New Windows 11 laptop looks like a true MacBook Neo rival that should worry Apple

• An Intel reference laptop has been spotted with a Wildcat Lake CPU
• It has a design that's very MacBook-inspired, and it looks like a notebook that'll go after the Neo
• You'll get peppier performance here, though, with a faster CPU and twice the RAM of the Neo

A sighting of a reference laptop from Intel featuring a new Wildcat Lake CPU has been causing quite a stir, as it appears to be squarely taking on Apple's popular new MacBook Neo.

Tom's Hardware highlighted a post on X by Vaidyanathan Subramaniam from Notebookcheck.net, who got a first look at the laptop at an Intel event, with some further info posted on the Notebookcheck.net site itself.

The device is a thin-and-light 14-inch notebook that has an aluminum chassis and sleek MacBook-style lines, with a vibrant green colorway that also follows in the footsteps of the Neo's bright appearance.

The CPU inside is a Wildcat Lake chip, as mentioned, which is a budget offering and effectively a cut-down version of the new Panther Lake silicon. The processor used is apparently the Intel Core 7 360 or Core 7 350, based on the presence of an NPU with 17 TOPS, alongside the CPU, which has two performance cores and four low-power efficiency cores (smaller than the normal efficiency cores, of which this chip has none).

The CPU offers what should be a decent enough level of performance, with a PL1 of 17W (22W maximum) and a PL2 of 35W (which can be hit for very brief bursts). Interestingly, there's also the option of operating at 11W, which allows the notebook to operate in fanless mode, needing no active cooling, so it'll be dead quiet in that case.

There's 16GB of soldered system RAM present alongside the CPU.

Analysis: a newer Neo?

Given that the MacBook Neo operates at lower wattages (generally under 10W), this should be a performant rival – especially given that it packs twice the RAM of Apple's laptop.

Remember, the Neo is restricted to 8GB of system memory, though Apple has done a good job of ensuring that this isn't a hindrance for typical everyday usage.

Future proofing, however, is more of a concern for me with the MacBook Neo due to that RAM loadout. Still, we don't know what price a Wildcat laptop, such as the one shown by Intel, will demand. Apple has, of course, made the Neo very competitive, and that value has been clearly demonstrated by the way it's flown off retail shelves.

I've been talking about the threat the MacBook Neo poses to the dominance of Windows 11 in the notebook world ever since Apple launched its budget portable, while wondering what Microsoft's answer might be. Fixing Windows 11 is one thing, but it looks like Intel could step in to lend its processing forces in the fight against Apple with Wildcat Lake, although there are still a good deal of unknowns to be fathomed out yet.

It's worth noting that the Intel laptop looks good in the photos taken and shared, but according to Subramaniam, its appearance is even more impressive in real life. Watch this space, as they say.

The best laptops for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best laptops
1. Best overall:
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5
2. Best budget:
Apple MacBook Neo
3. Best Windows 11 laptop
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch
4. Best thin and light:
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i
5. Best Ultrabook
Asus Zenbook S 16

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