- An Intel reference laptop with a Wildcat Lake CPU has been detected
- It has a design very inspired by the MacBook and looks like a laptop that will go after the Neo.
- However, you’ll get more dynamic performance here, with a faster CPU and twice the RAM than the Neo.
The sighting of an Intel flagship laptop with a new Wildcat Lake CPU has caused quite a stir, as it appears to be competing directly with Apple’s popular new MacBook Neo.
Tom’s Hardware highlighted a post about the X by Notebookcheck.net’s Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, who first saw the laptop at an Intel event, with more information posted on the Notebookcheck.net site.
The device is a thin and light 14-inch laptop that has an aluminum chassis and sleek MacBook-style lines, with a vibrant green color that also follows in the footsteps of the Neo’s glossy appearance.
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The internal CPU is a Wildcat Lake chip, as mentioned, which is a budget offering and effectively a scaled-down version of the new Panther Lake silicon. The processor used is apparently the Intel Core 7 360 or Core 7 350, based on the presence of an NPU with 17 TOPS, alongside the CPU, which has two performance cores and four low-power efficiency cores (smaller than the normal efficiency cores, of which this chip has none).
The CPU offers what should be a pretty decent level of performance, with a PL1 of 17W (22W maximum) and a PL2 of 35W (which can be achieved in very short bursts). Interestingly, there is also the option to run at 11W, which allows the laptop to operate in fanless mode, without the need for active cooling, so in that case it will be completely silent.
There is 16 GB of system RAM soldered next to the CPU.
Analysis: a newer Neo?
Since the MacBook Neo runs at lower powers (typically less than 10W), this should be a high-performance rival, especially considering it packs twice the RAM of Apple’s laptop.
Remember, the Neo is restricted to 8GB of system memory, although Apple has done a good job of ensuring this isn’t a hindrance to typical daily use.
However, future readiness is more of a concern for me with the MacBook Neo due to the RAM load. Still, we don’t know what price a Wildcat laptop, like the one shown by Intel, will command. Apple, of course, has made the Neo very competitive, and that value has been clearly demonstrated by the way it flies off retail shelves.
I’ve been talking about the threat the MacBook Neo poses to Windows 11’s dominance in the laptop world ever since Apple launched its budget laptop, while wondering what Microsoft’s response might be. Fixing Windows 11 is one thing, but it looks like Intel could step in to lend its processing forces in the fight against Apple with Wildcat Lake, although there are still many unknowns to be resolved.
It is worth noting that the Intel laptop looks good in the photos taken and shared, but according to Subramaniam, its appearance is even more impressive in real life. Watch this space, as they say.
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