Intel’s Core Ultra 200V CPUs set their sights on power, AI, and the competition

Intel has announced new Core Ultra 200V series processors under the Lunar Lake branding. The chipset promises better power performance and improved battery life. At the same time, Intel will leverage Core Ultra 200V for AI capabilities, including in Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC platform later this year.

Shipments of Core Ultra 200V-equipped devices will begin on September 24. Intel has partnered with 20 companies, including Acer, Asus, Dell, LG, MSI, and Samsung, which will each equip 80 types of devices with Core Ultra 200V. In the announcement, Intel claimed to offer the “fastest CPU cores” and “best AI performance” to better compete with Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD.

Intel’s Core Ultra 200V deals big blow to Qualcomm and AMD

In the announcement, Intel claimed that the Core Ultra 200V would outperform competing products.

Intel

The recent Core Ultra 200V announcement includes some impressive comparisons. Intel claims that the Core Ultra 200V chips will reduce package power by up to 50% and support AI PCs with up to 120 TOPS (tera operations per second) across the CPU and GPU. The Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is also said to be four times more powerful than the previous generation chip. Battery life on Core Ultra 200V-equipped devices is said to be up to 20 hours.

According to Intel, the Core Ultra 200V offers better battery life when running Microsoft Teams compared to Qualcomm’s X1E-78-100 and AMD’s HX370. The chipmaker claims that its new CPU boasts nearly 10 hours of productivity when running the same productivity apps, compared to Qualcomm’s 9.4 hours and AMD’s 8.2 hours. In terms of AI performance, the Core Ultra 200V is estimated to be 58% faster. This extends to AI applications, including the Copilot+PC feature that will be released this November.

Intel wants you to believe that the Core Ultra 200V is a gaming powerhouse

At the budget price point, the Core Ultra 200V outperforms the competition when gaming.

Intel

Intel placed the Core Ultra 200V next to the AMD HX370 to compare gaming performance and frame rates. The company claims that the Xe2 integrated GPU features up to 31 percent faster gaming performance. Intel states that when running games at 30FPS, the Core Ultra 200V outperforms AMD’s processor by 16 percent. However, there are some notable omissions in this statement. For example, Grand Theft Auto V is reported to top out at 184fps, while the Core Ultra 200V is at 177fps. Looking across Intel’s benchmarks, AMD only outperforms the Core Ultra 200V in a few situations.

Even compared to the Intel Core Ulta 7 155H, the Core Ultra 200V is considered 31 percent more efficient during gameplay. Take DOTA 2 for example, Intel’s tests show that the Core Ultra 200 delivers 132fps during gameplay, while the Intel Core Ulta 7 155H tops out at 118fps. In Counterstrike 2, Lunar Lake delivers a pretty impressive 129fps, while the Core Ultra 7 155H lags behind at 94fps. For those looking for an alternative to Nvidia’s DLSS frame rate boost, the Core Ultra 200V chip leverages eight ray tracing units and XeSS technology to deliver cutting-edge visuals in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Is Intel’s Core Ultra 200V worth the upgrade?

Intel’s benchmarks are tantalizingly strong, but time will tell if the Core Ultra 200V chips perform as expected.

Intel

Intel is in a power race with Qualcomm and AMD. With the Core Ultra 200V, the company wants to let consumers and tech enthusiasts know that it is still in the fight. To power AI innovation and applications, the Core Ultra 200V is well-positioned to support Copilot+PC later this fall. When it comes to gaming, the Core Ultra 200V looks to be an attractive alternative to other high-end processors on the market. It remains to be seen how well the Core Ultra 200V will actually perform when tested under real-world conditions. But with its imminent launch, it will be one of the processors to watch heading into the fall.