In an interesting move, Intel’s Cannon Lake processors have surfaced and it looks like Apple will be able to add a 32-gigabyte RAM option to its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook lines.
Chinese retailer listings for the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 notebook reveal it uses a new processor, identified as the Core i3-8121U. The related listing in Intel’s Ark site confirms it to have been produced under a 10-nanometer process, and was launched in the second quarter of 2018.
The Core i3-8121U functions as a dual-core processor with four threads and has a base clock speed of 2.2GHz that can rise to 3.2GHz under Turbo Boost, and 4MB of cache. The unit is one of the lower-specification chips in the 8th-generation range, and the 15-watt thermal design point (TDP) indicates it would be best suited for use in notebooks.
The chip is noted as supporting DDR4-2400 and LPDDR/x-2400 spec RAM, allowing it to utilize 32 gigabytes of RAM from a maximum of two memory channels. This would allow Cannon Lake processors to max out at 32 gigabytes of RAM as opposed to the usual 16 gigabytes.
Even with this, it seems unlikely that Apple would specifically use the Core i3-8121U in its products. Aside from being one of the slower chips in the upcoming range, Intel Ark doesn’t appear to include any reference to an integrated GPU, suggesting it doesn’t include integrated graphics at all and instead would need to be accompanied by a discrete GPU.
In models where Apple has included a discrete GPU with its notebooks, these have generally been paired with a high performance processor. While the Core i3-8121U would be useful in a lower end MacBook or MacBook Air, these notebooks typically use integrated graphics, with no discrete GPU option available at all.
The Cannon Lake processors are thought to offer the usual performance boosts, reduced power consumption and smaller die sizes, scaling the process from 14nm to 10nm. This typically is useful for notebook and tablet producers, due to the potentially lower heat generation and battery usage compared to previous processor releases.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Ars Technica