Intel surprised the computer community a few days ago when it casually revealed that its future Meteor Lake mobile CPUs will be available as desktop models starting in 2024. This came as a major surprise because all leaks up to this point had pointed to the architecture being designed as a mobile platform. Intel has now clarified these comments, saying that while Meteor Lake will be present in desktop PCs, it will not be available as a processor that can be purchased separately for do-it-yourself upgrades. Rather, they will be offered in tiny PCs and all-in-one computers and soldered to the motherboard. Our day is destroyed, and we are incredibly disappointed.
Intel’s clarification follows three days after its first comments, which, given their lack of specifics at the time, now appear a little reckless. When PCWorld questioned an Intel executive last week on the fringes of its Innovation event about the potential release of Meteor Lake desktop chips, the executive replied, “Desktop will come in 2024.” After questioning Intel and motherboard makers about this unexpected disclosure, the German website Computerbase.de found out an important disclaimer that should have been included: they would only be BGA, not socketed.
“Meteor Lake is a power-efficient architecture that will power innovative mobile and desktop designs, including desktop form factors such as All-in-One (AIO),” reads the official release from Intel. In the future, we will be able to provide more product details.” According to the website, this will also apply to small form factor PCs like the NUC series, which it recently gave to Asus. Since the statement is inherently too general and vague, Intel is free to modify its mind. It does, however, affirm that Meteor Lake is efficiency-focused, meaning that only mobile chips—not fire-breathing desktop CPUs—will be available.
Rather, as anticipated, its Raptor Lake update chips will assume the lead on desktops, with Intel’s mobile lineup consisting on Meteor Lake CPUs through 2024. Nevertheless, the Intel official added in the PCWorld interview that there will be “one processor family top to bottom,” which isn’t the case for all of the company’s desktop and laptop models.
Consequently, we can declare with confidence that Meteor Lake will always be a mobile platform. The real Alder/Raptor Lake replacement will come in the form of Arrow Lake later in the following year. Built on the Intel 20A technology, it will be the first socketed desktop CPU with a disaggregated design with several tiles.