Intel has ushered in a new era for AI-powered PCs with the release of its cutting-edge Core Ultra notebook chips. These chips are Codenamed “Meteor Lake” and represent a significant leap forward in processing capabilities. It also marks Intel’s foray into Neural Processing Units (NPUs) which aims to accelerate AI tasks.
Intel claims that Core Ultra chips consume up to 79% less power than AMD’s Ryzen 7840U CPUs while idling in Windows. It also boasts an 11% improvement in multithreaded task performance compared to Ryzen 7840U.
Core Ultra chips are built on a new Intel 4 (7nm) process and feature FOVEROS 3D packaging. Intel claims that its Core Ultra chips are the most efficient x86 processor for ultrathin systems.
Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is the flagship chip with 16 cores and 22 threads. It includes 6 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 2 low-power cores. The low-power cores are there to handle less demanding workloads for increased efficiency. The chip has an up to 5.1GHz boost clock speed. It also has a built-in Arc GPU with eight Xe cores running at up to 2.35GHz The Xe LPG architecture adds support for Intel’s XeSS upscaling technology and ray tracing. It will arrive in the first quarter of 2024.
There are also Intel Core Ultra 7 165U, Core Ultra 5 135H, Core Ultra 5 135U, and other options. Only the H-series chips come with a built-in Arc GPU. The U-series CPUs feature integrated Intel Graphics. Check the list added below to learn about all the chips.
The addition of NPUs brings notable advancements for AI workloads. These chips can achieve up to 34 TeraOPS features like Windows 11’s Studio Effects. and it enables. NPUs can also play a pivotal role in everyday computing tasks such as improved video quality during video calls, audio editing, and extended battery life.
Several laptop manufacturers have also announced their laptops with Intel Core Ultra chips. Asus is launching the Zenbook 14 OLED laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 chip and Intel Arc graphics. The laptop starts at $1,299.99. Samsung will also soon release a refreshed Galaxy Book4 lineup. Acer has also confirmed the Swift Go 14 and gaming-focused Predator Triton Neo 16. MSI is also launching Prestige 16 AI Studio laptop with Intel’s Core Ultra 9 185H processor and Nvidia’s 4070 laptop GPU.
