13th Gen Intel Core mobile CPUs announced at CES
Intel unveils the world’s first 24-core laptop CPU among 31 other variants.
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What you need to know
Intel has announced the latest 13th Generation range of their mobile processors atCES 2023in Las Vegas, with a new flagshipCore i9-13980HXCPU, the fastest andworld’s first 24-coremobile chip. All-new 13th Gen variants ofIntel Core P- and U-serieschips will be available alongside the powerhouseHX- and H-series, each designed for laptops in multiple categories with performance scaling from thin-and-light ultrabooks to enthusiast-level portable gaming machines.
The new range includes32 new mobile processorsoverall, with across-the-board improvements to each series, with the high-performance HX-series leading the way with more cores and threads, more L2 cache for each, and support for the latest laptop I/O options. Including support forthe Intel Evo platformpromises to set a high benchmark for laptop processing performance alongside efficient battery life for a long-lasting mobile experience.
Power requirements drop significantly through each series, practically identical to the previous12th Gen mobileprocessors:
Proudly boasting performance breakthroughs of its flagship mobile processors, Intel’s high-end Core i9 HX-series chips offer8x performance cores and 16x efficient coreswithin a slim 20mm form factor alongside the highest I/O and memory options currently available. Reserved for ultra-performance gaming and content creation laptops, these powerful CPUs will effortlessly handle intense gaming and creative tasks.
More L2 cache per core and support forup to 128GB of DDR5 RAMwith 2x DIMMs per channel clocked up to 5600MHz alongside PCIe 5.0 components with Intel’s dynamic power share tech for increased efficiency means support for cutting-edge mobile hardware without sacrificing long-lasting battery life.
Extra benefits to the 13th Gen upgrade include support forWi-Fi 6Enetworking and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, plus AI-powered enhancements such asIntel Gaussian and Neural Accelerator(GNA) improving speech recognition to offer benefits such as live translations in video conferencing. While the HX-series CPUs offer maximum performance, the slimline H-, P-, and U-series variants can power the various requirements for gaming, creative content, and multi-tasking in a portable machine.
Intel’s hybrid CPU method integrates two core microarchitectures into a single processor die, with its thread director optimizing workloads alongside the operating system to intelligently and efficiently distribute tasks. These high-end improvements go hand-in-hand with modern memory standards and PCIe devices, but the 13th Gen chips still supportDDR4 RAMslots andPCIe 4.0lanes to keep options open for OEM manufacturers.
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Some options extend to the consumer, with the HK and HX-series CPUs capable of full/partialoverclockingto attain even higher clock speeds if sufficient thermal control is possible. At least 60 OEM designs are planned to feature the HX chips from brands such as Razer, MSI, ASUS ROG, and more, withover 250 overall OEM designscovering the total 13th Gen range.
Support for the latest hardware and software alongside Intel Evo means any laptops designed with these 13th Gen Core mobile processors will be future-proof for portable gaming, content creation, and beyond. Expanding itsIntel Xegraphics tech with enhancements carried over from Intel Arc GPUs means even the slimmest and lightweight laptops will handle intense visual tasks without compromising the performance of other components.
Windows Central take
My initial reaction to Intel releasing 32 brand-new mobile processors was a worry about oversaturation. Still, if you break them down into individual categories, it about matches the 12th Gen with almost 30 variants. Pushing the range wider isn’t absurd if Intel can back it up with solid benchmarks. Naturally, my primary interest is with the flagship Core i9 -HX series and their whopping 24/32 core/thread count.
All HX and HK chips promise consumers the ability to overclock the CPU, GPU, and RAM, so it’ll be intriguing to see how OEMs handle it. Cutting-edge gaming laptops are usually painstakingly designed to maximize every millimeter of airflow, so allowing users to push the components past their base frequencies will need considerations towards warranties.
Adesktop Core i9-13900KFhits 3.0GHz at its base P/E-core frequency, more than any of the mobile chips, but your choices for gigantic cooling solutions are far better for a tower PC. 45W base power for the H-series chips is the same as last-gen, so hopefully, improvements elsewhere can extend battery life since that tends to be the weakest feature in even some of thebest gaming laptops.
Ben is a Senior Editor at Windows Central, covering everything related to technology hardware and software. He regularly goes hands-on with the latest Windows laptops, components inside custom gaming desktops, and any accessory compatible with PC and Xbox. His lifelong obsession with dismantling gadgets to see how they work led him to pursue a career in tech-centric journalism after a decade of experience in electronics retail and tech support.
