Intel launched its low-power Core M series of processors back in September this year. These new chips are meant for next-generation portable devices as they can work without any fan and feature a maximum TDP of only 4.5W.

The initial Core M processors from Intel were only available in 800Mhz and 1.1GHz frequency with a turbo boost of up to 2 GHZ and 2.6 GHz respectively. Now, it looks like Intel has silently released several new models under its Core M moniker of chips that feature higher clock speeds while still retaining a TDP of 4.5W.

Of the four new SKUs released by Intel, the Core M 5Y10c is a small refinement over the existing 5Y10 variant and comes with a slightly faster HD 5300 GPU. Next in line is the Core M 5Y31 that runs at 900 MHz and is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 2.4GHz under Turbo Boost. The Core M 5Y51 and 5Y71 bring up the high-end category and are clocked at 1.1 GHz and 1.2 GHz and are capable of reaching speeds of up to 2.6 GHz and 2.9GHz when under load. The HD 5300 GPU inside them is also clocked slightly higher at 900 MHz.

All the four processors are dual-core but support Intel’s Hyper Threading technology for four logical threads. They also feature 4MB of L3 cache and support for up to 16GB DDR3L RAM. According to Intel’s roadmap, these processors were supposed to be available only in early 2015 but it looks like the company had to change its plan after the disappointing performance reviews of the initial Core M powered laptops.

These new chips from Intel have sparked off speculations that Apple could be using them in their rumored 12-inch MacBook Air that could be launched in the first half of 2015. The fanless design of these chips will allow Apple to make the 12-inch MacBook Air slimmer, lighter and more portable than even the existing models.