Intel joined the AI PC parade with its Intel Core Ultra 200V series, code named Lunar Lake, with a launch designed to show that x86 architecture can compete with Arm in Copilot+ PCs.
PC makers are already betting that AI PCs will create an upgrade cycle for long-in-the-tooth devices purchased in the COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, the Qualcomm vs. AMD AI PC debate revolves around battery life vs. graphics performance. Intel's Core Ultra 200V series is designed to do both with performance improvements up to 50%.
With Intel now in the AI PC race, there will be a bevy of laptops scaling. Intel said in a statement that there will be more than 95 consumer designs from more than 25 PC makers including Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo and others. Preorders start today with systems available Sept. 24.
What remains to be seen is whether Intel's AI PC processors and accelerators can turn around the company. Intel reported a disastrous second quarter. Speaking at a recent investment conference, CEO Pat Gelsinger acknowledged the challenges.
"It's been a difficult few weeks. And with that we've been working hard to address the issues and at earnings we were determined to lay out a clear view, right, of where we were, but also some of the next steps that we needed to address for the next phase of our strategy. And obviously, the market didn't respond positively. We understand that, and we're taking seriously what the market's telling us, and hearing that clearly. But we're also staying very focused on delivering and executing on the large number of the things that we laid out."
Key points about Intel Core Ultra 200V:
- Intel claims its Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors have up to 50% lower package power and 120 TOPS (tera operations per second) across central processing unit (CPU), graphic processing unit (GPU) and neural processing unit (NPU).
- The fourth-generation NPU is more than 4x powerful than its previous generation.
- Intel said it worked with more than 100 integrated software vendors to optimize performance. Intel also noted that its Core Ultra platform is compatible with all applications.
- Intel Core Ultra 200V features the company's Xe2 graphics microarchitecture .
- Laptops will have up to 20 hours of battery life in productivity use cases with the ability to support more than 500 optimized AI models.
Here's a look at the SKUs available for Intel-powered Lunar Lake laptops.
