Fresh off its worst year since going public in 1971, Intel is unveiling new chips at CES 2025 that it hopes will turn its fortunes around.
The product announcement is Intel's largest since its board of directors fired CEO Pat Gelsinger. That's not the only reason the stakes are high. Intel's 13th and 14th generation Core CPUs suffered from overheating issues that took nearly a year to resolve. Needless to say, Intel has a lot to prove.
The latest processors in the company's Core portfolio range from the Core 3 for light tasks to the more powerful Core Ultra 200H, which is part of Intel's new Core Ultra Series 2 lineup.
Here's the full list of new chips announced on Monday (note that Intel revealed some of these chips late last year):
Core Ultra 200V Series Processors (formerly codenamed Lunar Lake) Core Ultra 200H Series Processors (formerly codenamed Arrow Lake H) Core Ultra 200HX Series Processors (formerly codenamed Arrow Lake HX) Core Ultra 200S Series Processors (formerly codenamed Arrow Lake HX) Core Ultra 200U series processors (previously codenamed Arrow Lake S) Core 200S series processors (previously codenamed Arrow Lake U) (Formerly codename Bartlett Lake S) Core 200H series processors (Formerly codename Raptor Lake H Refresh) Core 100U series processors (Formerly codename Raptor Lake U Refresh) Core 3 processors and Intel processors (Formerly codename) Twin Lake)
Each of Intel's new Core Ultra processors have 14 to 24 cores and are available in low power (35 watts), standard power (65 watts), and high power (125 watts). Some come with additional features such as Intel's latest Wi-Fi technology, Intel Wi-Fi 7, and memory.
Like other recent generations of Intel chips, the new lineup includes different types of cores that make up the chip package. There are “P cores” designed for performance, and there are “E cores” designed for efficiency. The third core category, Low Power E-Core, is even more power efficient than the standard E-Core.
Image credit: Intel
Intel claims that the latest generation P Cores have been redesigned with AI-based power management and other optimizations, and that the new E Cores are the “most efficient” yet. “Next-generation low-power E-cores optimized for tasks that require less power and new power, thermal, and acoustic features help create powerful thin and lightweight systems,” the company said in a release. states.
The Core Ultra 200H chip features Intel's flagship integrated graphics (Intel Arc with XMX) in certain configurations. The Core Ultra 200S, Core Ultra 200U, Core 200S, and Core 100U feature the company's less powerful Intel Graphics branded GPUs. However, the Core Ultra 200S and Core Ultra 200U, along with the Core Ultra 200H, have Intel's AI accelerator technology, AI Boost, inside.
Certain processors, such as the Core Ultra 200HX, Core Ultra 200H, Core Ultra 200U, and Core Ultra 200V series, are Intel's neural processing units (NPUs), dedicated to running AI applications and features shipped with Windows 11. It is equipped with a chip. Intel claims that the new NPU in the Core Ultra 200V has twice the bandwidth compared to previous versions.
Intel touts its Core Ultra 200V, HX, H, U, and S chips as ideal for “commercial” applications. In comparison, the Core Ultra 200S series is supposed to offer “desktop performance.” Intel says the Ultra 200HX is targeted at “enthusiast notebooks,” and that the Ultra 200H is designed for devices with a “thin and light” form factor.
Image credit: Intel
A key differentiator for the Core Ultra 200V, which also features Intel Arc graphics, is the inclusion of Intel's enterprise vPro ecosystem. This includes hardware-based threat detection technology, chip-optimized apps, and stability and validation programs.
Intel says the Core Ultra 200V can also be configured by manufacturers to support Pluton, Microsoft's hardware-based security coprocessor. Pluton acts as a root of trust for your hardware and, simply put, protects your device's hardware from tampering.
Intel claimed in a press release that several of its Core Ultra processor SKUs have improved performance. The company claimed that the Core Ultra 285 (to be sold as the Core Ultra 9 Processor 285) has 2.9 times better graphics performance than the Core i9 Processor 14900, the chip it replaces. While the Core Ultra 285H is marketed as a Core Ultra 9 processor, the 285H can run Meta's text-generating Llama 3 8B AI models 3.3x faster than a Core Ultra 9 processor. 185H, according to Intel benchmark results.
PCs with Core Ultra 200V, HX, H, U, and S chips will be available starting later this month. Systems with Core Ultra 200H processors are expected to arrive early in the first quarter of this year, and Ultra 200HX-based systems are expected to arrive late in the first quarter.