Intel could use upgraded NPU inside of Arrow Lake Refresh CPUs, larger die size required

Intel will unleash its next-generation Core Ultra 200 series "Arrow Lake" CPUs later this year, without a dedicated NPU for AI workloads... however, we're hearing the "Arrow Lake Refresh" will have an upgraded NPU that will require more die space.

In a new post on X by leaker "Jaykihn" we're hearing that if Intel goes ahead with the Arrow Lake Refresh, we'll see an "upgraded NPU" on the SoC tile at a 2.8mm longer die than Arrow Lake. The leaker confirms this will be the same with Arrow Lake Refresh-S and Arrow Lake Refresh-HX processors, with the same package size.

Motherboard compatibility will "depend on whether Fast Voltage Mode (FMV) is enabled on the VccSA rail, which depends on board vendors" added the leaker in the post on X. The leaker continued, saying that the Arrow Lake Refresh CPUs will "also have an NPU" adding that the leaker wasn't "where the rumor is sourced from, but it isn't correct. My previous tweet regarding the NPU stated "upgraded", as in upgraded from the previous Arrow Lake non-refrfesh NPU".

It looks like we can expect the Arrow Lake Refresh processors to feature an NPU inside of the SoC tile, with the SoC tile being the biggest tile on Intel's current-gen Meteor Lake mobile processors. The upgraded NPU joining the Arrow Lake Refresh CPUs will require 2.8mm more die size, making them slightly bigger than the upcoming Core Ultra 200 series "Arrow Lake" processors.

• Read more: Intel Core Ultra 200V 'Lunar Lake' drops in September, Core Ultra 200 'Arrow Lake' in October
• Read more: Intel's new 800-series platform for Core Ultra 200 'Arrow Lake' CPUs detailed in new leaks
• Read more: Intel Innovation 2024 on September 24: Arrow Lake, Lunar Lake, Granite Rapids-AP CPUs
• Read more: Intel confirms next-gen Arrow Lake CPUs for desktop and laptops launch for Q4 2024
• Read more: Intel's next-gen flagship Core Ultra 9 285K 'Arrow Lake' CPU rumored to hit 5.5GHz

AMD will be launching its next-generation Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processors later this month, powered by the company's XDNA 2-based NPU that has 50 TOPS of AI processing power. AMD already has NPUs inside of its Ryzen 8000G "Hawk Point" APUs while its upcoming Ryzen 300 AI series "Strix Point" APUs will launch with an upgraded NPU.

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Intel looks to not have any NPU powering AI workloads for its upcoming Core Ultra 200 series "Arrow Lake" CPUs which will put the company behind AMD on the desktop AI processor front. Intel will have its Core Utlra 200V series "Lunar Lake" CPUs with beefy NPUs, but they're for laptops... not desktops. It looks like we'll be waiting for the -- now bigger -- "Arrow Lake Refresh" CPUs in 2025 for Intel to deliver an NPU-powered desktop CPU.