Intel is the world's largest CPU manufacturer, and its products are used in a wide range of computers, servers, embedded devices, and more. In recent years, as artificial intelligence (AI) technology has evolved, Intel has also continued to innovate by adding chips to its CPUs specifically for AI computing to boost performance and efficiency. The latest generation of CPUs, the Core Ultra series, is Intel's blockbuster product in the AI space, and they will be officially available in the second half of 2023, bringing a new experience to consumers.
The Core Ultra CPU is Intel's 14th Gen Core processor and uses the Intel 4 process, which is the original 7nm process, which is claimed to be comparable to the industry's 4nm level. For the first time, they will adopt a non-single-chip design, flexibly integrating multiple chiplet modules, including next-generation hybrid architecture CPUs, TGPU core graphics engines, AI acceleration units, and more. One of the most notable is the AI Acceleration Unit, a neural network processor (NPU) dedicated to AI inference that can execute various AI applications such as image recognition, speech recognition, natural language processing, and more on the CPU without relying on external GPUs or other hardware.
According to Intel, the Core Ultra CPU's AI acceleration unit can deliver up to 20x faster AI inference without impacting CPU performance, a quantum leap over previous CPUs. This means that users can enjoy the convenience and intelligence brought by AI when using ordinary computers, such as faster translation, more accurate search, smoother meetings, smarter voice assistants, etc. Intel also said that the AI acceleration unit of the Core Ultra CPU is open and can support a variety of popular AI frameworks and libraries, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, OpenVino, etc., making it easy for developers and users to use.
Intel plans to launch mobile and desktop versions of the Core Ultra CPUs in the second half of 2023, in the U-series and S-series, respectively. The U-series is primarily aimed at thin and light laptops and 2-in-1 devices, with power consumption of 15W or 28W;The S-series is primarily aimed at desktops and gaming laptops with a power consumption of 65W or 125W. Both series will be available in i3, i5, i7 and i9 grades, with the number of cores and frequencies varying depending on the model. Here are the specifications for some of the models:
Core i9-14900U: 8 P-cores (Performance Cores) + 8 E-Cores(Energy Efficiency Cores) with a turbo frequency of up to 50 GHz, integrated IRIS XE GPU, DDR5-5600 memory.
Core i7-14700U: 6 P-cores + 8 E-cores, with a turbo frequency of up to 48 GHz, integrated IRIS XE GPU, DDR5-5600 memory.
Core i5-14600U: 4 P-cores + 4 E-cores, with a turbo frequency of up to 46 GHz, integrated IRIS XE GPU, DDR5-5600 memory.
Core i3-14400U: 2 P-cores + 4 E-cores, with a turbo frequency of up to 44 GHz, integrated UHD GPU, DDR5-5600 memory.
Core i9-14900K: 8 P-cores + 16 E-cores, with a turbo frequency of up to 60 GHz, integrated IRIS XE GPU, DDR5-6400 memory, overclockable.
Core i7-14700K: 8 P-cores + 12 E-cores, with a turbo frequency of up to 56 GHz, integrated IRIS XE graphics, DDR5-6400 memory, overclockable.
Core i5-14600K: 6 P-cores + 8 E-cores, with a turbo frequency of up to 53 GHz, integrated IRIS XE GPU, DDR5-6400 memory, overclockable.
Core i3-14400K: 4 P-cores + 4 E-cores, with a turbo frequency of up to 50 GHz, integrated UHD GPU, DDR5-6400 memory, overclockable.
The launch of the Core Ultra CPU is undoubtedly a major innovation in the CPU field for Intel and an important breakthrough in the field of AI. They will compete stiffly with AMD's Ryzen 6000 series processors, which will also be available in the second half of 2023 on TSMC's 5nm process with support for DDR5 memory and PCIe 50 interface, but does not have an AI acceleration unit. As a result, Intel's strength in AI could be a major selling point for consumers, especially those with a high demand for AI applications.
In addition, the launch of the Core Ultra CPU will also have a profound impact on the current PC market. They will provide PC manufacturers with more choice and room for innovation, driving the performance and intelligence of PC devices. It is reported that well-known brands such as Lenovo, MSI, Acer and Asus have shown new products equipped with Core Ultra CPUs, including thin and light laptops, gaming laptops, 2-in-1 devices, etc., which will be launched one after another next year, bringing more choices to consumers. Intel also said that it will work with partners to promote the popularization of Core Ultra CPUs, so that more users can enjoy the convenience and intelligence of AI.
The AI acceleration unit of the Core Ultra CPU can not only bring more convenience and intelligence to ordinary users, but also provide stronger support and creativity for professional users and developers. Here are some use cases and examples of Core Ultra CPUs:
*Editing and production: The Core Ultra CPU can use AI acceleration units to perform fast rendering, transcoding, stabilization, noise reduction, color correction and other operations in Adobe Premiere Pro and other editing software, greatly improving the efficiency and quality of processing. At the same time, the Core Ultra CPU can also support some AI-based creative features, such as character face swapping, background replacement, motion capture, speech synthesis, etc., making the production more interesting and diverse.
Gaming and entertainment: The Core Ultra CPU can use AI acceleration units to perform real-time image optimization, physics simulation, lighting calculation, sound processing, and more in games, making the game more realistic and smooth. At the same time, the Core Ultra CPU can also support some AI-based game interaction features, such as face recognition, voice control, sentiment analysis, intelligent dialogue, etc., making the gaming experience richer and more personalized.
Education and Xi: The Core Ultra CPU can use AI-accelerated units to efficiently acquire, understand, memorize, and Xi in education and Xi, making learning Xi more efficient and interesting. At the same time, the Core Ultra CPU can also support some AI-based educational assistance features, such as smart note-taking, voice translation, homework correction, ** exams, etc., making education more convenient and fair.
Office and business: The Core Ultra CPU can use AI acceleration units to perform rapid data analysis, report generation, document processing, and presentation production in office and business, making work more efficient and professional. At the same time, the Core Ultra CPU can also support some AI-based office collaboration features, such as ** meetings, voice transcription, intelligent scheduling, email management, etc., making communication smoother and more effective.
The launch of the Core Ultra CPU marks a major breakthrough for Intel in the field of CPU and AI, and also brings new vitality and opportunities to the PC market. But this is not the end for Intel, but a new beginning. Intel said it will continue to invest more resources and efforts to continuously improve and optimize the performance and features of the Core Ultra CPU to make AI more accessible and easy to use. At the same time, Intel will continue to explore and innovate to add more new technologies and features to its CPUs, such as quantum computing, neuromorphic computing, photonic computing, etc., to make CPUs more powerful and intelligent.
In short, Intel's Core Ultra CPUs have arrived, and they are all equipped with chips dedicated to AI, bringing new experiences and possibilities to consumers and developers alikeWhen will it come down?Expect the answer to land.