Intel seems to be preparing successors to the Atoms

The new Alder Lake-N CPU series could find use in low-cost laptops and Chromebooks.

• Unlike all the 12th generation Intel Core chips introduced so far, the upcoming models should not have any active core active.
• I probably won't even offer PCI Express lines that only cover the chip on the motherboard.
• The new energy-saving processors could replace the current Pentium N and Celeron N, which are based on older Atoms.

Intel expanded its line of 12th generation Core processors (Alder Lake) for desktops and laptops in January. However, it appears that he has not yet entirely declassified all versions. The mention of supposed Alder Lake-N chips on the Japanese website Coelacanth-dream grabbed the attention of Techpowerup.

Remember that the Intel Alder Lake CPU generation is based on a hybrid design that blends powerful cores with cost-effective ones. All prior models featured varying numbers of active and strong cores. The Celeron 7300 is the cheapest and most affordable model for ultra-compact PCs, with one Golden Cove core and four Gracemont energy-saving modules.

On the contrary, alleged, though unimaginable, versions should be active exclusively in energy-saving devices. According to the microarchitecture requirements, the most powerful Alder Lake-N versions may theoretically supply eight Gracemont units. In addition, weaker varieties with fewer active cores may appear.

At the same time, a Japanese source claims that Intel's new claimed processors lack a functioning PCI Express line. The motherboard's connectivity will most likely be limited to a nine-line chipset. However, it lacks an integrated GPU with 32 compute units (Executing Units).

Competition for ARM?

The projected Alder Lake-N chips will effectively be the heirs to Atoms, which are known from legendary netbooks that have been infamous in the past for their terrible performance. However, it was mainly about their earlier generations, as the newer ones are already more useful in-office computers.

It is unknown what devices will be targeted by the new generation of "Atoms," which will most likely be marketed under the trade names Pentium N and Celeron N. As a result, it is likely that the chips will be offered in pre-packaged packages rather than individually.

They may theoretically find use in the cheapest Windows laptops, but due to their configuration, they could also be capable competitors with the ARM chip in Chromebooks. They could also be assigned to the so-called embedded section.

It should be emphasized, however, that Intel has not yet publicly announced Alder Lake-N CPUs anywhere, thus all published information regarding the chips and their prospective specifications is still speculative.