Details for Intel's upcoming Nx50 series "Twin Lake" CPUs, designed for low-power devices like budget Mini-PCs and laptops, have surfaced online. These processors are not part of the Core 200 series and represent a separate line with a unique naming scheme.
The Nx50 series, which is a successor to Alder Lake-N, is designed for low-power tasks and typically features up to 8 cores with a TDP between 6W to 15W. They are generally not intended for high-performance gaming.
Twin Lake Lineup
According to the leaker Jaykihn, the new series will consist of four SKUs: N355, N350, N250, and N150. The new CPUs appear to be a refresh of the previous generation, offering slightly improved clock speeds for both the CPU and GPU while maintaining similar core counts.
| CPU (Twin Lake) | Cores/Threads | Max CPU Clock | GPU | Max GPU Clock | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N355 | 8C/8T | 3.9 GHz | 32EU | 1.35 GHz | 9-15W |
| N350 | 8C/8T | 3.9 GHz | 32EU | 1.35 GHz | 7W |
| N250 | 4C/4T | 3.8 GHz | 32EU | 1.25 GHz | 6W |
| N150 | 4C/4T | 3.6 GHz | 24EU | 1.00 GHz | 6W |
Comparison with Alder Lake-N
The table below compares the new Twin Lake series to the existing Alder Lake-N series:
| CPU (Alder Lake-N) | Cores/Threads | Max CPU Clock | GPU | Max GPU Clock | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i3-N305 | 8C/8T | 3.8 GHz | 32EU | 1.25 GHz | 9-15W |
| Core i3-N300 | 8C/8T | 3.8 GHz | 32EU | 1.25 GHz | 7W |
| N200 | 4C/4T | 3.7 GHz | 32EU | 0.75 GHz | 6W |
| N100 | 4C/4T | 3.4 GHz | 24EU | 0.75 GHz | 6W |
The new N355 boasts a 100 MHz increase in boost clock speeds compared to the N305, and the integrated graphics get a 100 MHz increase. The new graphics architecture is based on an older Xe-based, not Arc based. Other SKUs similarly show 100-200 MHz increases in CPU clock speeds and 100-250 MHz GPU clock increases.
Some products utilizing the new Twin Lake architecture are already available, with ASUS launching its NUC 14 Essential based on the N150 in October.
