References to Intel's next-generation Meteor Lake line of CPUs have been spotted in the latest Linux patches by Phoronix (via Videocardz). The future CPU lineup was mentioned in the Linux 5.10 patch release.

Intel Meteor Lake CPUs Spotted in Linux Patches, Will Feature Brand New CPU & GPU Cores on Next-Gen Process Node

The Intel Meteor Lake line of CPUs is a far-future family that will appear sometime in 2022. The new line of processors will succeed Intel's Alder Lake family which will make its debut in the second half of 2021. The CPU family is expected to make use of next-generation core technologies and feature a brand new process node but before that, let's see what details the Linux patches unveil for Intel's Meteor Lake.

Intel is planning to add support for Meteor Lake in phases and the first comes in the form of the Intel e1000e Linux driver which is being extended to support the Meteor Lake client platform, as reported by Phoronix. The Intel e1000e references to the Gigabit Ethernet driver so from the looks of things, there will still be 1Gbe LAN support for Meteor Lake or it could just be used for testing the early variations of the silicon. Intel already offers 2.5 Gbe LAN support on its existing platform so it is likely that they will retain and move to something even better in the coming gens, e.g. 5 Gbe and beyond.

Intel Mainstream CPU Generations Comparison: