Big changes coming to Intel CPUs

Get ready to hear plenty about ‘Alder Lake’. It’s the codename for Intel’s new 12th-generation ‘Core’ processor series, which is set to make waves, not least for its use of heterogeneous cores. This month, we explain what this means, why it’s a great idea and why you’ve probably already seen it in Android and Apple devices.

One core can’t rule them all

It sounds easy enough – develop a CPU core that goes like the wind but thrifty enough to run for days off a battery. The only problem is that given current technology, it can’t be done – well, not to the extent that we’d all