Intel clarifies confusing statement from the head of its PC division
No LGA-1851 for Meteor Lake.
In an interview with PCWorld Michelle Johnston Holthaus (Intel Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Client Computing Group) has clearly said that Meteor Lake chips are coming to desktops in 2024. The problem with this statement is that Holthaus did not actually mean a desktop socket but rather a desktop form factor which spans across a variety of systems.
Obviously, the vast majority of users will never call a Mini-PC or All-in-One system a desktop, however both technically can sit on a desk. These systems are not always marketed as desktop systems, and they often use low-power mobile CPU variants. That’s unlike Intel Core K-series clearly labeled and marketed as a desktop platform. Intel now had to clarify this confusing statement from Holthaus by explaining that the by desktop she actually meant All-in-One system.
Meteor Lake is a power efficient architecture that will power innovative mobile and desktop designs, including desktop form factors such as All-in-One (AIO). We will have more product details to share in the future.
— Intel spokesperson to ComputerBase
Although Holthaus didn’t explicitly mention Meteor Lake-S, the straightforward responses provided, seemingly confirming a desktop launch, have caused significant confusion. She even went on to state that Intel aims to establish a comprehensive ‘top to bottom’ product lineup for both the mobile and desktop segments, leaving little room for alternative interpretations.
While Intel does offer certain desktop/mobile hybrid models like the Core KB series designed for NUC systems, these are limited to only a few specific SKUs. Unless these upcoming All-in-One systems will be powered by such processors, it should be challenging to classify them as true desktops, particularly if their hardware is still rooted in mobile technology.
This situation parallels the distinction between Mini-PCs and traditional desktops; even though the current generation of NUC Extreme systems resembles small desktop PCs and employs desktop sockets, they are unquestionably desktop systems, while the All-in-One platform may not fit that description quite as neatly.
Source: ComputerBase
