Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake-S desktop CPU is set to feature a redesigned P-Core and E-Core layout, as revealed by a recent block diagram. This new core structure will include P Lion Cove cores and compactly packaged E-Core Skymont clusters, indicating significant changes to the internal architecture of Intel’s next-gen CPUs. The CPUs will boast up to 8 P-Cores based on the Lion Cove core architecture and 16 E-Cores based on the Skymont E-Core architecture, offering a total of 24 cores and 24 threads without hyperthreading support.
The Arrow Lake CPUs will feature 3.0MB L2 cache per core and 3MB L3 cache, totaling 24MB L3 cache that will be fully shared. Meanwhile, the Skymont E-Cores will have 4MB L2 cache per cluster with each cluster receiving 3MB L3 cache. A notable change in this design is the grouping of E-Cores in close proximity to P-Cores, unlike previous designs where they were separated. This arrangement aims to enhance inter-chip communication, aid the Thread Director in workload distribution, and reduce latencies on the ring bus interconnect.
The new design will also address previous intercore communication issues found in Alder Lake and Raptor Lake chips, offering improved travel times and communication efficiency between cores. Additionally, Intel has confirmed significant differences between the P Lion Cove cores in Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake CPUs, emphasizing the uniqueness of the Arrow Lake architecture.
The Thread Director feature in the upcoming CPUs will prioritize E-Cores for Lunar Lake but will start with P-Cores for high-performance tasks, providing flexibility for OEMs to customize scheduling based on their requirements. This design choice by Intel for the Arrow Lake CPUs, set to launch in October, will cater to both desktop and mobile formats, promising a compelling high-performance computing experience.
Overall, the Intel Arrow Lake-S desktop CPU represents a significant evolution in core design, aiming to optimize performance, communication, and workload distribution for a more efficient computing experience. With its innovative architecture and promising features, the Arrow Lake CPUs are poised to make a mark in the processor market upon their release in the coming months.
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