Desktop CPUs, whether AMD or Intel, get pretty hot. I have come to accept that CPUs get hotter. So I am not swayed by recent rumors that the maximum temperature of the next generation Intel desktop CPUs may be close to that of Meteor Lake.

According to X user and hardware leaker Jaykihn (via Tom's Hardware), the TJMax for Arrow Lake (and Panther Lake) will be 105°C. TJMax is Temperature Junction Max meaning the maximum temperature the CPU can reach before thermal throttling begins for safety reasons.

The TJMax for current generation Intel desktop CPUs like the Intel Core i9 14900K is 100 °C, which can get quite hot. However, that temperature is nothing compared to that of a Meteor Lake (Core Ultra) laptop CPU, which Jacob discovered hands-on earlier this year (I've had such a laptop on my feet, and those vents are lethal). This is to some extent to be expected, as laptops don't have the airflow space that desktop PCs do. [The high-end Core Ultra 9 185H falls into the latter category. If this rumor is true, Arrow Lake may follow Meteor Lake in the highest temperature department.

Now, one might argue that the maximum temperature does not necessarily correlate with the actual footprint temperature; it is quite possible for a CPU to run at 50°C even if its TJMax is 300°C. In reality, however, we are witnessing an increase in TJMax as well as an increase in actual temperatures. As I said, think Meteor Lake. In other words, if the rumors are true, there is at least reason to believe that Arrow Lake chips may run hotter than the current generation of chips.

But even if this is the case, does it matter: the Arrow Lake chips will not only use an entirely new core layout, they will be manufactured on an entirely new process node (TSMC N3). In that case, perhaps the increase in TJMax means that the new process and core layout can generate more heat without any problems. ...... This would be a good thing.” Some AMD chips can run quite hot with no problems at all.

Hotter, but better. Let's hope the new processors don't run into the crash and chip failure problems that some 13th and 14th generation top-of-the-line chips seem to be facing now.