Intel's Jasper Lake could launch early 2021

A leak via Fanless Tech has reported that Intel is preparing its Jasper Lake family of processors for entry-level laptops and fanless mini desktops, with eyes firmly set on an early 2021 launch.

The report suggests that six different low power SKUs are being worked on right now, all utilising Intel's 10nm Tremont architecture CPU cores. It's a core that's previously been used to supplement Sunny Cove cores within Lakefield CPUs but the thinking is that this time around, Jasper Lake will be solely powered by Tremont cores to keep things entry-level in spec. Essentially, while Lakefield is primarily for premium ultralight laptops, Jasper Lake will be for entry-level systems that could be similarly slim. 

The processors discovered by Fanless Tech include three desktop SKUs with 10W TDPs along with three mobile SKUs with 6W TDPs. The desktop SKUs include the Pentium Silver N6005, 4C/4T @ 2.0GHz up to 3.3GHz (max quad core burst), UHD Graphics, 4M L2 cache, Celeron N5105, 4C/4T @ 2.0GHz up to 2.8GHz (max quad core burst), UHD Graphics, 4M L2 cache, and Celeron N4505, 2C/2T @ 2.0GHz up to 2.9GHz (max dual core burst), UHD Graphics, 4M L2 cache.

When it comes to mobile SKUs, there's the Pentium Silver N6000, 4C/4T @ 1.1GHz up to 3.1GHz (max quad core burst), UHD Graphics, 4M L2 cache, Celeron N5100, 4C/4T @ 1.1GHz up to 2.8GHz (max quad core burst), UHD Graphics, 4M L2 cache, and Celeron N4500, 2C/2T @ 1.1GHz up to 2.8GHz (max dual core burst), UHD Graphics, 4M L2 cache.

Designed with budget laptops and fanless mini desktops in mind, they should end up reasonably cheap while still offering some useful advantages. Intel has explained in the past that the new Tremont architecture delivers an average 30 percent IPC improvement over its predecessor - Gemini Lake chips with its 14nm Goldmont architecture - while also being far more efficient. 

Obviously, these won't be the kind of CPUs to set the world alight with excitement, but a 30 percent improvement is nothing to be sniffed at in this part of the industry. It could mean some far more impressive entry-level mini PCs than we've seen before. 

The general consensus seems to be that we should get more information about Jasper Lake in time for CES early next year. That should be the perfect time for the unveiling of new systems that incorporate the technology, and to see just what manufacturers have come up with.