra" denotes the latest "Meteor Lake" architecture. Processor model numbering and case badges are similar between Core Processor Series 1 and Core Ultra, except the lack of the "Ultra" brand extension. These chips are built on the monolithic "Raptor Lake Refresh" dies on the Intel 7 foundry node, and lack innovations such as the Low-power Island cores, 3D Performance Hybrid architecture, the all important AI Boost and on-silicon NPU; as well as that 2x faster Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics, but use existing combinations of "Raptor Cove" and "Gracemont" CPU cores, along with older Xe-LP graphics with up to 96 EU; and a mostly similar I/O.The Intel Core Processor 1 series U-segment is based on the smallest variant of "Raptor Lake Refresh," which physically features a 2P+8E core configuration. Each of the two P-cores has 1.25 MB of L2 cache, each of the two E-core clusters has 2 MB of L2 cache; while the two P-cores and E-core clusters share a 12 MB L3 cache. The PCIe interface is truncated, too. The CPU die puts out two PCIe Gen 4 x4 connections that are meant for NVMe storage devices, while the on-package PCH die puts out just 12 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. Notebook designers can implement Thunderbolt 4 with up to four ports. The platform also gets Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 using discrete WLAN cards. The memory interface is dual-channel DDR4, dual-channel DDR5, and LPDDR5(x) at speeds of up to 5200 MT/s. All three processor models Intel is launching today feature a base power of 15 W, and a maximum turbo power of 55 W.
The three processor models are Core 7 150U, Core 5 120U, and Core 3 100U. Both the 150U and 120U get a maxed out core configuration of 2P+8E with 12 MB of L3 cache, but differ with clock speeds and iGPU configuration. The 150U ticks at up to 5.40 GHz boost for the P-cores, and up to 4.00 GHz boost for the E-cores, with a maxed out iGPU that has 96 EU (6 Xe cores) clocked at 1.30 GHz.
The Core 5 120U has the same 2P+8E CPU core configuration, but clocked lower than that of the 150U. The P-core boost is set at up to 5.00 GHz, and the E-core boost at 3.80 GHz. The iGPU is cut down to 80 EU (5 Xe cores), and clocked at 1.25 GHz. The Core 3 100U gets the same iGPU configuration as the 120U, but its CPU core count is cut down to 2P+4E, L3 cache reduced to 10 MB, and CPU core clock speeds lowered—up to 4.70 GHz for the P-cores, and up to 3.30 GHz for the E-cores.
Notebooks based on the Core U-series (100U) should begin rolling out within Q1-2024.
The Core Processor Series 1 follows the same nomenclature as the Core Ultra, where the "Ultra" denotes the latest "Meteor Lake" architecture. Processor model numbering and case badges are similar between Core Processor Series 1 and Core Ultra, except the lack of the "Ultra" brand extension. These chips are built on the monolithic "Raptor Lake Refresh" dies on the Intel 7 foundry node, and lack innovations such as the Low-power Island cores, 3D Performance Hybrid architecture, the all important AI Boost and on-silicon NPU; as well as that 2x faster Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics, but use existing combinations of "Raptor Cove" and "Gracemont" CPU cores, along with older Xe-LP graphics with up to 96 EU; and a mostly similar I/O.The Intel Core Processor 1 series U-segment is based on the smallest variant of "Raptor Lake Refresh," which physically features a 2P+8E core configuration. Each of the two P-cores has 1.25 MB of L2 cache, each of the two E-core clusters has 2 MB of L2 cache; while the two P-cores and E-core clusters share a 12 MB L3 cache. The PCIe interface is truncated, too. The CPU die puts out two PCIe Gen 4 x4 connections that are meant for NVMe storage devices, while the on-package PCH die puts out just 12 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. Notebook designers can implement Thunderbolt 4 with up to four ports. The platform also gets Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 using discrete WLAN cards. The memory interface is dual-channel DDR4, dual-channel DDR5, and LPDDR5(x) at speeds of up to 5200 MT/s. All three processor models Intel is launching today feature a base power of 15 W, and a maximum turbo power of 55 W.
The three processor models are Core 7 150U, Core 5 120U, and Core 3 100U. Both the 150U and 120U get a maxed out core configuration of 2P+8E with 12 MB of L3 cache, but differ with clock speeds and iGPU configuration. The 150U ticks at up to 5.40 GHz boost for the P-cores, and up to 4.00 GHz boost for the E-cores, with a maxed out iGPU that has 96 EU (6 Xe cores) clocked at 1.30 GHz.
The Core 5 120U has the same 2P+8E CPU core configuration, but clocked lower than that of the 150U. The P-core boost is set at up to 5.00 GHz, and the E-core boost at 3.80 GHz. The iGPU is cut down to 80 EU (5 Xe cores), and clocked at 1.25 GHz. The Core 3 100U gets the same iGPU configuration as the 120U, but its CPU core count is cut down to 2P+4E, L3 cache reduced to 10 MB, and CPU core clock speeds lowered—up to 4.70 GHz for the P-cores, and up to 3.30 GHz for the E-cores.
Notebooks based on the Core U-series (100U) should begin rolling out within Q1-2024.
34 Comments on Intel Fattens the U-segment with "Raptor Lake Refresh" Based Core Series 1 Processors
If it were USB-like it'd include reconning, like Gen15 i7-13700 v1.0.
I see a never-ending story about the naming problem. Honestly I wouldn't care less about naming which for this product is not problematic to pronounce or say. Arguments like, people would get confused or average joe wont know what to buy is pointless and has no merit. Always do research for product you are interested with and see other competing products to see which one will suit you better. Also, naming for every individual can be different because of likes and dislikes. It is better to focus on what the product is giving not how it's called.
We all know how ecores perform and I'm not so fond of these especially, if you get them in expense of the pcores and that is clearly happening here. It would have been better to go 4p+2e/4e in my opinion. I guess the advertisement would not be as good since it is better to advertise for 10c instead of 6c or 8c.