News Intel Meteor Lake 16-Core, 14-Core CPUs Surface In New Benchmarks

[Admin]

Hardware detective momomo_us finds two alleged Intel 14th Generation Meteor Lake processors for mobile devices in the SiSoftware benchmark database.

Intel Meteor Lake 16-Core, 14-Core CPUs Surface In New Benchmarks : Read more

 

[Metal Messiah.]

The first Meteor Lake sample emerged with 14 cores that likely adhere to a 4P + 8E design, whereas the second Meteor Lake sample has 16 cores that should stick to a 6P + 8E layout.

The core/thread count is actually been misreported by the SiSoftware benchmark.

Yes, this is the actual core layout config. 16-core variant will be based on a 6 P-Core + 8 E-Core + 2 E-Core layout while the 14-core variant is based on a 4 P-Core + 8 E-Core + 2 E-Core layout. The additional 2 cores are part of the SOC tile.

Also, these are confirmed to be mobile parts. Since there has been rumors that we won't get a desktop variant in MTL series. Chances are slim.

A simple and easy way to confirm whether this is a Meteor Lake chip is the fact that it houses 128 EUs which is only possible on Meteor Lake chips, since Raptor Lake and Alder Lake Xe GPUs max out at 96 EUs & they also don't operate at clock speeds of over 2 GHz (2100 MHz in this case).

A desktop part seems unlikely due to the 128 EU GPU config. Or whether Intel will really put a 128 EU iGPU within its mainstream consumer desktop processors, remains to be seen ?

 

[bit_user]

As I've said before, I think putting the two LP E-cores in the SoC tile was genius.

 

[thestryker]

The SoC configuration with LP cores are most certainly mobile parts. Intel could release a 128EU desktop part, but I doubt it will with MTL as it's their first foray into tiles in mainstream. I'm really looking forward to die shots of tiled processors with different IGP/SoC/IO tiles.

 

[Lafong]

Within the last week, I saw a couple of web pages saying there were strong rumors that Meteor Lake will be mobile only.

Next 2 desktop series supposed to be Raptor Lake refresh followed by Arrow Lake.

All no more than rumor.

Supposed to be getting rid of the "i" branding designation also, in favor of "Core Ultra".

 

[usertests]

Meteor Lake will be crazy if it does all the stuff that has been rumored to date, including adding an L4 cache (less than 1 GB?) and an AI accelerator.

A desktop part seems unlikely due to the 128 EU GPU config. Or whether Intel will really put a 128 EU iGPU within its mainstream consumer desktop processors, remains to be seen ?

The SoC configuration with LP cores are most certainly mobile parts. Intel could release a 128EU desktop part, but I doubt it will with MTL as it's their first foray into tiles in mainstream. I'm really looking forward to die shots of tiled processors with different IGP/SoC/IO tiles.

A socketed Intel APU with all the EUs would be really interesting. People to this day are buying relatively weak 5600G/5700G desktop APUs, and are hungry for AM5 ones.

Will the TSMC tiles in Meteor Lake limit supply compared to previous chips it sends millions of to OEMs?

Mobile MTL chips will make their way into some mini PCs. If the price is right, just buy some OEM system.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Can we not call it LP-E cores?

That's confusing and a unnecessarily long acronym.

Why not just call it L-cores?

L = Low-Power cores.

 

[bit_user]

Can we not call it LP-E cores?

That's confusing and a unnecessarily long acronym.

Why not just call it L-cores?

L = Low-Power cores.

I think the point is that their microarchitecture is the same as the other E-cores. The differences are: where they're situated, the process node on which they're made (because of which tile they're on), and the clock speed limits to which they're subject (which would be responsible for the Low Power). So, I fully understand the desire to convey that they're E-cores, but primarily (exclusively?) engaged when the system is in a Low Power mode.

 

[rluker5]

I don't think LP-E cores will help in heavily multithreaded tasks. But the power savings aspect will still be worth it for mobile. Even a 2w Bay Trail Atom can handle audio and video playback. I just hope the switching between the LP-E cores and the rest is fast enough that we don't notice the slowdown from using the SOC ones.

 

[Unolocogringo]

If these LP-E cores are used for I/O only it could be a winning design.
Let these cores take care of HDD/SSD read/writes, memory management,Ethernet management,Sound, Windows maintenance etc....
That leaves the P and E cores for programs only.
And when not needed can be turned off or put in deep sleep mode.
Maybe?

 

[pdecker]

We get a first peek at Meteor Late processors, not peak.

 

[bit_user]

Let these cores take care of HDD/SSD read/writes,

Those already happen using PCIe DMA transfers. You just poke a command into the controller's queue, telling it where to get/put the data from/to which LBAs on the drive, and then it does the transfer and sends an interrupt when it's done.

memory management,

When I call malloc(), I don't want to wait for a distant, slow core to get around to allocating it. I want it ASAP. The other disadvantage of outsourcing it to another core is that it can't benefit from heap datastructures that might be in my L1 cache. And then there's the issue of bottlenecks, when multiple cores are trying to do a lot of memory allocations at once.

 

[truerock]

I use desktop PCs.
I only use notebook PCs on special occasions.
I do not want low power/low performance cores on my desktop PC.
Ditto, for on-chip GPUs. Complete waste of die space.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Ditto, for on-chip GPUs. Complete waste of die space.

iGPUs are very nice for troubleshooting or if all you need is basic desktop functions. For example, if you have a standard business desktop there isn't a need for dGPU as you aren't doing anything graphically intensive.

 

[bit_user]

I use desktop PCs.
I only use notebook PCs on special occasions.
I do not want low power/low performance cores on my desktop PC.
Ditto, for on-chip GPUs. Complete waste of die space.

So, did you ever buy that Sapphire Rapids workstation? Just curious.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I think the point is that their microarchitecture is the same as the other E-cores. The differences are: where they're situated, the process node on which they're made (because of which tile they're on), and the clock speed limits to which they're subject (which would be responsible for the Low Power). So, I fully understand the desire to convey that they're E-cores, but primarily (exclusively?) engaged when the system is in a Low Power mode.

That's fine that they're in a different part of the chiplet. The name still sucks.

 

[truerock]

So, did you ever buy that Sapphire Rapids workstation? Just curious.

So, good point.
In my opinion, Intel should deliver its HEDT PC using Xeon because Xeon better represents what you would want in a HEDT PC. There are a few issues:
1. Intel wants to make Xeon only for workstations requiring a large number of slow cores.
2. There aren't very many retail motherboards available for Xeon.
3. Intel doesn't want to mess up its high-margin workstation business by overlapping with its low-margin PC business.

 

[truerock]

iGPUs are very nice for troubleshooting or if all you need is basic desktop functions. For example, if you have a standard business desktop there isn't a need for dGPU as you aren't doing anything graphically intensive.

Just to be clear, I'm not interested in "standard business desktop" PCs.
I am only interested in HEDT PCs
So, I agree that iGPUs have some valid use-cases... like generic notebook PCs and generic middle-class desktop PCs being the most obvious.
iGPUs are a waste of die space in regard to HEDT PCs - and, I think it is weird that Intel sells HEDT PC CPUs with iGPUs.

Likewise, I think Apple's idea of mixing low-power-low-performance cores with regular cores on the CPUs they build for iPhone and iPad was brilliant. Using that idea on HEDT PCs is stupid.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Just to be clear, I'm not interested in "standard business desktop" PCs.
I am only interested in HEDT PCs
So, I agree that iGPUs have some valid use-cases... like generic notebook PCs and generic middle-class desktop PCs being the most obvious.
iGPUs are a waste of die space in regard to HEDT PCs - and, I think it is weird that Intel sells HEDT PC CPUs with iGPUs.

Likewise, I think Apple's idea of mixing low-power-low-performance cores with regular cores on the CPUs they build for iPhone and iPad was brilliant. Using that idea on HEDT PCs is stupid.

Even on HEDT PCs iGPUs ARE NOT a waste of space. Having an iGPU is still useful even if it is only for troubleshooting purposes. Now the iGPU on the Ryzen I/O Die is tiny, all of 2 CUs. If it isn't in use it will not affect your performance and since it is on the I/O Die it isn't taking up valuable Die space for CPU cores.

Intel including one on their SPR HEDT isn't surprising. There are a lot of people who want QuickSync ability and that is only via their iGPU.

Just because you don't have a use for something doesn't mean it is a stupid idea.

 

[bit_user]

iGPUs are a waste of die space in regard to HEDT PCs - and, I think it is weird that Intel sells HEDT PC CPUs with iGPUs.

Other than Xeon W, Intel has no HEDT PCs in this generation. And the current Xeon W do not have iGPUs.

As for mainstream desktop CPUs (i.e. LGA 1700), the iGPU comprises only about 15.6% of the large Alder Lake-S die, according to this analysis:

Die walkthrough: Alder Lake-S/P and a touch of Zen 3

I try to make at least one video project per month and in January I was bouncing back and forth between three different projects. All of them need or needed many more hours in addition, to get to the finish line, so instead this short (back then) rambling piece was started instead.

locuza.substack.com

The desktop PC I use at my job has one of these CPUs and no dGPU. So, that's a perfect example of why it's there.

Using that idea on HEDT PCs is stupid.

I think you're confused about what constitutes a HEDT PC.

Intel including one on their SPR HEDT isn't surprising.

Except, they didn't!

 

[jeremyj_83]

Except, they didn't!

I didn't bother checking on that and just went off what he said. I should have double checked. Thanks