Intel Core Ultra AI Processor Series, Officially Launched! Heralds Age of AI for PCs

Intel's groundbreaking release, the Intel Core Ultra, marks the advent of the AI PC era, leveraging AI capabilities across operating systems and applications.

At the "AI Everywhere" event on December 14, 2023, Intel introduced its Intel® Core™ Ultra mobile processors, promising enhanced power efficiency, top-notch compute and graphics performance, and an unparalleled AI PC experience for mobile platforms and beyond. These processors are now globally available both in physical stores and online, set to power more than 230 AI PCs from leading partners such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, and others.

Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel's Executive Vice President and General Manager of Client Computing Group, emphasized the significance of Intel Core Ultra, stating, "The launch of Intel Core Ultra represents the unmatched scale and speed at which Intel is enabling AI on the PC. By 2028, AI PCs will comprise 80% of the PC market, and together with our vast ecosystem of hardware and software partners, Intel is best positioned to deliver this next generation of computing."

Addressing the importance of this innovation, the AI PC caters to the increasing demands for performance and battery life across various activities like working, learning, streaming, gaming, or creating on-the-go. The Intel Core Ultra stands out as the most AI-capable and power-efficient client processor in Intel’s history, with dedicated AI acceleration spread across CPU, GPU, and NPU architectures.

The strength of the AI PC experience lies in the enabled software. As part of Intel’s AI PC Acceleration Program, over 100 independent software vendors (ISVs) will optimize more than 300 AI-accelerated features uniquely for Intel Core Ultra processors, surpassing the offerings of any competing silicon vendor.

Beyond personal computing, Intel Core Ultra extends its capabilities to deliver power-efficient AI acceleration at the edge, supporting visual workloads in healthcare, retail, and manufacturing.

In terms of functionality, Intel Core Ultra stands out as the first processor built on Intel 4 process technology, representing the company’s largest architectural shift in 40 years. Employing Foveros 3D advanced packaging technology, the processor optimizes performance and capability by matching advanced intellectual properties (IPs) to leading-edge processes. The architecture introduces Performance-core (P-core) enhancements for improved instructions per cycle (IPC). Efficient-cores (E-cores) and low-power Efficient-cores (LP E-cores) provide scalable, multi-threaded performance, outperforming the competition by up to 11%, specifically designed for ultrathin PCs.

Intel Core Ultra also features a built-in Intel® Arc™ GPU with up to eight Xe-cores, AI-based Xe Super Sampling (XeSS), DX12 Ultimate support, and up to double the graphics performance compared to the previous generation. The GPU supports modern graphics features such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading, AV1 encode and decode, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 2.1 20G.

Additionally, Intel’s newest NPU, branded Intel® AI Boost, is tailored to handle longer-running AI workloads at low power, complementing AI processes on both the CPU and GPU and achieving 2.5x better power efficiency than the previous generation.

The new processor family boasts features such as up to 16 cores, 22 threads, next-generation Intel® Thread Director for optimal workload scheduling, up to 5.1 gigahertz (GHz) maximum turbo frequency, up to 96 GB DDR5 maximum memory capacity, leading wireless features including integrated Intel® Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+), support for discrete Intel® Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig), and Intel® Killer™ software for intelligent connection optimization and network traffic prioritization for gamer and creator applications.

Intel® Bluetooth® LE Audio enables low-power, immersive, high-fidelity PC sonic experiences, along with support for new Bluetooth® Auracast™ capabilities for broadcast audio tuning, personal audio sharing, and enhanced accessibility for hearing aids and new assisted listening services. Thunderbolt™ 4 provides blazing connection speeds of 40 gigabits per second (Gbps), offering PC connectivity to multiple 4K monitors, fast storage, and other accessories.

Supporting AI performance, the OpenVINO™ toolkits offer minimal code changes and automatic device detection, enhancing AI performance by directing workloads to the right compute engine. Compatibility with ONNX and ONNX Runtime ensures a streamlined workflow for faster inferencing.

Intel Evo Edition Powered by Intel Core Ultra continues to deliver an exceptional laptop experience with no-compromise mobile performance, intelligent collaboration, and a multidevice experience through Intel® Unison™. The newest Intel Evo edition laptops feature the new badge and offer cooler, quieter performance, increased power efficiency for over 10 hours of real-world battery life, instant wake, fast charging, enhanced video effects, high-quality cameras meeting the VCX camera metric, new Intel Unison premium features, a minimum of EPEAT silver certification for responsible and sustainable PC design, and Intel® connectivity software for intelligent connection optimization and network traffic prioritization.

The Engineered for Intel Evo program ensures accessories meet strict performance requirements, expanding its list of industry partners. This year, the program introduces new Bluetooth LE Audio and hearing aid accessories, Thunderbolt docks, monitors, storage, Bluetooth headsets, mice, keyboard, and access points.

Consumer devices powered by Intel Core Ultra mobile processors are available starting today, with commercial devices built on the Intel vPro® platform coming soon.