Wednesday, May 26th 2021
Intel "Alder Lake-P" Mobile Processor PL Values Revealed
Intel is preparing its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors to target not just desktop, but also notebook. The "Alder Lake-P" mobile processor will be Intel's second to implement a hybrid CPU core design (after "Lakefield"). Coelacanth Dream revealed the power level (PL) values of the three key variants of the "Alder Lake-P" silicon. Intel will create broadly three categories of mobile chips targeting specific notebook form-factors—15 W, 28 W, and 45 W. The "Alder Lake-U" 15 W chips are expected to have a PL1 value (interchangeable with the TDP marked on the tin), of 15 W, but its PL2 value, which enables the highest Turbo frequency, can be as high as 55 W.
The next category, the "Alder Lake-U" 28 W chips, have a PL2 value of 64 W. Lastly, the "Alder Lake-H" 45 W chip, which will go into notebooks of conventional thickness, is expected to have a PL2 value of a scorching 115 W. Unless we're mistaken, "Alder Lake-P" is a hybrid processor with up to 6 "Golden Cove" performance CPU cores, and up to 8 "Gracemont" low-power cores. The performance cores feature HyperThreading, and are AVX-512 capable. Unlike the desktop "Alder Lake-S," Intel is investing in a larger iGPU. Based on the Gen12 Xe LP graphics architecture, the iGPU of the "Alder Lake-P" could feature 96 execution units, compared to just 48 on the "Alder Lake-S."
Sources:
Coelacanth Dream, via David Eneco (Twitter)
The next category, the "Alder Lake-U" 28 W chips, have a PL2 value of 64 W. Lastly, the "Alder Lake-H" 45 W chip, which will go into notebooks of conventional thickness, is expected to have a PL2 value of a scorching 115 W. Unless we're mistaken, "Alder Lake-P" is a hybrid processor with up to 6 "Golden Cove" performance CPU cores, and up to 8 "Gracemont" low-power cores. The performance cores feature HyperThreading, and are AVX-512 capable. Unlike the desktop "Alder Lake-S," Intel is investing in a larger iGPU. Based on the Gen12 Xe LP graphics architecture, the iGPU of the "Alder Lake-P" could feature 96 execution units, compared to just 48 on the "Alder Lake-S."
3 Comments on Intel "Alder Lake-P" Mobile Processor PL Values Revealed
As for the 45W variant, I think PL2 @ 115W is also close to what we see with current gen Tiger Lake H, though a little higher. Its scary that the PL2 values have been creeping up. Intel is pushing the 10nm really hard just to maintain that high clock speed to compete. While some laptops with beefy cooling will run fine, most laptops have just average or subpar cooling solution. So I think it is possible to see a very wide performance difference across different laptops running the same Tiger Lake H or even this Alder Lake H processors.
What's really funny is that this is gonna result in the same method of planned obsolescence as apple killing their laptops in a year except it's by accident of having a trash node.
I have to imagine that laptop manuf want away from intel. They're going to spend 3x the cost on cooling and won't be able to sell perf parts in thin designs.