Earlier today, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger revealed exciting updates to their roadmap, including a performance leap for their next-generation Lunar Lake CPUs. These processors are projected to surpass a staggering 100 tera operations per second (TOPS) — a major leap in processing power. To put that in perspective the current Intel Core Ultra 7 165H laptop chip hits 34 TOPS.
Intel committed to Lunar Lake arriving this year but hasn't specifically when new Lunar Lake powered laptops will launch. However, my instincts, the rumor mill, and history suggest that consumers can expect to see them before the year is out in a similar timeframe to the first Intel Core Ultra laptops that arrived last December.
Gelsinger highlighted a few more details around Intel's forthcoming chips and its AI PC aspirations and forecasts.
Key reveals
- Next-Gen Power: Intel's upcoming Lunar Lake processors will deliver over 100 tera operations per second (TOPS) for impressive performance in productivity, security, and content creation. This surge in power is expected to drive business PC upgrades. Additionally, the Lunar Lake NPU boasts over 45 neural processing unit (NPU) TOPS, further accelerating AI tasks on next-generation PCs. That last bit is critical as it will put these next-gen chips beyond the requirements Microsoft has set to qualify as an AI PC.
- AI for Everyone: Intel expects to ship 40 million AI-enabled PCs in 2024, with designs ranging from thin laptops to gaming devices. While we are still waiting to see companies fully leverage the AI capabilities of these AI PCs, we have been thoroughly impressed by the performance and power efficiency of the majority of the laptops we've reviewed with Intel Core Ultra chips so far.
- AI Networking Boost: Through the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, Intel is leading advancements in AI network fabrics with solutions designed for training and running massive AI models.
Final thoughts
As we eagerly anticipate the launch of laptops running Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chipset, Intel throws its hat in the ring for 2024 AI PC champ. Both the X Elite and Lunar Lake chipsets are poised to battle it out for the title of best AI PC chipset this fall. The X Elite should arrive first, Qualcomm has said "mid-2024" for laptops using its new AI PC chip, but Lunar Lake laptops should be hot on its heels with likely just a few months separating them.
That said, I am still excited to see what systems OEMs deliver using the Snapdragon X Elite. Although it seems like forever since the Snapdragon X Elite was announced, once those laptops hit the market, the biggest loser could be Apple and its MacBook lineup. WWDC 2024 could be telling as while Apple Vision Pro has dominated the conversation for Cupertino over the last year, its $3,500 neck-straining spatial computing concept isn't replacing a laptop anytime soon, so we're all ears for Apple's narrative on how its AI PC aspirations will stack up against the rest.
It's an exciting year for laptop shoppers, so stick with us as we find out which of these next-gen chips, and the laptops running them, come out on top.
