The new processors Intel Core Ultra of architecture Meteor Lake They’re here to stay, and Intel hasn’t been shy about showing off how they’ve managed to fit all the miniaturized technology inside, showing us images of how are they inside. So below we show you everything, explaining it to you in the simplest way possible, so you can see them and understand how everything works.
It is quite common that when a new generation of processors comes out, the manufacturer itself makes it easier for us by publishing close-up images of the chip, explaining in turn what each of its parts is. For analysts this is very valuable information that helps understand how it works, and even for normal users we consider it something curious to say the least.
Bare Intel Core Ultra processors
The images, although owned by Intel, were actually leaked by HXL (@9559pro), but in any case they give us a better view of the Meteor Lake processor chipset layout compared to the 3D renders initially published by Intel. This is particularly interesting in this generation of processors because Meteor Lake is based on an architecture that combines several IPs (in this case it means Intellectual Property, that is, like pieces of a puzzle that come from one side or the other and have an owner) in one package.
Here you can see the information initially published by Intel, where we see that in the case of Meteor Lake there are a total of four chips which include the CPU, GPU, SOC (NPU, etc.) and a specific for I/O. .
Each of these four pieces “comes from their father and their mother”, that is to say, each has its own manufacturing process and comes from a different place; In other words, some parts are made by Intel, others by TSMC, etc. :
- The CPU chipset is manufactured by Intel on its Intel 4 (7nm EUV) process.
- The GPU chipset is manufactured by TSMC in 5nm.
- The SoC chiplet is manufactured by TSMC in 6nm.
- The I/O (IO) chiplet is manufactured by TSMC in 6nm.
In the images that show one of these Intel Core Ultra processors inside, we can see that it has 2 P cores, 8 E cores and 2 very low power E-LP cores. As we’ve already explained, the P and E cores are located on the same chipset (the CPU), while the two E-LP cores are located separately in what Intel calls “Low Power Island.”
In the following image you can see the CPU chipset closer, where we can appreciate what we have told you in a slightly clearer way.
In the central part, you can also see its cache memory, in this case 12 MB “intelligent”.
As for the GPU, below this paragraph you will see its chiplet more closely. In the Intel Core Ultra used for this example, we can see that it has 4 Xe cores (Intel Alchemist).
The bottom section is the SoC chipset.
And we need to see the I/O module, which contains many additional elements like memory controller and so on. and that’s why there seem to be so many people.
As you can see, a small processor that measures just a few centimeters and that anyone can fit in the palm of their hand has an overwhelming complexity and number of components inside, all so that we can use our PCs. Amazing, right?
