Intel Expands Core Ultra AI Chips Amid Fierce Competition

NVIDIA and other manufacturers have dominated the news with the introduction of new AI processors over the last quarter. Last month, Intel joined the fray. It expanded its Core Ultra AI chip lineup by launching the Core Ultra 200HX and 200H series, targeting mobile PCs for gamers and graphic designers. Announced at CES 2025, these chips complement Intel’s earlier releases, including the Core Ultra 200V series for business AI PCs and the Core Ultra 9 for edge computing. With competitors AMD and Qualcomm gaining traction, Intel’s latest offering is a strategic move to solidify its position in the AI-enabled PC market.

Features geared for gaming and enterprise AI

The Core Ultra 200H series boasts 16 cores, Intel Arc graphics, and X Matrix Extensions for AI acceleration, enhancing gaming performance with up to 99 trillion operations per second (TOPS). The Core Ultra 200HX takes it further, featuring 24 cores, a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 13 TOPS, and up to 48 PCIe lanes for discrete GPUs and storage connections. These chips also support overclocking, appealing to gamers seeking customizable performance.

The Core Ultra 9, designed for edge computing, excels at tasks like facial recognition, object tracking, and running small AI models, including Llama 3 and Stable Diffusion 1.5. These advancements demonstrate Intel’s focus on AI-driven solutions across various segments, from gaming to enterprise operations.

See past Intel news: Intel Launches Second-Generation Deep Learning Processors

Market dynamics and future prospects

Despite expanding AI capabilities, the PC market remains challenged by stagnant sales, with global shipments dipping 2.4% in 2024. Most demand is concentrated on entry-level PCs, while AI-enabled models occupy the premium segment. Consumer adoption is expected to rise once software provides compelling AI use cases, a shift analysts predict will gain traction by 2026.

AI PCs are gaining momentum in the enterprise sector as businesses prepare to replace aging hardware. Enterprise software integrations, such as those by Microsoft, Salesforce, and SAP, are also driving AI adoption, though implementation hurdles like data security remain. Worldwide shipments of AI PCs are projected to total 114 million units this year, an increase of 165.5% from 2024, according to a forecast from Gartner.

PCs powered by the Core Ultra 200H series will debut in February, with 200HX models following later in 2025, marking Intel’s continued push to redefine AI-enabled computing.