Intel has been actively promoting its next generation of processors Panther Lake, largely to highlight the introduction of the advanced manufacturing process 18A in the consumer segment. At the same time, it is important to note that this top line will be accompanied by the Wildcat Lake. Although made with the same innovative technology, the latter are designed specifically for more affordable devices with lower power consumption. Recently, a new leak has brought to light crucial information about these models.
Apparently, the Wildcat Lake will, in fact, be quite "tame" in terms of graphics capabilities. The well-known insider Kepler (@Kepler_L2) has found an update that strongly suggests that the processors in this range will not support ray tracing. In the leaked screenshot, the "has_ray_tracing" value appears as "false", clearly indicating the absence of this feature.
Although this information is still awaiting official confirmation, its validation would not represent a significant surprise. After all, these are processors designed for the mobile market and entry-level platforms. Furthermore, previous leaks, such as those detailing the Panther Lake and Wildcat Lakealready indicated that they would have only two cores Xe3 for its integrated graphics (iGPU). The architecture Xe3 is inherently compatible with ray tracing. However, considering that the expected performance of these models is limited, it makes perfect sense for Intel to disable this feature. This would allow for optimization of overall performance and, consequently, better control of power consumption, crucial characteristics for low-cost devices.
To top it off, previous leaks suggest that, in addition to the pair of cores Xe3 of iGPUprocessors Wildcat Lake will incorporate only two cores P (Performance) and four cores LP (Low-Power), totaling six cores. It is therefore possible that the so-called E (Efficiency) are not present in this line.
This potential configuration is quite intriguing, especially since recent rumors from Intel indicate a strategic change at the company. The chip giant is reportedly preparing to "unifying" its nuclei, planning to abandon the traditional distinction between performance and efficiency units from 2028, with the next generation Titan Lake. It is worth noting that this unification may apply primarily to the CPUs of desktopand the Wildcat Lake are mobile processors.
Even so, the apparent absence of nuclei E us Wildcat Lake remains a curious point, especially as Intel is signaling a future with a greater focus on these efficiency cores. Therefore, the logic behind this decision for entry-level processors is still a matter of debate and speculation in the industry.
Intel is clearly positioning Wildcat Lake as the direct successors of the Alder Lake-N e Twin Lake. These are entry-level CPU models, known for their extremely low TDPs, which are ideal not only for notebooks, but also for many other portable devices. Consequently, these processors have become very popular in mini PCsoffering a compact and efficient solution.
In this way, it is quite likely that we will start to see processors Wildcat Lake e Panther Lake integrated into compact computers and other devices from the second half of this year. This launch window coincides with the expected arrival of both new generations of Intel chips on the market. So get ready for new hardware options that combine performance and portability.
Watch the video to learn more about 18A technology:
Source: WCCFTech
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