Intel Fractures 14th Generation Mobile

Intel’s latest generation of mobile processors is a complex mix of architectures and brands. Including 14th Generation, Core, and Core Ultra, it draws from its refresh of the prior Raptor Lake architecture as well as the new Meteor Lake and includes a mix of ultra-high definition (UHD), Intel Graphics, and Arc GPUs.

Intel’s Core Ultra processors debut the company’s new 4 nm technology with a processor family for laptops, codenamed Meteor Lake. It combines three types of CPU, two graphics options, and neural-network processing while lowering power. It’s Intel’s first offering to include an artificial intelligence (AI) engine programmable by application developers (in contrast with the older Gaussian and neural accelerator, or GNA, unit serving only for low-level code). However, a refreshed Raptor Lake architecture serves part of the new mobile offering.

The most recent generation eliminates the bottom performance tier as well as the category serving ultrathin laptops in the prior generation. Meteor Lake clock speeds largely remain unchanged from those of similar Raptor Lake models. Its graphics performance soars given the new GPU architecture, but CPU performance drops from Raptor Lake. Indications are that the Redwood Cove CPU employed in Meteor Lake executes fewer instructions per clock (IPC) than the prior Golden Cove CPU.

All models except three Meteor Lake versions are available now; the company claims to have shipped millions of units since the December launch. The final three are due in 2024, although timing is unclear; rumors suggest the flagship model may have performance issues.