Intel Officially Confirms Arrow Lake Refresh CPUs Coming Before Nova Lake
Intel is working on a refresh for its Arrow Lake CPU line, something the company CFO confirmed. The new processors are expected to come out just ahead of the Nova Lake next-gen architecture, likely late this year as the last revamp for the LGA 1851 socket.
Official Confirmation from Intel's CFO
The confirmation came amidst a conversation about Intel's competitive position in the desktop CPU market, which Zinsner said needed improvement:
"We still have some work to do on the client side on the portfolio."
"There's another wave of Arrow Lake that we'll see after the first launch, but it won't be until Nova Lake that really, I think, we have completely addressed that situation."
This is the first official acknowledgment of an Arrow Lake Refresh, which had previously remained in the rumor sphere.
What to Expect Minor Tweaks, Not a Major Overhaul
Desktop and mobile platforms are expected to be a part of this refresh, just like with the Raptor Lake series, with an emphasis on expecting little in terms of performance improvements. Clock speeds may change, but architectural changes will probably be kept to an absolute minimum.
Why a Refresh Context Surrounding the Decision
The initial launch of Arrow Lake was met with what the source describes as "disappointing performance." Intel improved platform software slightly by Application Performance Optimization (APO), including memory performance tuning. The Arrow Lake Refresh is just another attempt to make the LGA 1851 platform competitive one last time before the ushering in of new competitors.
Release Timeline and Platform Strategy
The Arrow Lake Refresh models are expected to be launched sometime later in the year, most likely in Q4. The timing has a strategic purpose; Intel and its partners will clear existing inventories of LGA 1851 products prior to the transition to the new platform slated for Nova Lake generation.
