Intel Meteor Lake-S CPU Test Tool Once Again Points To A Possible Desktop Launch

A test tool for Intel's Meteor Lake-S CPUs has appeared on the blue team's designintools portal which may indicate a desktop launch.

Previously, there were rumors that Intel had canceled its Meteor Lake-S Desktop CPU family and instead focused on its refreshed Raptor Lake CPUs. Now, a new LGA1851-MTL-S CPU interposer discovered by momomo_us has appeared which is an internal testing tool provided to customers and partners who are receiving the first samples for testing. It was recently stated that Intel was sampling its first Meteor Lake-S Desktop CPUs to OEMs.

Current motherboards feature the  LGA1700 socket, featuring support for 12th Gen, Alder Lake, and the current 13th Gen Core Raptor Lake CPUs. The new interposer tool is labeled as "LGA1851-MTL-S, and is specifically designed for Meteor Lake-S CPUs and also future chips that utilize similar LGA contacts. It was previously pointed out that the LGA 1851 socket should span at least three desktop families with Arrow Lake and its refresh being one of them.

The below link, provided by hardware leaker momomo_us on Twitter, sends users to a page listing for the LGA1851-MTL-S Interposer for the Gen5 Voltage Regulation (VR) Test Tool (SKU Q6UB1851MTLS), which is only available to allowed users.

https://t.co/EE9GxbcV1Y

— 188号 (@momomo_us) April 24, 2023

The image for the Intel Meteor Lake-S LGA 1851 Test Tool on the page is shown below:

Outside of the "Intel Confidential" at the bottom of the interposer above, it has the socket & CPU family listed, with "Revision A (REV A)" and a copyright of "2022." The LGA 1851 socket listed explains that this interposer has 1,851 separate contacts. It is slightly larger than the current LGA socket requiring 1,700 contacts. A roadmap from Intel was to have confirmed this discovery, as shown below:

The above roadmap states that the Intel W680, Z790, 700 Series, and Q670 chipsets would be part of the Raptor Lake-S Refresh series, which is expected to launch in the third quarter of this year. The Meteor Lake series, listed as part of the Intel VPU Timeline, shows laptop and notebook manufacturers Microsoft, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Acer. A few months ago, we reported original Meteor Lake-S plans which include various SKUs for the desktop LGA 1851 platform. The SKUs list includes:

Yesterday, it was revealed that Intel's Meteor Lake's new L4 cache, "Adamantine," will be on the latest mobile series chipset. We will have to continue to follow this new information with a fair amount of "rumor" until we see more validity to a desktop Meteor Lake line.

News Sources: momomo_us on Twitter, Intel