Intel has revealed its strategy to incorporate Lunar Lake processors into the forthcoming Copilot+ PC series, aiming to boost AI functionalities in notebooks. While Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series chips will initially power these AI-centric PCs starting shipments in June, Intel's Lunar Lake processors are scheduled for a third-quarter 2024 release, aligning with the holiday shopping season.
Lunar Lake's Technological Advancements
The Lunar Lake processors represent a major leap in mobile processing for AI-driven PCs. According to Intel, these processors will offer over three times the AI performance of their predecessors. Featuring more than 40 neural processing unit (NPU) tera operations per second (TOPS) and over 60 GPU TOPS, the new processors are expected to deliver more than 100 platform TOPS. These enhancements are designed to support the Copilot+ experiences that will be available in the market.
When Lunar Lake processors debut in new laptops later this year, an update will be rolled out to activate Copilot+ PC features, including the Recall function. Intel projects that it will ship approximately 40 million AI PC processors within the year. Despite entering the market after Qualcomm, Intel may benefit from the high prices of Snapdragon X notebooks, which could limit their demand. The performance comparison between Lunar Lake and Snapdragon X will be closely monitored.
To qualify as a Copilot+ PC, a system must deliver at least 40 tera operations per second (TOPs) of NPU performance, which is significantly higher than the 10 TOPs offered by other AI PCs. Mehdi also claimed that these PCs are 58 percent faster than M3-powered MacBook Airs.
Power Efficiency and Future Availability
The Lunar Lake processors are designed to offer substantial improvements in power efficiency, marking a significant advancement in Intel's product lineup. These processors will be available in retail devices starting in the fourth quarter of 2024. AMD is also working on new notebook chips featuring AI-based neural processors under the Strix brand. However, details about these chips remain limited. As these new processors are released, the competition in the AI notebook market is expected to become more intense.
