Intel Core Processors Series 1 launched - new 15W U chips for low-power systems

Intel has a new series of 15W U-series chips for thin laptops that don't require a ton of power. They're getting a new brand name: Intel Core Mobile Processors Series 1.

At the moment, Intel Core (no generation, no "Ultra") appears to be the name specifically for the 15W chips. These new processors are not part of Intel's 14th Gen Core HX lineup, nor the Intel Core Ultra (also Series 1) line, where the H-series parts can be found. Still with me?

The Core Processors Series 1 consists of the Core 7 150U, Core 5 120U and Core 3 100U, which Intel says will show up in laptops from its partners in the first quarter of this year.

The Core 7 150U and Core 5 120U pack eight efficiency cores and two performance cores, for a total of 10 cores each. Both also have 12 threads and 12 MB of cache. Meanwhile, the Core 3 100U has six cores (two performance cores and four efficiency cores), eight threads, and 10MB cache.

It's not a surprise that the Core 7 is the leader in speed, hitting 5.4 GHz on its P cores and 4.0 GHz on the E cores, with the Core 4 and Core 3 dropping from there. While these are 15W parts at base power, the U-Series lineup can turbo up to 55W.

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The chips support up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. (The chips also allow for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, which we'll undoubtedly see on some cheaper notebooks). 

The Core processors will also support up to 96GB of DDR5-5200 or DDR4-3200 memory, offering eight PCIe Gen 4 lanes and 12 PCIe Gen 3 lanes to SSDs. Intel hasn't made any performance claims compared to the competition in its announcement, which will make lab testing interesting.

At CES, Intel also launched new 14th-generation Core HX mobile processors and 14th-generation Intel Core desktop processors. Between those and Core Ultra, which the company launched in December, Intel has a large spectrum of new consumer and gaming-grade chips ready to go. Hopefully, everyone can get the nomenclature straight.