Intel has initiated the Core Ultra era with the shipment of its first “Meteor Lake” 14th-gen Core Ultra chips in laptops. These chips mark the beginning of the new “AI PC” era and Intel has finally revealed the specifications and expected performance of the new processors. The Core Ultra lineup includes eleven new mobile processors for both the high-performance “H” segment and the low-power “U” family, replacing the earlier “P-series” chips. Intel is confident that these new chips will offer superior performance compared to AMD’s Ryzen chips, although the comparisons are made to the older Ryzen 7000 or Ryzen 7040 family rather than the new Ryzen 8000 CPUs.
Intel’s Core Ultra processors boast significantly lower power consumption due to their use of the Intel 4 process technology, as well as a boost in graphics performance. Additionally, the introduction of AI capabilities through the new “neural processing unit” inside Meteor Lake is expected to drive the AI PC revolution. Intel predicts that software developers will gradually make use of the AI capabilities throughout 2024. Alongside the launch of the Core Ultra processors in laptops beginning today, Intel has announced that these chips will be featured in more than 230 unique PCs from over 35 PC makers, including Acer and Lenovo.
The Core Ultra chips come with various specifications and improvements. The new H-series parts are designed for a minimum of 28 watts of base power, with the turbo power scaling up to either 64W or 115W. On the other hand, the U-series versions consume 15W and have turbo power scaling up to 57W, offering a lower-power efficiency that enables laptops to include a sufficient amount of physical battery capacity. The new chips have been optimized for both performance and power efficiency, with advanced AI capabilities and improved graphics performance.
Despite these advancements, Intel has sparked curiosity about the differences between an Arc Graphics integrated graphics core and a more generic Intel Graphics core, which are prevalent in the Core Ultra lineup. The company has also provided a glimpse of planned additions to the Meteor Lake/Core Ultra family, including the first Core Ultra 9 chip. These upcoming chips will offer enhanced features such as increased memory capacity and improved I/O capabilities.
Overall, Intel’s Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) chips aim to offer superior performance and power efficiency, heralding a new era of AI PCs. With significant advancements in AI, graphics performance, and power efficiency, these chips are expected to drive the next generation of computing devices. As Intel continues to innovate and introduce new technologies, the future of computing looks promising.
