Intel is rumored to be preparing to tease its Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake" processor at the 2024 Computex, which gets underway this June. The series itself isn't expected to launch before Q4-2024, but Computex is the only major global event between June and January for Intel to unveil or tease its next-generation processor, so here we are. At this point we don't know which exact platform of "Arrow Lake" Intel is planning to tease—whether these are the mobile variants, or the Socket LGA1851 desktop "Arrow Lake-S." An unveiling of the latter would almost definitely entail PC motherboard vendors being allowed to show off their first compatible motherboards at Computex—the perfect platform for them to do so.

The Core Ultra "Arrow Lake" retains a Foveros Tiled (chiplet) construction of "Meteor Lake," but with advancements to the chip's Compute tile, which is built on the Intel 20A foundry node, and rocks new "Lion Cove" P-cores and "Skymont" E-cores; an updated I/O tile, and an iGPU based on the updated Xe-LPG+ graphics architecture. Since the processor now serves practically all PCH functions, the mobile "Arrow Lake" is a single-chip solution, whereas the desktop "Arrow Lake-S" is expected to remain 2-chip. There will be more I/O from the CPU, though, which is why the socket has 151 more pins than the LGA1700.

Over the weekend, there have been a series of leaks from sources such as Golden Pig Upgrade, and High Yield YT, surrounding Intel's next-generation desktop processor, the Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S." The lineup is likely to continue the new client processor naming scheme Intel introduced with the Core Ultra 1-series "Meteor Lake" on the mobile platform. "Arrow Lake-S" is rumored to debut the new Socket LGA1851, which retains cooler-compatibility with LGA1700. Although Intel has nucleated all I/O functions of the traditional PCH to "Meteor Lake," making it a single-chip solution on the mobile platform; and although the mobile "Arrow Lake" will continue to be single-chip; the desktop "Arrow Lake-S" will be a 2-chip solution. This is mainly because the desktop platform demands a lot more PCIe lanes, for a larger number of NVMe storage devices, or high bandwidth devices such as Thunderbolt and USB4 hubs, etc.

Another key finding in this latest series of leaks, is that unlike "Meteor Lake," the desktop "Arrow Lake-S" will do away with low-power island E-cores located in the SoC tile of the processor. All CPU cores are located in the Compute tile, which is expected to be built in the Intel 20A foundry node—the company's first node to implement GAAFETs (nanosheets), with backside power delivery; as well as an advanced 2nd generation EUV lithography. Intel's 1st Gen EUV is used on the current FinFET-based Intel 4 and Intel 3 foundry nodes.