Intel Unveils 6 new Low-power Gemini Lake chips for Mobile and Desktop

Intel’s first Gemini Lake based processors are here. The lineup includes six entry-level chips, three aimed at desktops and three aimed at notebooks. The new models not only offer significant performance boost over the previous generation, but they also introduce features that will only be available in the high-end market segment with Cannon Lake.

Intel Gemini Lake Based Pentium Silver and Celeron Lineup for 2018

Intel Gemini Lake succeeds the company’s Apollo Lake processors, which launched last year. The platform is based on the new 14nm Goldmont Plus core, bringing more cache and faster memory.

With Gemini Lake, Intel has also adopted a new naming convention that could help differentiate between the cheaper, low-power Atom processors and higher performance Core variants. Now an Atom-based Pentium is called Pentium Silver, while the one based on the Core architecture is called Pentium Gold.

In case of a Celeron however, you will still have to look at the model number to tell whether it’s Core-based or not. It goes something like this:

Pentium Gold = Cheaper version of an Intel Core chip
Pentium Silver = High-performance cousin of an Atom chip
Celeron G = Even cheaper Core
Celeron N or J-series = The new Atom

Intel Gemini Lake Desktop (J) and Mobile (N) Chips

	Pentium Silver J500S	Celeron J4105	Celeron J4005	Pentium Silver N5000	Celeron N4100	Celeron N4000
Process node	14nm	14nm	14nm	14nm	14nm	14nm
Cores	4	4	2	4	4	2
Threads	4	4	2	4	4	2
Base speed	1.50GHz	1.50GHz	2.00GHz	1.10GHz	1.10GHz	1.10GHz
Maximum speed	2.80GHz	2.50GHz	2.70GHz	2.70GHz	2.40GHz	2.60GHz
Cache	4MB	4MB	4MB	4MB	4MB	4MB
Graphics	UHD Graphics 605	UHD Graphics 600	UHD Graphics 600	UHD Graphics 605	UHD Graphics 600	UHD Graphics 600
Min Graphics speed	250MHz	250MHz	250MHz	200MHz	200MHz	200MHz
Max graphics speed	800MHz	750MHz	700MHz	750MHz	700MHz	650MHz
Power use	10 watts	10 watts	10 watts	6 watts	6 watts	6 watts
Memory type support	DDR4 2,400MHz LPDDR4 2,400MHz	DDR4 2,400MHz LPDDR4 2,400MHz	DDR4 2,400MHz LPDDR4 2,400MHz	DDR4 2,400MHz LPDDR4 2,400MHz	DDR4 2,400MHz LPDDR4 2,400MHz	DDR4 2,400MHz LPDDR4 2,400MHz
Max memory support	8GB (4GB x 2)	8GB (4GB x 2)	8GB (4GB x 2)	8GB (4GB x 2)	8GB (4GB x 2)	8GB (4GB x 2)

Note that the CPU and graphics speeds mentioned above, are all max speeds available on those respective processors.

Further, all Gemini Lake chips now support Gigabit WiFi (802.11ac 2×2 connections with 160 MHz channels). They also feature a new Local Adaptive Contrast Enhancement technology that will adjust the screen’s contrast and brightness so you can better view the content outdoors.

Intel says a Gemini Lake powered device with a 35 Wh battery should be able to get you up to 10 hours of playback on an HD video. You can expect OEMs to showcase these devices at the CES 2018 technology expo in early January.