TL;DR: Intel has now confirmed that its Lunar Lake processors will begin transport in September 2024, quashing current rumors that they have been delayed. The brand new CPUs are anticipated to energy the next-generation AI PCs and compete straight with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X-series SoCs and AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 processors.

Intel’s affirmation comes simply days after Taiwanese publication Digitimes reported a delay within the transport date for the Lunar Lake lineup. In a press release refuting the declare, Intel advised Chinese language tech web site Benchlife that its upcoming AI processors have “not been delayed” and that they may begin transport in Q3, focusing on the Vacation season.

Lunar Lake-powered laptops are anticipated to be unveiled between the seventeenth and twenty fourth of September, and they’re going to reportedly go on sale by the twenty fifth. Intel will host its “Innovation” occasion on September 24, so it stays to be seen if the corporate will exhibit its new processors on that day.

Intel can be anticipated to launch the primary batch of Arrow Lake-S desktop CPUs in October earlier than releasing extra SKUs early subsequent 12 months. In accordance with rumors, the preliminary launch will embody the Okay-series unlocked chips, whereas the locked non-Okay models are more likely to land subsequent 12 months. Arrow Lake would require new Z890 motherboards, that are additionally anticipated to reach this October alongside the brand new processors. Intel’s new desktop CPUs will compete in opposition to AMD’s Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 “Granite Ridge” platform, which is assumed to launch in July.

Whereas Arrow Lake is aimed toward desktops and DIY fans, the Lunar Lake “Core Extremely 200V” CPUs are designed for skinny and lightweight notebooks that may compete in opposition to the recently-announced Copilot+ AI PCs powered by the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors. AMD can be anticipated to throw its hat within the AI PC ring with its Ryzen AI 300 “Strix Level” APUs which are slated to hit retail cabinets subsequent month.

Microsoft has confirmed that laptops powered by Lunar Lake and Strix Level CPUs is not going to launch with the Copilot+ characteristic, however will get it in an replace after launch. That is in direct distinction with the brand new Snapdragon-powered gadgets that have been launched with Copilot+ built-in. Units powered by the upcoming chips from Intel and AMD will meet Microsoft’s Copilot+ commonplace that requires laptops to incorporate an NPU highly effective sufficient to course of 40+ trillion operations per second (TOPS).