Processor generation Alder Lake, which is to bring a 10nm process to the desktop plus two generations newer processor cores than the currently released Rocket Lake, is known for one fundamental change. Instead of symmetrical large nuclei, it will bring a combination of large and small (Atoms) x86 nuclei, a bit like ARM big.LITTLE. Small cores are supposed to achieve higher energy efficiency, so in the case of a multi-core load in a situation where the processor is limited by TDP, they can add up to a higher number of large cores.
Alder Lake was the most talked about in connection with the desktop. It was obvious that it would also go to laptops, but the form of specific combinations was not known. That is now changing:
In the segment-defining bar, Intel introduces several “new”, ie a novelty, but Intel already had both ~ 5W processors for tablets (Y and M series) and 28W processors for “more powerful Ultrabooks” on offer.
The M5, the 5W models for tablets, will carry one large nucleus and four Atoms. U9, 9W processors for ultra-thin mobile devices, already offer 2 large cores and up to 8 Atoms. U15, 15W processors for classic Ultrabooks, which currently carry 6 large cores (older roadmaps counted for 14nm models with up to 8 cores) to offer with Alder Lake 2 large nuclei and up to 8 Atoms.
U28, more powerful Ultrabooks with 28W processors compared to U15 will increase the number of large cores from 2 to 6, while 8 Atoms remain. The same configuration applies to 45W models in the H45 segment. A novelty is the 55W segment, which will offer up to 8 large nuclei and 8 Atoms.
Because 2 Atom cores are expected to offer about as much multi-core performance as one large core, the Alder Lake multi-core performance converted to large cores can be expressed for rough orientation as follows:
| Alder Lake | TDP | equivalent to large nuclei |
|---|---|---|
| 1 + 4 | 5 W | 3 |
| 2 + 4 | 9-15W | 4 |
| 2 + 8 | 9-15W | 6 |
| 4 + 8 | 28-45W | 8 |
| 6 + 8 | 28-45W | 10 |
| 8 + 8 | 55W | 12 |
Some segmentation can also be observed in the form of integrated graphics, there are three main configurations: the 5W series will have up to 64 EU, the 9/15/28 / 45W series up to 96 EU and the 55W series, where pairing with separate graphics is expected, 32 EU.
From a competitive point of view, it may be desirable either in the APU segment with the generation Zen 4 increase the number of cores to up to 12, or – as the AMD roadmap suggests – add to the chiplet processors the possibility of implementing integrated graphics – and then make them available in the 45-65W mobile segment.
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