Why it issues: Shopping for a brand new motherboard often means constructing a brand new PC from scratch, as new socket necessities necessitate quite a few new elements. Nevertheless, lately launched CPU coolers have included effective print confirming cross-compatibility with Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake lineup, probably serving to DIY builders get monetary savings in that space.
A detailed examination of the specs for Azza’s Dice 360 AIO cooler reveals that it helps Intel’s present LGA-1700 socket and the upcoming LGA-1851. Mixed with prior info, this confirms that many DIY customers upgrading from older Intel processors to the forthcoming Fifteenth-generation Arrow Lake sequence can probably reuse that part.
The instruction guide and product web page checklist a number of suitable Intel sockets, together with LGA-1700 and 1851. Another Azza coolers, however not all, additionally seem to help each generations.
When specification paperwork for LGA-1851 emerged earlier this yr, they recommended that their dimensions had been comparable sufficient to LGA-1700 that producers may provide coolers suitable with each. Noctua turned one of many first corporations to substantiate this in September when Japanese retail packaging confirmed that its NH-U12A cooler featured ahead compatibility. Noctua’s web site presently lists cross-support on a number of fashions.
Whereas the previous couple of generations of Intel desktop CPUs have supported the LGA-1700 socket, the upcoming Arrow Lake sequence will transfer to the brand new LGA-1851, requiring customers constructing programs with Fifteenth-generation processors to purchase new motherboards. The brand new boards and CPUs additionally require DDR5 RAM, which may additional enhance prices for individuals who did not change whereas utilizing a Raptor Lake.
Intel guarantees that the costly improve will present a dramatic efficiency uplift in comparison with thirteenth and 14th-gen processors. Anticipated to launch within the second half of 2024, Arrow Lake makes use of Intel’s 20A course of node, which options bottom energy supply and the corporate’s RibbonFET gate-all-around transistor design.
Picture credit score: Akiba PC Watch
Moreover, Arrow Lake builds on the numerous chip redesign Intel plans to introduce with Meteor Lake. Scheduled for a December 14 unveiling, Meteor Lake initiates the change to a chiplet-based construction and incorporates neural processing items for AI workloads. Nevertheless, in contrast to Arrow Lake, Meteor Lake will not are available in a socket-compatible type for DIY clients – it solely helps laptops and all-in-one merchandise.
The corporate intends to comply with Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake with the laptop-focused Lunar Lake and the general-purpose Panther Lake in 2025. Leaks counsel Intel CPUs may proceed utilizing the LGA-1851 socket till 2026, so some customers would possibly proceed utilizing their present coolers for a very long time.
On the Purple Staff’s aspect, many LGA-1700 and 1851-compatible coolers additionally help AM4 and AM5 sockets. AMD used AM4 for a number of generations of Ryzen processors, however the newest sequence, Zen 4, pressured builders onto AM5 and DDR5. Nevertheless, the state of affairs relating to cooling compatibility is just like that of Intel.