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If you’ve ever bought an Intel CPU, you’ll be familiar with the company’s iconic “i” and “Core” branding. They’ve been mainstays of PC hardware for decades, but with the launch of Intel’s 14th Generation Meteor Lake CPUs, that’s all changed.
No longer will your CPU be adorned with the “i” that has formed a core part of Intel’s identity for so long. Instead, Intel has dropped the “i” in favor of a new branding scheme: Core Ultra.
So, what is Core Ultra, and does it really make a difference to what’s powering your computer?
What Is Intel Core Ultra?
Core Ultra is Intel’s new naming schemefor its premium CPUs, starting with its 14th-Generation Meteor Lake chips for laptops. The Intel Core Ultra branding will arrive on desktop CPUs with its 15th Generation Arrow Lake CPUs, which are speculated to launch in late 2024.
Now, back to the Core Ultra branding. Intel has dropped its iconic “i” from its naming conventions, meaning that the next time you pick up a new laptop,your CPU won’t be an Intel Core i3, i5, i7, or i9. Instead, your new laptop (or desktop in the future) will feature an Intel Core 5, Core 7, or Core 9, or an Intel Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra 7, or Core Ultra 9.
However, there is more to Intel Core Ultra than meets the eye, especially under the CPU hood—which is also one of the main differences between an Intel Core Ultra and a regular Intel Core CPU.
What’s the Difference Between Intel Core Ultra and Intel Core?
It’s not just the names that are different. Intel Core Ultra and Intel Core mark a distinction between CPUs with or without an Intel NPU (neural processing unit), designed to “unlock the power of AI, create immersive graphics experiences, and enable high-performance low-power processing.“Digital Trendsreckons the “Core branding is reserved for ‘legacy’ architectures,” though we’ll have clearer information on this when Intel’s 15th Generation processors launch.
Intel’s Core Ultra chips will ship with an integrated AI Boost engine, designed to help take the strain from AI-based workflows, theoretically freeing up the CPU for other activities and general system performance. The Ultra Core CPUs use Intel’s new chiplet design, integrating the CPU, an integrated Intel Arc GPU, and the NPU into a single SoC design. It’s not Intel’s first chiplet design, but it is the first to use the Intel 4 manufacturing process (which is actually a 7nm process, rather than 4nm, as you might expect). The combination will provide some serious performance boosts for Intel Ultra Core laptop users, mind.
Not content with dropping the “i”, Intel is also making more tweaks across the board. The spec listings for an Intel Ultra Core chip are in-depth, to say the least, now featuring specific entries for P-core and E-core frequencies, LPE cores (Low Power Efficiency cores—for mobile chips), neural compute engines, graphics frequency, Xe cores, execution units, and more. Extra information is always welcome, but it can make figuring out what Intel Core Ultra chip to buy a little confusing. However, Intel has also thought of that and is dropping the CPU generation from its naming convention, too. Just to make sure it’s extra vague when you’re deciding between different hardware.
So, instead of each processor featuring the generation in the name, like the 14th Generation Intel Core i7-14700K, Intel’s Core Ultra processors drop the generation. Again, this is currently focusing on mobile processors, but you’ll now have the choice of an Intel Core Ultra 7 165H or an Intel Core Ultra 7U (with the H and U indicating processor power use, with U-Series chips being ultra power efficient—this hasn’t changed!). However, all is not lost. Intel is basically just restarting its generational branding. The first generation of Intel Core Ultra chips is known as Series 1, and the next generation—an Intel Core Ultra 7 265H, for example—will be Series 2, and the first digit will continue to tick upwards.
Whether the second two digits mean anything specific is also unknown, other than to signify the processor’s relative performance among its generation.
Is It Worth Upgrading to Intel Core Ultra?
Outside of the new and somewhat confusing processor nomenclature, there are already numerous Intel Ultra Core laptops on the market. Intel officially launched Core Ultra at CES 2024, where a heap of new laptops were also unveiled, meaning you can take full advantage of its new AI-infused processor technology.
But, as is, upgrading to Intel Core Ultra is worthwhile for a number of reasons. First, the aforementioned AI integrations, along with the new chiplet design. You’ll get a performance boost right there, not to mention the boost from the Intel 4 manufacturing process. Then there’s support for DDR-5 RAM, PCIe 5.0, and much better-integrated graphics (Intel Ultra Core uses the same Xe cores as Intel’s Arc GPUs), and it’s clear that laptops using Intel Core Ultra provide a decent upgrade option—if you’re in the market for an upgrade.
