Intel prepares Arrow Lake with powerful iGPU to compete with Strix Halo [RUMOR]

It looks like Intel is indeed preparing a response to AMD’s Strix Halo processors, as a leak has brought “Arrow Lake Halo” back into the rumor mill. The alleged Arrow Lake-based processor with a beefy Xe2 iGPU has appeared on a shipping manifest on NBD.

The document calls the product “Arrow Lake Enthusiast Mobile Workstation.” However, if the processor is indeed going to compete with Strix Halo, expectations are around its larger GPU, with more gaming capability.

The leak indicates that the supposed Arrow Lake Halo features 6 P-cores (Lion Cove), focused on performance, and 8 E-cores (Skymont), focused on efficiency. The product would be aimed at competing in the premium 14” notebook segment, where the Strix Halo is also expected to operate.

The folks at VideoCardz recall that this processor variant first appeared two years ago, in a report by AdoredTV. At the time, the Arrow Lake Halo was revealed with GT3 graphics, manufactured on the N3 process with 320 execution units. However, after this initial leak, there was no further talk of the processor. It seems then that its return could be a response to the Strix Halo.

Arrow Lake Halo may have different interface

Taking advantage of comparisons of Intel’s alleged processor variant with AMD’s Strix Halo, TechPowerUp raises the possibility that we could see a different memory interface as well.

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In AMD’s solution, the manufacturer opted to use 256-bit LPDDR5x bandwidth, so as not to bottleneck with the more advanced iGPU. Intel may end up doing the same in its competitor, doubling the bandwidth in relation to the 128-bit interface present in standard Arrow Lake.

While we’re still in the rumor phase, it’s hard to make any predictions about the launch. But Intel is likely to wait until the launch of its processor variant with a beefy GPU closer to the Strix Halo, which would be in early 2025.