Intel Arrow Lake-S CPU Gets Delidded Ahead of Launch

Introduction

Intel's upcoming Arrow Lake-S desktop processors are set to hit the shelves later this week, but one hardware enthusiast has already taken a peek under the hood by delidding the CPU. This risky process involves removing the integrated heat spreader (IHS) to allow for direct cooling of the silicon dies inside.

Key Details

Delidding Process: The delidding was performed by a hardware enthusiast known as Madness727, who shared multiple photos of the delidded Arrow Lake-S chip. This process can damage the chip if not done correctly and voids the warranty.
Tiled Architecture: The delidding revealed Intel's novel chiplet design, featuring a compute tile with 8 performance (Lion Cove) and 16 efficiency (Skymont) cores, a graphics tile with 4 Xe GPU cores, an I/O tile with a Thunderbolt 4 controller, and a SoC tile handling chipset functions.
Process Nodes: The compute tile is built on TSMC's advanced N3B node, the GPU tile uses N5P, and the SoC and I/O tiles are based on the N6 process. All five tiles are assembled on a base layer fabricated using Intel's 22nm FinFET technology.

Conclusion: A Glimpse into the Future

The delidding of the Arrow Lake-S CPU provides a fascinating look at Intel's innovative tiled architecture and the potential for enhanced performance and efficiency. As we await the official launch, the anticipation for these new processors continues to grow.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is delidding? A: Delidding is the process of removing the integrated heat spreader (IHS) from the top of a CPU to allow for direct cooling of the silicon dies inside.

Q: Why is delidding risky? A: Delidding can damage the chip if not done correctly and voids the warranty.

Q: What did the delidding reveal about the Arrow Lake-S CPU? A: The delidding revealed Intel's tiled architecture, including the compute tile, graphics tile, I/O tile, and SoC tile.