Apparently, Intel is preparing to launch the first laptops equipped with 8-core Intel Tiger Lake-H processors for the first quarter of 2021. This has been seen by the manufacturer Compal (OEM manufacturer of laptops from brands such as Acer) through a leaked corporate memo, and it is an important fact because they will be the first Intel processors based on 10nm lithography with more than 4 cores for the commercial sector.
The memo was written in May, but has not come to light until now. Compal expects Intel to release the first 8-core Tiger Lake-H processor during the first quarter of 2021, but the fact that the information is already available from the OEM means they are already working with the engineering samples (at a minimum) as well. that we can expect the launch of the first laptops equipped with these processors to occur on the same date.
The company's first 10nm consumer silicon is Ice Lake, but as we all know, Tiger Lake-U is just around the corner, although it is true that these processors will have a maximum of 4 cores. As part of the H segment, these new 8-core processors could target a TDP of between 35 and 45 watts and for notebooks of "conventional thickness", "premium" equipment and of course the best gaming notebooks that Intel will be able to offer at that date.
These 8-core Tiger Lake-H processors are the first real sign of Intel's 10nm performance upgrade, as the company has so far 'confined' the 10nm to the U and Y segments (at 15W and below). from TDP), addressing only ultraportable form factors, and even on these Intel launched 14nm “Comet Lake” U-segment parts at competitive prices to reduce market demand for Ice Lake-U processors.
Segment H was previously the exclusive province of Comet Lake, although Intel plans to launch Xeon "Ice Lake-SP" processors later this year (although these processors, like all server-based ones, are high-margin but low-volume). Compal says Intel will update the H-segment with a newer 8-core Comet Lake-H part in the second half of 2020, possibly to bolster the high-end segment against AMD's almighty Ryzen 9 4900H.
Later, well into 2021, Intel is expected to unveil its 10nm Alder Lake processors, which of course include a laptop variant. These processors will feature hybrid technology, combining "large" (Golden Cove) with "little" (Gracemont) cores in an architecture similar to ARM's big.LITTLE.
Family
Intel Tiger Lake
Intel Ice Lake
AMD Renoir
146 mm2
122 mm2
156 mm2
Willow Cove
Sunny Cove
Zen2
Gen12 (Intel Xe)
Gen11
GCN 5.0 (Vega)
4
3
N/A
PCIe 3.0
DDR5 / LPDDR5
LPDDR4X-3733
DDR4 / LPDDR4
8 / 4 / 2
4 / 2
8 / 6 / 4
384 / 512/ 640 / 768
256 / 384 / 512
384 / 448 / 512
H (35W) / U (28/15W) / Y (9W)
U (28/15W) / Y (9W)
G (65W) / H (45/35W) / U (15W)
Intel would have managed to integrate 8 cores in these Intel Tiger Lake-H processors, double what it will be able to offer with the Tiger Lake-U. While Tiger Lake-Us could use LPDDR4 memory, compatibility with the LPDDR5 is also indicated, while Tiger Lake-Hs would only support DDR5 memory.
Remember that both platforms will use the Willow Cove @ 10nm + microarchitecture, the use of Intel Xe graphics with the Gen12 architecture and access to Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, while the Tiger Lake-H will be launched at a time when we already have many rumors around AMD Ryzen 5000 (Zen3 @ 7nm +) for laptops.
Since the AMD Renoir processors hit the market, they are taking over most of the options offered by laptop manufacturers, especially in the high-end since they provide extraordinary performance with a very low TDP and, more importantly, with a large number of cores, especially important in gaming laptops for today's modern games.
Launching the Tiger Lake-H processors with 8 cores and a TDP similar to that of AMD (remember that we are around 35 watts) will allow Intel to present real competition in the high range, a sector of the market that is increasingly demanded precisely thanks to the market. gaming. We will see what performance they are capable of delivering and if they serve to present battle to AMD or not, but the answer from Intel seems to be already around the corner. Of course, it's worth mentioning that they are likely to "be late" and that AMD already has its next launch in the chamber, set to again leave Intel in the lurch.