Intel announced its newest desktop processors this week, the Intel Core Ultra 200 series, the first desktop processor with a built in NPU for AI workloads.
The new processor series, previously known by its codename, Intel Arrow Lake, has been entirely rearchitected to focus on efficiency and performance-per-watt and features the same multi-module die architecture as Intel Meteor Lake laptop processors.
The new processors are a major change for Intel’s desktop portfolio, featuring new performance and efficiency core architecture.
The new Skymont efficiency cores have a claimed 32% instruction-per-clock (IPC) increase over the previous generation Gracemont cores featured in Intel Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh.
Intel also says that its Lion Cove performance core architecture has a 9% IPC uplift over its previous-gen Raptor Cove performance cores.
In addition to the new P-core and E-Core architecture, the new Core Ultra 200 series processors will feature Intel Xe-LPG graphics architecture, the same architecture that powers Intel’s Arc Alchemist graphics cards.
This gives the CPU’s integrated GPU powerful new hardware-accelerated ray tracing support, as well as Intel XeSS support built right into the CPU. While this won’t replace the best graphics cards in a desktop system, for more budget-oriented desktops or all-in-one PCs, the new Core Ultra 200 series processors will bring significantly better graphics performance than the iGPU found in Intel Raptor Lake processors currently on the market.
- This story is developing…
