06/15/2023 at 3:01 p.m. Intel is reorganizing the complete nomenclature for the core processors from the “Meteor Lake” generation and is removing the “i” that has been established for years from their product designation. Instead, the manufacturer gives selected models the addition “Ultra”, which is intended to distinguish premium CPUs from mainstream CPUs. But that’s not all.
As Intel announced today, the company is completely changing the nomenclature of its core processors with the release of the “Meteor Lake” generation and is removing the “i” that has been established for years from their well-known product names. Instead, Intel will give selected processors the suffix “Ultra” in the future, which should better distinguish “premium CPUs” from “mainstream CPUs” and make them recognizable to users.
“Our client roadmap demonstrates how Intel is prioritizing innovation and technology leadership with products like Meteor Lake, focused on power efficiency and AI at scale.”
“To better align with our product strategies, we are introducing a branding structure that will help PC buyers better differentiate the best of our latest technology and our mainstream offerings.”
– Caitlin AndersonIntel vice president and general manager of Client Computing Group Sales
Intel Core 3, Core 5 and Core 7 without the familiar “i”
In the future, the mainstream CPUs will no longer be known as Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7, but will be listed as Core 3, Core 5 and Core 7 in the manufacturer’s portfolio. This is also reflected on the corresponding stickers, the so-called “batches” and “labels”, which are attached to the clients, desktop PCs and notebooks that are equipped with core processors. The entire transition begins with the release of the “Meteor Lake” generation.
Source: Intel Source: Intel
But that’s not all. After the new nomenclature does not include the well-known “i” in its product designation in the future, selected processors, so-called premium CPUs, are given a new, eye-catching addition.
Intel Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 9
In the future, Intel will distinguish its premium processors from mainstream processors with the suffix “Ultra”. In the future, the Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 9 will be positioned above the Core 3, Core 5 and Core 7.
Source: Intel Source: Intel
But that’s not all of the conversion work on the well-known naming scheme. Intel has now also decided on a clear cut for the model numbers and is heralding a new era for its entire CPU portfolio with the core processors of the next generation “Meteor Lake”.
Model numbers get a reset
While Intel hasn’t announced exactly which models will be introduced with the release of Meteor Lake, the company has confirmed that the numbering of model numbers will be reset and will start again with a shorter four-digit numbering. A Core i9-13900K would become a Core Ultra 9 1900K. The manufacturer will continue to stick to its prefixes “F”, “K”, “KF”, “KS” and “T” and thus make properties such as overclocking with a free multiplier visible, as Intel announced.
That’s what the core CPUs will be called
The complete product designations, which also have the suffix processor (“Processor”) in the official name, will look like this after the introduction of the new “Meteor Lake” generation core processors*:
- Intel Core 3 processor ___X
- Intel Core 5 processor ___X
- Intel Core 7 processor ___X
- Intel Core Ultra 5 processor ___X
- Intel Core Ultra 7 processor ___X
- Intel Core Ultra 9 processor ___X
*) all product designations can be supplemented with a prefix.
Minor changes to vPro and Evo
The labels for devices with Intel vPro and Intel Evo certification will also be revised slightly and will replace the stickers and batches labeled Core and Core Ultra for such systems. Notebooks that have a vPro or Evo certificate will in future come to customers with the following stickers.
Source: Intel Source: Intel
Intel also points out that integrated graphics solutions based on the Alchemist architecture (“Arc”) can be combined with processors from the Intel Core series as well as with Intel Core Ultra.
