Rumors claim otherwise, but Intel’s 14th Generation Meteor Lake processors could make their debut in the desktop space after all. If the LGA1851 Meteor Lake-S interposer is anything to go by, it looks like Intel is testing a desktop version of Meteor Lake. Perhaps this tool serves other internal purposes and should not be expected.
Even before the LGA1700 socket came out, there was already talk of an LGA18xx socket. The LGA1700 is powered by 12th Gen Alder Lake processors and 13th Gen Raptor Lake processors. Therefore, the Raptor Lake successor could debut on a new socket, Meteor Lake or not. It’s no secret that Intel’s approach to sockets isn’t as clear cut as AMD’s. For example, AMD has promised that he will support the latest in his AM5 socket well into 2025 and beyond. Looking at previous Intel sockets such as the LGA1200 socket, it only supported two generations of processors.
hardware detective momomo_us (opens in new tab) recently discovered the LGA1851-MTL-S interposer (Q6UB1851MTLS). This seems to imply that Intel may have Meteor Lake-S desktop chips in the works. An interposer’s job is to provide an electrical conduit that links a socket or connection to another socket. However, without access to technical specifications and documentation, it’s hard to deduce the true purpose of the Meteor Lake-S interposer.
Interpose shows 1,851 contacts to match the LGA1851 moniker. Assuming this is a desktop socket for Meteor Lake, it’s only an 8.9% increase in contact count over his current LGA1700 socket. However, the final transition from LGA1200 to his LGA1700 socket saw a 41.7% increase in contact.
a previous leak (opens in new tab) One of the alleged Intel documents supposedly points to the use of the 14th generation moniker for upcoming Meteor Lake (MTL) processors. However, the document doesn’t specify whether Meteor Lake is coming to mobile, desktop, or both. It’s not unprecedented for certain Intel microarchitectures to stay in the mobile segment, such as Tiger Lake. This document includes Tiger Lake under the 11th Gen section. Therefore, both mobile and desktop lineups are considered in this document.
An unconfirmed Intel roadmap means Meteor Lake may not be coming to desktops in the near future. However, due to the roadmap, many believe that Intel is preparing the Raptor Lake Refresh (RPL-R) for a Q3 release. So, it’s highly likely that the rumored Raptor Lake Refresh will be Intel’s last vehicle for his LGA1700 socket.
Intel recently made a lot of progress with Meteor Lake. The chipmaker recently rolled out several Linux patches, hinting at his L4 cache for upcoming Meteor Lake chips. Intel’s patent has also appeared, confirming his L4 cache for Meteor Lake. Intel uses the name ‘Adamantine’ for his L4 cache. Mobile Meteor Lake is set to launch this year, and if a desktop variant is in Intel’s plans, it probably won’t arrive until 2024, assuming the Raptor Lake Refresh has some credibility.
