Berlin, Germany – At IFA Berlin 2024, Intel has unveiled its highly anticipated second-generation Core Ultra laptops, marking a significant advancement from their previous lineup. The new Lunar Lake series promises enhanced efficiency, increased power, and the integration of Microsoft’s Copilot+ standard, setting new benchmarks for performance and capability in the laptop market.
The Lunar Lake series introduces several key upgrades. The Copilot+ standard mandates that laptops must have at least 16GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD/UFS storage, and an NPU capable of a minimum of 40 TOPS (trillion operations per second). This standard ensures that the Core Ultra 200V laptops are equipped to handle demanding tasks with ease.
Starting September 24, the Intel Core Ultra 200V laptops will be available for global purchase, with pre-orders already open in India through major retailers including Amazon, Croma, Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and Vijay Sales. Customers can choose from a broad selection of brands such as Asus, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, and Samsung, among others. Over 80 laptop models from more than 20 OEMs are expected to feature the new Lunar Lake processors in select markets.
Intel’s claims about battery life are particularly striking, with the new processors purportedly delivering up to 20 hours of battery life, a significant improvement that challenges the longevity of existing Intel-powered laptops. This development might influence users who, until now, have favored other options like the M2 MacBook Air for its impressive battery performance.
The Core Ultra 200V processors boast impressive performance metrics, with the ability to achieve up to 120 TOPS across CPU, GPU, and NPU combined. The NPU alone contributes 47 TOPS dedicated to AI workloads, surpassing the capabilities of the new Snapdragon X Elite chips, which reach up to 45 TOPS.
In terms of efficiency, Intel claims that the Core Ultra 200V processors are up to 50% more power-efficient compared to their predecessors. These processors are equipped with eight CPU cores and up to eight GPU cores. Specifically, the CPU cores are divided into four Lion Cove performance cores and four Skymont efficiency cores, with most models featuring a default 17W TDP, except for the Core Ultra 9 288V.
The Core Ultra 5 processors come with seven GPU cores, while the Core Ultra 7 and Ultra 9 CPUs are equipped with eight GPU cores. The new processors also debut Intel’s Xe2 graphics microarchitecture, which offers a 30% improvement in graphics performance over the Snapdragon X Elite chipset and a 16% performance boost compared to AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 370HX.
Support for up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, connectivity for up to three 4K monitors, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 (with LE Audio), and extensive port options—including up to three Thunderbolt 4 ports, six USB 2.0 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports—further enhance the versatility of the new laptops.
With these ambitious claims and features, the Intel Core Ultra 200V laptops are set to face rigorous scrutiny upon their release. As the launch date approaches, it will be fascinating to see how these new models perform against the competition.
