Intel Unveils Intel® Core™ Ultra (Series 2) Processors: Redefining Mobile Computing for Businesses, Creators, and Gamers
At CES 2025, Intel unveiled its highly anticipated Intel® Core™ Ultra (Series 2) processors, setting a new standard for mobile computing. Designed to meet the demands of businesses, creators, and enthusiast gamers, these processors deliver cutting-edge AI capabilities, enhanced efficiency, and unmatched performance improvements. With innovations spanning AI-driven productivity tools to immersive gaming experiences, Intel continues to solidify its leadership in the semiconductor industry.
Revolutionizing Business Productivity with Intel Core Ultra 200V Series
For businesses navigating the complexities of the AI era, Intel introduced the Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors, featuring the robust Intel vPro® platform. These processors are engineered to modernize IT environments by offering dramatic performance gains, improved energy efficiency, and advanced security features—all essential for staying competitive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.
Partnering with Microsoft, Intel has integrated support for Copilot+ PCs, powered by the Core Ultra 200V series. These systems unlock next-generation AI productivity while delivering exceptional battery life, making them ideal for professionals who rely on their devices throughout the day. “Copilot+ PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra 200V series deliver outstanding performance, battery life, and enhanced AI experiences,” said Pavan Davuluri, Corporate Vice President of Windows + Devices at Microsoft. “They are an excellent choice for commercial customers upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11.”
The updated Intel vPro platform further elevates IT operations with comprehensive security validated by the MITRE ATT&CK framework, modern device management tools, and broad app compatibility. Notably, the platform ensures seamless transitions during device refreshes, empowering IT teams to maximize productivity without disrupting workflows.
Key highlights of the Intel vPro platform include:
- Enhanced Productivity: Thin-and-light designs powered by Intel Core Ultra 200V processors offer extended battery life, enabling users to harness AI capabilities on the go.
- Advanced Security: Hardware-assisted security mitigations protect sensitive data, while the new Intel® Partner Security Engine isolates third-party firmware like Microsoft Pluton for added protection.
- Seamless Manageability: Tools such as Intel® Endpoint Cloud Services simplify remote diagnostics and recovery, ensuring minimal downtime for business-critical tasks.
Empowering Creators and Gamers with Intel Core Ultra 200HX and H Series
For creators and gaming enthusiasts seeking unparalleled performance, Intel launched the Core Ultra 200HX and H series mobile processors. These processors combine industry-leading compute power, graphics performance, and AI acceleration to redefine mobile creativity and gaming immersion.
“With breakthrough compute and graphics performance, efficiency, and AI capabilities, these processors will push the entire laptop experience to new heights,” said Josh Newman, Vice President of the Client Computing Group at Intel. The Core Ultra 200HX series boasts up to 24 cores—eight Performance-cores (P-cores) and 16 Efficient-cores (E-cores)—delivering up to 41% better multi-threaded performance compared to prior generations. Meanwhile, the Core Ultra 200H series integrates Intel® Arc™ graphics with up to eight Xe cores, achieving up to 22% better gaming performance than its predecessors.
These processors also excel in AI workloads, delivering up to 99 TOPS (trillion operations per second) across the CPU, GPU, and Neural Processing Unit (NPU). For example, the Core Ultra 200HX series is Intel’s first mobile enthusiast AI PC, equipped with a built-in NPU capable of 13 TOPS. Additionally, packaging advancements have reduced processor size by 33%, enabling sleeker designs without compromising performance.
Select SKUs in the Core Ultra 200HX series even offer overclocking options, including compute overclocking for P-cores and E-cores, as well as DDR5 SODIMM overclocking via Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP). This flexibility allows users to fine-tune their systems for peak performance.
Optimizing Connectivity and User Experience
The Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) platforms also prioritize premium connectivity, ensuring users stay productive and entertained wherever they are. Key features include:
- Intel Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig) support for faster networking speeds, responsiveness, and reliability.
- Thunderbolt™ 5/4 technology for lightning-fast USB-C connections.
- AI-based network optimization through the Intel® Connectivity Performance Suite software.
- High-fidelity, low-power Bluetooth® LE Audio for seamless audio streaming.
Furthermore, Thunderbolt™ Share enables users to effortlessly share screens, keyboards, mice, storage, and files between two PCs—a game-changing feature for multitaskers and collaborative environments.
AI Optimization for Edge Computing
Beyond mobile computing, Intel is expanding its reach into edge computing with processors tailored for diverse use cases. The Intel Core Ultra 9 processors demonstrate remarkable performance gains in AI workcases, outpacing competitors in areas like media processing and video analytics. For instance, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H achieves up to 2.2x higher performance in Procyon AI computer vision and up to 3.3x higher performance in Llama 3 8B compared to previous generations.
Even more impressively, the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor surpasses Nvidia’s Jetson AGX Orin in critical metrics despite having about one-third fewer TOPS. It delivers up to 5.6x faster media performance, 3.4x faster video analytics, and up to 8.2x better performance per watt per dollar.
Availability and Future Innovations
Systems powered by the Intel Core Ultra 200V series and Intel vPro platform are available starting January 6, 2025, through online retailers, in-store partners, and OEMs. The Core Ultra 200H and U series will follow in February 2025, while the high-performance Core Ultra 200HX series is slated for release in the first half of 2025.
Looking ahead, Intel remains committed to advancing its AI PC portfolio. As part of this effort, the company is sampling its lead Intel 18A product to customers now, with volume production expected in the second half of 2025.
