With its new Socket LGA1700 heralding the first change in the physical dimensions of the processor's integrated heatspreader (IHS), Intel will introduce the first major redesign of its boxed retail stock cooling solution in over a decade. The Socket H-series (LGA115x/LGA1200) stock fan-heatsink has undergone several minor redesigns over the years, with regards to heatsink mass, the presence or absence of a copper core, the spiral or radial orientation of the aluminium heatsink forks (which affect surface-area and mass); although with what we're seeing in leaked Intel slides, the company's next stock coolers could look significantly different.

The Intel Laminar L-series fan-heatsinks come in three distinct variants based on the TDP of the processor they're bundled with. The Laminar RH1 (H equals "high") could be bundled exclusively with Core i9 SKUs that have 65 W TDP on the box, but have PL2 values well above 200 W. The Laminar RM1 (M equals "mainstream" or "medium"), will be bundled with Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 SKUs that have the same 65 W TDP, but slightly lower PL2 (or at least a trade-off for higher noise). The Laminar RS1 (S equals "small"), targets entry-level Pentium and Celeron chips.The exact designs of these coolers remain unknown. The Intel slide talking about these depicts a design not too unlike the outgoing one. It however, comes with a disclaimer that the renders are "for placement only," which means they may not look anything like the final design. These are still top-flow, but with the fans also having some lateral bleed airflow. The key difference here is that the fan is nestled inside the heatsink, and surrounded by extensions of the fins, so some of the lateral airflow ventilates these bits, before going onto other hot components near the CPU socket, such as the VRM.

It's also interesting to note that while the Laminar RM1 and RS1 (medium and small) are shown with push-pin retention mechanisms not unlike what we have now; the premium Laminar RH1 has a spring-loaded bolt mechanism that possibly includes a backplate. This is harder to install or remove; but applies a more uniform retention pressure on the IHS.

Also, the fan inside the Laminar RH1 is depicted as being illuminated by an LED diffuser along the bore of the fan cavity (which renders this design useless?). It remains to be seen if this is single color (i.e. Intel's favorite shade of blue), or if it's RGB. The Laminar RM1 has a less pronounced illuminated ring that doesn't obstruct any of the lateral airflow. Intel's rival AMD has been bundling RGB-illuminated Wraith Prism cooling solutions since the beginning of the AMD Ryzen era.

You'll see none of these coolers in 2021, as Intel plans to debut the 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" family this year with only the Unlocked K or KF SKUs, which lack any included cooler. The "locked" 65 W SKUs are expected to join the lineup only by Q1 2022.