Intel had a busy 2024, dealing with faulty desktop CPUs while launching its AI-heavy Core Ultra 200V mobile processors at IFA in September. These CPUs for laptops were a direct answer to Qualcomm's mighty Snapdragon X Systems-on-Chip (SoC) and AMD's Ryzen AI 300 CPUs, and the nine initial 200V chips have been spotted in laptops like the ASUS Zenbook S 14 we tested.
Just announced at CES 2025 is an expansion to the Core Ultra 200V lineup, this time focusing on vPro enhancements for business and enterprise. The bigger news, especially for gamers and creators, is the unveiling of new Core Ultra 200HX and H-series mobile chips for more powerful laptops. Intel also has some Core Ultra 200U mobile and Core Ultra 200S desktop CPUs to show off, so let's dig in.
Intel breaks open performance with its Core Ultra 200H/HX mobile CPUs
The biggest news to me as a PC gamer is the announcement of Intel's new Core Ultra 200HX and H "Arrow Lake" processors for laptops with a discrete GPU inside. Intel is offering up to 24 cores (8P and 16E) and 24 threads in its flagship Core Ultra 9 285HX, which also includes a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) at 13 TOPS for local AI acceleration.
On the H-series side, you can get up to 16 cores (6P, 8E, 2LPE) with a GPU that hits 77 TOPS. There are five H-series chips so far announced, led by the top-tier Core Ultra 9 285H.
Intel says the HX-series chips can hit up to a 41% increase in multi-thread performance compared to last-gen HX CPUs, while its H-series options come with up to eight Xe integrated GPU cores.
On that front, Intel claims you can expect up to 22% improved gaming performance compared to last-gen H-series chips. With Intel's HX hardware usually reserved for monster laptops, it's no surprise to see a mix of 48 PCIe 4.0/5.0 lanes to better handle modern storage and graphics.
Intel somehow managed to shrink the size of its most powerful mobile chips by 33%, which the company says results in thinner and lighter laptops built around the CPU. However, you shouldn't expect an ultrathin laptop, especially in models that allow for overclocking. Yes, the 200HX chips can have their P and E cores overclocked, which is made easier by Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility software.
Expect to see Intel's Core Ultra HX-series CPUs start showing up in laptops in the first half of 2025. H-series chips should arrive sooner, starting in February 2025.
With Core Ultra H/HX hogging most of the spotlight, Intel also slipped in some new 200U-series mobile chips. They're expected to be found in more affordable PCs, offering up to 10 cores (2P and 8E) and Intel's Xe LPG graphics that we first saw with Meteor Lake. I'm expecting to see laptops with these chips hit market in February 2025.
Intel didn't stop there. A total of 12 new Core Ultra 200S desktop processors, also made for more affordable systems, are expected to hit markets on January 13, 2025. There's a mix of 65W and 35W chips, with up to 24 cores (8P and 16E).
