Intel may fit up to 24 cores inside its mobile Arrow Lake-HX processors. The chip is expected to take between 45W and 55W, while lacking AVX-512 support.
According to InstLatX64 on X, Intel could be working on a 24-core, 24-thread mobile processor. This chip would be based on Arrow Lake architecture and is likely an Arrow Lake-HX model. The leaker has also noted that this prototype CPU was running at 3GHz, while lacking AVX-512 support. That said, this is not the only unit spotted without AVX-512 support, as another 16-core, 16-thread chip was also listed running at 3.5GHz.
The largest chip layout is likely to be made from eight performance Lion Cove and 16 Skymont efficient cores. All of this is combined with the new Xe2 Battlemage integrated GPU.
This processor was labelled “Arrow Lake Client Platform/ARL-S BGA SODIMM 2DPC” inside a testing motherboard. In addition to confirming that such a CPU will be soldered to the board in a Ball Grid Array (BGA), the latter seems to carry two SODIMM slots. In other words, this platform could feature removable/upgradable RAM.
From the looks of it, these could be adapted versions of desktop variants. If correct, Intel should bring a noticeable performance uplift to high-end laptops, some of which could target gamers. Plus, with the newly leaked 24-core chip packing eight more cores than standard Arrow Lake-H models on the horizon, we are heading towards some exciting laptops.
As you can guess, packing more cores demands more power to operate. The issue is that laptops don’t have as much power and cooling headroom, so the expected 45W to 55W TDP may not be enough to squeeze the full potential out of these chips. For this reason, some laptop manufacturers may let their models cross that TDP line – at least in short bursts – to deliver more performance when needed. But as usual, take all the above with a grain of salt until an official announcement.