Intel's new Lunar Lake processors to power 80+ laptop designs

Intel has announced that its forthcoming client processors, code-named Lunar Lake, will be featured in more than 80 new laptop designs from over 20 original equipment manufacturers. These processors are set to deliver artificial intelligence (AI) performance on a global scale for Copilot+ PCs, the company says.

Building on the success of its Intel Core Ultra processors, Intel claims that the Lunar Lake processors will offer over three times the performance of the previous generation. The new processors are scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2024, coinciding with the holiday season.

The introduction of Lunar Lake processors will significantly extend AI PC capabilities and will receive updates to include Copilot+ features when they become available. Intel aims to ship more than 40 million AI PC processors this year, making it a pivotal player in the AI computing market.

Michelle Johnston Holthaus, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's Client Computing Group, highlighted that the Lunar Lake processors will bring breakthrough power efficiency, trusted x86 architecture compatibility, and comprehensive software support across the CPU, GPU, and NPU.

AI PCs are characterised by their ability to process data through a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), and a neural processing unit (NPU). The NPU is a specialised accelerator designed to handle AI and machine learning tasks efficiently on the device, reducing the need for cloud processing. This capability is becoming increasingly vital as the demand for streamlined and optimised tasks on personal computers grows.

Lunar Lake processors are expected to be a game-changer in the market, offering more than three times the AI performance compared to the previous generation. The new processors will have over 40 Neural Processing Unit (NPU) tera operations per second (TOPS), alongside more than 60 GPU TOPS, delivering over 100 platform TOPS overall.

Microsoft has expressed enthusiasm for the Lunar Lake launch, citing improvements in security, battery life, and other features due to a deep co-engineering partnership with Intel. Pavan Davuluri, corporate vice president of Windows + Devices at Microsoft, noted that the processors would be crucial for delivering Copilot+ experiences at scale.

In a statement, Intel emphasised that a holistic approach to AI necessitates a robust software enablement infrastructure alongside hardware advancements. As part of its AI PC Acceleration Program, the company is collaborating with more than 100 independent software vendors to enhance AI PC experiences in areas such as personal assistants, audio effects, content creation, gaming, security, streaming, video collaboration, and more.

With these developments, Intel's AI PC visions are poised to revolutionise the market, offering new opportunities for manufacturers and consumers alike. The tech giant's strategic partnerships and forward-thinking innovations underline its commitment to advancing AI capabilities at the hardware level.