Intel Arrow Lake might get a refresh after all
Intel's mobile platform roadmap for the next few years is becoming increasingly clear. Panther Lake is expected to debut this year, followed by Nova Lake in 2026, with the latter also likely making its way to desktops.
Interestingly, whispers of an Arrow Lake Refresh have been circulating for a while, suggesting a core count bump for desktop and mobile CPUs. The rumours pointed towards an increase in Skymont E-cores to 32, resulting in a total of 40 cores (8 Lion Cove P-cores and 32 E-cores). These plans were supposedly abandoned, but a new rumour from Golden Pig Upgrade (via HXL) suggests otherwise.
The latest information suggests a more modest approach for the Arrow Lake Refresh, focusing primarily on enhancing the chip's NPU capabilities. Rather than a core count refresh, Intel reportedly plans to integrate a new NPU similar to the one in the Lunar Lake series. This new NPU should offer a performance of up to 48 TOPS, a significant jump from the current NPU's 13 TOPS. This upgraded NPU would likely be the key differentiator for the Arrow Lake Refresh.
Unfortunately, the source of this information remains vague about other potential improvements. If these rumors prove accurate, we can likely expect Intel to launch the Core Ultra 300H series for Panther Lake and the 300S/300HX series for Arrow Lake before the end of the year.
KitGuru says: Adding a better NPU will hardly make Arrow Lake a better product for most users. However, it could allow Intel to remain relevant in the market, giving them time to bring a new generation of desktop processors in 2026 (most likely Nova Lake).
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