Panther Lake (microprocessor)
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Launched | December 14, 2023[1] |
| Marketed by | Intel |
| Designed by | Intel |
| Common manufacturers |
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| CPUID code | unknown |
| Product code | unknown |
| Performance | |
| Max. CPU clock rate | P-cores: 5.1 GHz E-cores: 3.8 GHz LP E-cores: 2.5 GHz |
| DMI speeds | x8 16 GT/s |
| Cache | |
| L1 cache | 112 KB per P-core:
96 KB per E-core and LP E-core:
|
| L2 cache | 2 MB per P-core, E-core cluster and LP E-core cluster |
| L3 cache | Up to 24 MB |
| Architecture and classification | |
| Application | Mobile |
| Technology node | Intel 18A |
| Microarchitecture | Cougar Cove (P-cores) Crestmont (E-cores and LP E-cores) |
| Instruction set | x86-64 |
| Instructions | x86-64 |
| Extensions | |
| Physical specifications | |
| Cores |
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| Memory (RAM) | |
| GPU | Intel Arc |
| Packages |
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| Sockets |
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| Products, models, variants | |
| Product code name |
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| Models |
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| Brand name | |
| History | |
| Predecessors | Meteor Lake (embedded and 9 W |
| Successor | Nova Lake (low power ultralight) (performance thin & light) |
| Support status | |
| Supported | |
The Intel Panther Lake architecture is presently in risk production. Panther Lake will support PCIe 5.0. Thunderbolt 5 will finally be available for desktop processors. DDR5 will be JEDEC standard.[2] Press release said samples will be available for PC manufacturers with mass production expected in Q3 2025 after validation with then risk product stage.[3]LGA 1851 socket longevity planned until 2026.
Design and development
[edit]Intel is looking towards Panther Lake production in house rather than using TSMC. Intel is also developing Nova Lake for in house production. TSMC does have second source capabilities which can complement Intel's own production capacity.
Earlier Intel was considering 20A but settled in 18A[4] as the D1X Hillsboro, Oregon fab overhaul neared completion. All of Intel's plants have adopted 300 mm wafer in Hillsboro and most of the industry has also moved to 300 mm wafers. Intel is still worried about Cannon Lake (microprocessor) and Ice Lake (microprocessor). The Raptor Lake processors, Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake (microprocessor) marked a gradual turnaround. Intel is developing 14A which intended to keep the company competitive. Meteor Lake introduced chiplets.[5]
Larger 450 mm wafers are experiencing many challenges. Intel has much experience with 300 mm wafers to be able to get good yields. ASML has been trying to produce enough EUV systems and getting high-NA into production. High-NA EUV systems for 300 mm are already enormous – difficult to transport systems, making much bigger 450 mm versions would be an unprecedented engineering challenge.
The new Cougar Cove performance core will offer slightly better performance than Meteor Lake. The Skymont efficient cores are also likely to be redesigned. Intel 18A is using a RibbonFET design to reduce leakage. Unlike FinFETs, both the width and the number of the sheets can be varied to adjust drive strength or the amount of current the transistor can drive at a given voltage. The sheets often vary from 8 to 50 nanometers in width. The width of the nanosheets is known as Weff, or effective width.[6]
The PowerVia[7] backside power delivery network allows for better energy efficiency. Intel believes it will deliver about 6% performance gain.[8]
Description
[edit]Panther Lake will be Intel's Core Ultra Series 300 CPUs, with updated Cougar Cove performance cores and revised Darkmont E-cores, too. Intel's 18A process, however, is where Intel hopes to right the ship, regain its manufacturing leadership, as well as handle the bulk of the chip's production. It makes sense, then, that Intel is going to push Panther Lake as hard as it can.[2] Depending on demand Intel may find Panther Lake will have to make a good showing with mobile machine vendors.
NPU
[edit]Intel is developing AI features. Intel is expected to be offering a 5th gen NPU design to help with Windows Copilot and Google Chrome etc.[9] Mobile lag behind desktop processors so it is not clear if a NPU will be added to the U series processors.[10]
The first gen NPU came out in 2018, gen 2 in 2021, gen 3 in 2023, gen 4 in 2024 and with Panther Lake Intel has the 5th gen. NVIDIA has had AT features since the GTX 2000 series. AMD has XDNA and XDNA2 in competition with Intel and NVIDIA.
Microsoft Co-Pilot[11] is designed for a machine capable of 40 TOPS. Modern CPU chiplet designs may be able to overcome the thermal power limits by moving L3 off die.
GPU
[edit]The Intel ARC Xe3 GPU, also known as the Celestial GPU, is a next-generation graphics card that will be used in laptops. It's expected to be released in late 2025, alongside the Panther Lake CPUs.
Design
[edit]Raptor Lake features up to 24 cores (8 performance cores plus 16 efficiency cores) and 32 threads. H series tend to have 1/2 as many cores and U series the design is 9-15 W.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "The Intel Innovation 2023 Keynote Live Blog". AnandTech. September 19, 2023. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "Intel Accelerates 'AI Everywhere' at Computex 2024". Intel.
- ^ "Kevin O'Buckley Talks Progress on Intel 18A".
- ^ "Intel Process foundry".
- ^ "Intel chiplets".
- ^ "Samsung's 3-nm Tech Shows Nanosheet Transistor Advantage".
- ^ "Intel Powervia".
- ^ "Intel Is All-In on Backside Power Delivery".
- ^ "The AI PC Powered by Intel is Here. Now, AI is for Everyone". Intel.
- ^ "How to Check If My Intel® Processor Has an Integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU)".
- ^ "Microsoft CoPilot".