Phoronix reports that Meteor Lake-S driver code is still being developed and implemented into the Linux kernel, with a new driver update going live this morning. This comes as part of what appears to be a dual-pronged desktop CPU lineup, as Raptor Lake Refresh has been confirmed as part of Intel's next generation of desktop CPUs. The code suggests that desktop-designed Meteor Lake processors could still be coming soon, with the possibility of it co-existing with the new Raptor Lake refresh.
The driver code Phornix mentions specifically upgrades the Intel pin control driver (pinctrl) with Meteor-Lake S support. These changes were made this morning and will be shipped with Linux 6.5 once it is ready. According to Phoronix, this new driver update compliments other Meteor Lake-S code already in the kernel, confirming that Intel developers are actively working on Meteor Lake S support.
Intel has not said anything about desktop Meteor Lake-S processors since Raptor Lake Refresh was confirmed by themselves in China. But these Linux updates seem to nullify any rumors pointing to a Meteor Lake S cancellation. If Meteor Lake S ends up launching soon (as the evidence shows), desktop Meteor Lake processors could co-exist with Raptor Lake CPUs in the same market, filling gaps in Intel's 14th Gen lineup that are better suited to Intel's more advanced Meteor Lake architecture.
Raptor Lake refresh and Meteor Lake couldn't be any more different from each other; the former is based on Intel's current 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPU architecture, while Meteor Lake is an all-new CPU architecture featuring several new technologies, including new cores, tiles, AI-acceleration and more. Raptor Lake Refresh, on the other hand, is a second-generation refresh of Intel's Alder Lake architecture that will probably feature higher clock speeds, different core configurations, and an upgraded memory controller compared to Raptor Lake if rumors are true.
Of course, it's impossible to say when these chips will come to market, but Intel's roadmap demands that a Meteor Lake-S lineup will have to launch during the Raptor Lake Refresh life-cycle and before Arrow Lake arrives next year.
