While cache, clocks, and cores may be the most exciting specs of any CPU, a processor’s ability to support a breadth of peripheral devices remains important. With Intel scheduled to launch its Arrow Lake chips later this year, we now have a possible sneak peek at their capabilities. Suffice to say, both desktop and mobile versions of the Core Ultra 200 series look stacked with USBs.
The hierarchy of the best CPUs could change dramatically later this year, with both Arrow Lake and Zen 5 processors hitting the streets. Intel’s Core Ultra 200 series release date is a few months later than AMD’s Ryzen 9000 chips. However, Thunderbolt 4 support combined with USB counts may see some power users flock to Team Blue.
X user jaykihn0 has allegedly obtained information concerning I/O for mobile and desktop versions of Arrow Lake, as well as Lunar Lake. Should their sources hold true, the Intel Core Ultra 200 series will support 23-24 USBs, and boast a large amount of PCIe bandwidth.
| ARL-S | ARL-HX | ARL-H | LNL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoC (System on Chip) | PCIe 5.0 (x16) | PCIe 5.0 (x16) | PCIe 4.0 (x12) | UFS 1 (x2) PCIe 4.0 / GBE (x1) PCIe 4.0 (x3) PCIe 5.0 (x4) USB 3.2 Gen2x1 (x2) USB 2.0 (x6) USB 3.0 (x2) |
| IOE (Input/Output Expander) | PCIe 5.0 (x4) PCIe 4.0 (x4) |
PCIe 5.0 (x4) PCIe 4.0 (x4) |
PCIe 5.0 (x8) (x8 only) PCIe 4.0 (x8) (x4/x4) |
N/A |
| PCH (Platform Controller Hub) | PCIe 4.0 (x14) PCIe 4.0 / SATA (x7) PCIe 4.0 / GBE (x2) PCIe 4.0 / SATA / GBE (x1) USB 2.0 (x13) USB 3.0 (x10) |
PCIe 4.0 (x14) PCIe 4.0 / SATA (x7) PCIe 4.0 / GBE (x2) PCIe 4.0 / SATA / GBE (x1) USB 2.0 (x14) USB 3.0 (x10) |
USB 2.0 (x10) USB 3.0 (x2) |
N/A |
Both ARL-S (desktop) and ARL-HX (mobile) are practically mirrors of one another, with the latter differentiating itself with a single USB 2.0. It’s important to note, though, that this is just what Arrow Lake is capable of independently. When Socket LGA 1851 motherboards hit the scene, with 800 series chipsets, you can expect to see additional and speedier USB ports, in addition to Thunderbolt 4. In fact, we’ve already had a glimpse of their capabilities in a prior leak.
For more on Intel Arrow Lake, check out the latest whispers on ARL-HX core counts. We’re particularly keen, though, to see how its integrated Xe2 graphics perform, given the buzz they generated at Computex earlier this year.