Following up on prior E-core-only Intel CPU designs like the N100, careful scrutiny of official Intel data reveals the name and existence of an Intel N250. This final bit of info was ultimately found by@InstLatX64on Twitter, though prior to that the general existence of Twin Lake was found by @OneRaichu, according toVideoCardz.
There is a #TwinLake (CPUID B06E0, 4c/4th, 1.2GHz, w/o HTT) among the #Intel test machines:https://t.co/v6qc33SzVDBrand string is “Intel(R) N250” https://t.co/N0Km0vgdgt pic.twitter.com/qqHTcXMAFyMay 14, 2024
Intel N250 vs Intel N100 Specifications
If you’re paying attention, you’ll probably notice that this new CPU has nearly identical specs to its predecessor. The underlying CPU architecture of Twin Lake also seems to be identical to Alder Lake-S, meaning these will be using near-identical cores based on theGracemont architecture.
The currentIntel N100 CPUhas an MSRP of $55. Given how humble this refresh seems, we expect the N250 to end up around the same price point, if not slightly lower. These N100 and N250 CPUs are replacing what used to be Intel’s Pentium line of entry-level CPUs before Core i3 and higher, after all.
VideoCardz speculates that the timing window of this release could be in the latter half of 2024, but limited to OEMs in the form of Chromebooks and other low-power devices. The N250 could also end up being a particularly good fit for entry-level Mini PCs, considering its super-efficient power demands and, by extension, low thermal footprint.
The current most powerful Alder Lake-N CPU is theIntel Core i3-N305, which pushes the current limits of this E-core-only design to 8 cores at up to 3.8 GHz and up to 15W. While the Twin Lake N250 can’t be expected to perform like that more powerful CPU, we’ll likely see a Twin Lake Core i3-N400/N405 before long.
Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.
