Intel Unveiled a New Set of Labels for Its Forthcoming CPUs Architecture
In a bid to simplify its brand portfolio, Intel has unveiled a new set of labels for its forthcoming CPU architecture, starting with its next-generation Meteor Lake CPUs.
As part of the changes, Intel’s mainstream CPUs will no longer carry the “i” in their branding, changing from Core i3/i5/i7/i9 to simply Core 3/5/7/9. Intel is also discontinuing the use of generational messaging in its processor branding, which means the new CPUs will not be announced, released, or marketed as “14th-generation” or any other generation.
The Intel generational branding has often been seen as somewhat arbitrary. Notably, the “first-generation” Core chips came after several generations of Core and Core 2 processors. The mid-2000s saw Intel begin this branding trend with the Core and Core 2 processors at the tail end of the Pentium 4 era. Furthermore, the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad branding were applied to several distinct generations of chips, each featuring different manufacturing technologies and revised architectures.
To balance the words it’s removing from its branding, Intel is adding a new one. Its high-end chips will now be branded as Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra 7, or Core Ultra 9. The company hasn’t provided detailed information about what qualifies a processor as Ultra, but it’s known that Core 3 chips cannot be Ultra, whereas Core 9 chips can only be Ultra.
Intel’s CPU model numbers will still include generational numbering for differentiation, and suffix letters will continue to be used to distinguish different product segments. For instance, what would have previously been an “Intel Core i7-14700K Processor” might now be referred to as an “Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 14700K.” Intel indicates a preference for the word “processor” to sit between the “Core Ultra 7” part and the CPU’s model number.
This is part of a broader overhaul of Intel’s processor branding strategy. Last year, the company phased out the Pentium and Celeron brand names for low-end laptop CPUs, choosing to refer to them simply as Intel Processors. AMD has reconfigured its laptop processor model numbers to accommodate the fact that it’s shipping various CPU and GPU pairings under the same “Ryzen 7000” umbrella.
