The long-promised gaming performance uplift for "Arrow Lake" processors is here, but for now, it is only available in China. Called Intel Performance Optimizations (IPO), this feature aims at system integrators rather than end users and offers a balanced approach between stock settings and full manual overclocking, all while preserving warranty coverage. IPO works by applying optimized profiles that adjust a range of CPU and memory parameters. On the CPU side, it fine‑tunes P‑core and E‑core frequencies, ring‑bus speeds, the UPI interconnect, D2D links between tiles, and both PL1 and PL2 power limits. For RAM, IPO raises transfer rates and tightens timings, pushing modules beyond their factory XMP or EXPO profiles. Early results from Chinese OEM Maxsun show that IPO can boost core clocks by about 200 MHz and elevate DDR5‑8000 kits to DDR5‑8400. In gaming tests provided by Maxsun, this translated to roughly a 10 percent uplift in frame rates, an encouraging figure given Arrow Lake's mild launch performance in gaming.

At debut, some Arrow Lake SKUs trailed their "Raptor Lake" predecessors because the chiplet‑based memory controller introduced extra latency and ring‑bus clocks ran slower. Supply‑chain constraints and tariffs have limited IPO's rollout to China so far, where pre‑built systems from vendors like Maxsun are shipping with the feature enabled. Warranty handling stays with the OEM, so users can enjoy the extra headroom without risking hardware support. Behind the scenes, Intel has been issuing firmware and microcode patches since December, most recently microcode 0x114 paired with CSME firmware 19.0.0.1854v2.2, to improve Arrow Lake's efficiency. IPO represents the next step in that effort and could become a model for global "opt‑in" BIOS presets if the pilot proves successful. For now, China is serving as the testing ground for Intel's latest attempt to squeeze more performance out of Arrow Lake. We have to wait and see if Western markets follow soon.

Intel today released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.6734 WHQL mostly builds on the recent 101.6732 Beta release, with just a couple of changes. To begin with, it introduces a new power management optimization for Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" processors and their iGPUs for handheld gaming consoles, such as the new generation of MSI Claw based on them. Next up, it fixes an issue with Core Ultra series 2 processors ("Lunar Lake" and "Arrow Lake") where some games don't enumerate all supported display resolutions in the game settings of some notebook devices. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6734 WHQL

Back in February, we reported on Intel considering a resurrection of the "Arrow Lake Refresh" Core Ultra 300 series of CPUs. However, it seems that @Jaykihn, a reliable source of Intel leaks, has confirmed that Intel will indeed push the refresh of Arrow Lake in the form of Core Ultra 300 series of CPUs, limited to K and KF SKUs only. This means we will likely see only overclockable SKUs being refreshed, with possibly enhanced boost frequency and/or core count. With 125 W TDP, these new SKUs would target high-end markets, passionate overclockers, and system integrators selling high-end builds with these CPUs. The refresh's journey to confirmation has been turbulent. Initial rumors in 2023 suggested an ambitious core-count bump for Arrow Lake-S, followed by speculation that Intel would prioritize NPU upgrades, potentially mirroring Lunar Lake's reported 48 TOPS capability—a massive leap from the current Core Ultra 9 285 K's 13 TOPS. By late 2023, leaks hinted at the project's cancellation, but insiders like Chinese leaker Golden Pig Upgrade later revived hopes, asserting that desktop-focused "ARL-S Refresh" had been quietly resurrected.

Jaykihn's latest intel narrows the scope: only K/KF-series chips will receive tweaks, leaving non-overclockable SKUs untouched. Intel is also reportedly developing new performance profiles for existing Arrow Lake CPUs, separate from warranty-voiding BIOS tweaks. These optimizations, alongside the upcoming Intel Performance Optimization (IPO) program, aim to help OEMs and system integrators push pre-built systems further via safer, stability-focused adjustments to clock speeds, power limits, and memory overclocking. While enthusiasts may still prefer manual overclocking, IPO could democratize performance gains for mainstream users. The Core Ultra 300 series will slot into Intel's LGA-1851 roadmap between the base Arrow Lake-S (Core Ultra 200) and 2026's next-gen Nova Lake-S (Core Ultra 400).

The oft-rumored status of Intel's refreshed generation of Arrow Lake processors (ARL-R) was the topic of much debate in 2023. By September 2024, certain industry watchdogs believed that the endeavor had ended. Early last month, Golden Pig Upgrade proposed that Team Blue leadership had resurrected the troubled project—at least with "ARL-S Refresh" desktop CPUs. Earlier today, the noted leaker of inside information returned to the topic of Arrow Lake Refresh. According to industry moles, the launch of refreshed desktop processors (on LGA 1851) is confirmed.

An extended timeline was disclosed in Golden Pig Upgrade's latest musing: "Arrow Lake HX Refresh is confirmed to return. Don't criticize the interface for only one generation. AI PCs are getting bigger and stronger." Given that ARL-HX-equipped high-end notebooks and mini PCs—with Core Ultra 7 200 series APUs—are relatively new arrivals, a mild update later on in the year could be considered pointless. Intel has committed themselves to a launch of Panther Lake mobile processors (PTL-H) in the second half of 2025. As disclosed by past leaks, the "beefing up" of onboard NPUs—to Lunar Lake-esque standards—is a reported goal; at least with Arrow Lake-S.

MSI IPC, a global leader in computing and AI-driven solutions, is set to unveil its latest Edge AI Computing innovations at Booth No. 1-389, Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany. Powered by the latest Intel platform, MSI's cutting-edge technologies will drive advancements in automation, digital signage management, and AI-driven customer interactions.

Several MSI's partners, including Alptech, Spo-comm, Spectra, and Elmark, are joining this event to showcase their cutting-edge solutions powered by MSI IPC products. Their demonstrations will feature a diverse range of applications, including 4U rackmount systems, Panel PCs (PPC), and KIOSK solutions, highlighting the versatility and performance of MSI's industrial computing technology in various sectors.

LG Electronics USA (LG) today announced pricing and pre-order availability of its 2025 AI-enabled LG gram lineup, the company's first on-device AI-laptops powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs. Introduced at CES 2025, the new lineup includes the LG gram Pro Z90TP ($1999 to $2399), LG gram Pro Copilot+PC Z90TS ($1849 to $2399), LG gram Pro 2-in-1 T90TP ($1999 to $2399) and LG gram Copilot+PC Z90TL ($1999 to $2399). Leveraging LG's gram AI technology, and cloud AI capabilities powered by GPT-4o, these laptops deliver impressive hybrid AI performance while preserving the LG gram's iconic slim and lightweight design.

Throughout the duration of the pre-order period (Feb. 24, 2025 to March 23, 2025), customers will receive an LG gram +view IPS portable monitor (349.99 value) at no additional cost and $200 savings on select models. All standard terms of purchase apply.

A recent Cinebench R23 result portrayed the upcoming Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX lagging behind its predecessor by a few points in single-core performance, despite pulling well ahead in multicore performance. Now, the high-end Arrow Lake-HX chip has made its debut on Passmark, and the result appears quite enticing, to say the least. In single-core, the Core Ultra 9 275HX leads the i9 14900HX by around 10% - a fair generational uplift. In overall performance, however, the Core Ultra 9 275HX shines bright, pulling off a 33% lead over its predecessor. Of course, the actual improvements are likely to be lower, considering that the Passmark database contains over 1800 entries for Core i9 14900HX-powered systems with varying thermal capabilities, while only a single one so far for the 275HX.

For a refresher, the Core Ultra 9 275HX debuted at CES 2025, and packs 8 Lion Cove P-cores along with 16 Skymont E-cores. Intel has left Hyper-Threading in the rearview mirror with its Arrow Lake lineup, although the Passmark entry seems to suggest Arrow Lake-HX will do just fine without it. Unsurprisingly, for laptops, the performance of the system will boil down to its thermal capabilities, which basically means that there will be a plethora of systems where the 275HX will be unable to fully spread its wings. Besides that, as with all pre-release performance benchmark leaks, be sure to accept this information with a grain of salt. The Ryzen 7945HX3D is also left behind, albeit by a far smaller margin of just around 7% in overall performance. With the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D just around the corner, however, Intel's high-end laptop reign might be short-lived after all.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX was unveiled by Big Blue at CES 2025, packing 8 Lion Cove performance cores and 16 Skymont efficiency cores for a total of 24 cores and 24 threads, thanks to Intel doing away with Hyper-Threading support. As such, we already had quite low expectations for multicore performance from Arrow Lake-HX, although a recently listed Cinebench R23 run appears to confirm the contrary. However, considering the nature of leaks, be sure to accept this information with a fair amount of skepticism until more information comes our way.

To be honest, this result is quite a doozy, for the aforementioned reason. Like its predecessor, the Core Ultra 9 275HX will also boast the same number of performance and efficiency cores, without Hyper-Threading support. But somehow, the result indicates that the 275HX handily outperforms the Core i9-14900HX in multicore performance by ~11%, despite losing out in single-core performance by the skin of its teeth. Of course, there are plenty of desktop-replacement laptops that can pull off higher multicore scores, although it would be best to stick to median figures considering that the details of the tested system are not known. Clearly, something is going on here, that I am unable to wrap my head around. It is possible that Intel has massively improved multicore scaling, but that is not what we witnessed with a recent Passmark result, where the Core Ultra 7 255H portrayed healthy improvements over its predecessor in single-core, but not quite so in multicore.

Intel is reported to be eyeing a revival of its "Arrow Lake Refresh" desktop processor design—Golden Pig Upgrade disclosed this "strange" revelation via an updated Weibo blog post. Back in 2023, the Chinese hardware reviewer and leaker extraordinaire theorized that Team Blue's much-rumored shelving of "ARL-S/HX Refresh" came down to cost/benefit considerations relating to accommodating an upgraded NPU in the chip's tile-based design. Last September, reports suggested that Intel had put the final kibosh on a 14th Gen Core Ultra 8P+32E "Arrow Lake Refresh" processor series—leaked roadmaps had a launch window marked down for late 2025, going into 2026. Industry watchdogs have picked up on Golden Pig Upgrade's latest forecast—prompting further theorizing.

Intel has its mobile segment's future covered with Panther Lake (later in 2025) and Nova Lake (2026), but a notable gap exists in their desktop world. Nova Lake's desktop S-series is slated for launch at some point in 2026, so this year could be prime territory for a mild refresh of existing Arrow Lake-S processors—on the LGA1851 socket. Golden Pig Upgrade reckons that refreshes of ARL-S (desktop) and ARL-HX (high-end laptop) are back on Team Blue's upcoming product roadmap. Industry moles reckon that an updated NPU design—potentially similar to the one housed in Lunar Lake mobile chips—will be the only major upgrade lined up for the so-called "Core Ultra 300" processor series. Intel's current-gen flagship model—Core Ultra 9 285K—has NPU performance topping off at 13 TOPS. Refreshed Arrow Lake SKUs could be deployed with an improved NPU aspect, perhaps capable of hitting 48 TOPS.

Intel's upcoming "Nova Lake" desktop processors are taking shape slowly, featuring a three-tier core design that could reach 52 total cores. Set for 2026, the flagship SKU combines 16 "Coyote Cove" P-cores with 32 "Arctic Wolf" E-cores, supplemented by 4 LPE-cores for background task management. Intel is reportedly also considering 28-core (8P + 16E + 4LPE), and 16-core (4P + 8E + 4LPE) SKUs too. The architectural design choice centers on Intel's hybrid manufacturing approach, leveraging both its internal 14A node and TSMC's 2 nm process technology. This strategic decision addresses supply chain resilience while potentially enabling higher yields for critical compute tiles. Intel's interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus noted that Intel Foundry will need to earn Intel Product's trust with each new node, so if a node is not the best for their in-house IP, Intel will move to TSMC for production.

Initial engineering samples are already circulating among developers, according to shipping documentation from NBD, suggesting the validation phase is proceeding on schedule. Some specifications point to significant cache improvements, with documentation suggesting a 144 MB L3 cache implementation. However, the cache topology—whether unified or segmented—remains unspecified. The platform is expected to support PCIe Gen 6.0, though Intel has yet to confirm socket compatibility or memory specifications. However, we need to hold our expectations low. Previously unrealized configurations in Intel's roadmaps, like 40-core "Arrow Lake," never materialized, and instead, we got an eight-P-core version with 16 E-cores, totaling 24 cores. Final specifications may evolve as the platform progresses through development phases.

ChangXin Memory Technology (CXMT) is playing catch up with competitors based in neighboring nations—as reported earlier today, this Chinese memory module manufacturer is making advancements in the field of commercial DDR5 products. Reports from the region suggest that a well-known motherboard manufacturer has embraced some of ChangXin new portfolio. According to a recent ITHome article, MSI has implemented a multitude of optimizations for new-ish Intel "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra Series 2 CPU-oriented motherboards—notably the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WIFI, MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI, and PRO B860M-A WIFI models.

The publication provided evidence of MSI enabling transfer rates of 6800 MT/s across four engaged modules—a welcome step up from the usual twin-stick setup. ITHome also points out that the motherboard specialist has prepared a new BIOS version for B860 chipset mainboards: "specially optimized for the recently popular DDR5 domestic memory particles of ChangXin Storage, which undoubtedly gives the gaming community (in China) more choices." MSI appears to be the first major international vendor to enable support for CXMT's DDR5 modules—thus, representing a significant achievement for the Chinese memory industry.

Intel tends to release exclusive desktop processor SKUs for the Chinese market, which tend to come with core configurations and other specs not found in regular SKUs available in the West. The latest such SKU is the Core Ultra 5 230F "Arrow Lake." This chip comes with a unique IHS (integrated heat spreader) design that sees the bulge over the die contracted to a corner. It still has the metal flanks that receive pressure from the socket's retention module. The chip is positioned a notch above the Core Ultra 5 225F, but with an identical core configuration of 6P+4E.

The China-exclusive Core Ultra 5 230F comes with clock speeds of 3.40 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost for the P-cores, while its E-cores tick at 2.90 GHz base, and 4.40 GHz boost. In comparison, the generally available Core Ultra 5 225F does 3.30 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost for the P-cores, and 2.70 GHz base with 4.40 GHz boost for the E-cores. Both the 230F and 225F lack integrated graphics. As non-K SKUs, both lack unlocked base frequency multipliers. Each of the six "Lion Cove" P-cores comes with 3 MB of dedicated L2 cache; while the sole "Skymont" E-core cluster shares 4 MB of L2 cache among its cores. The P-cores and E-core cluster share 20 MB of L3 cache. What's with the oddly shaped IHS? We have a theory. It's likely that the chip underneath has the same compact Compute tile as the "Arrow Lake-H" mobile processor, which physically only has 6P+8E cores and 24 MB of L3 cache. The modular nature of "Arrow Lake" also makes it possible for the Graphics tile to be physically absent on F-SKUs. We can't wait for someone to delid this chip.

Intel's Core Ultra 3 205 processor's spec sheet appeared online for a short period of time—members of the Team Blue subreddit discovered an official product page (now removed) and other related details. In part, discussion focused on the alleged lower-end "Arrow Lake-S" (ARL-S) desktop CPU being "reserved for OEMs." Previously, this SKU's existence was leaked out at various points back in 2024. VideoCardz has kindly preserved the latest set of information, prior to its removal from Intel's official web presence—showing a potential new addition to the Core Ultra 200S (Series 2) lineup.

The Core Ultra 3 205 model appears to slot into a segment previously occupied by (now retired) budget-oriented Pentium and Celeron products—based on the specification sheet listing of a 57 W TDP (aligning with past ratings). The Maximum Turbo Power limit is 76 W. Team Blue has inadvertently revealed that this is an eight-core processor, comprised of four Lion Cove P-Cores and four Skymont E-Cores—so 8 (4P + 4E). The performance-oriented cores can (Max Turbo) boost up to 4.9 GHz, while the efficiency-focused units are capable of reaching up to 4.4 GHz. The on-board AI Boost NPU is rated for a peak rating of 13 TOPS (Int8). The Core Ultra 3 205's GPU seems to only utilize two out of the four available Arc Xe-LPG cores. The product page mentioned that the Core Ultra 3 205 is due for launch in Q1 2025, although the "Market Status = Launched" segment adds to the confusion surrounding this now de-listed SKU.

At CES 2025, Khadas captivated global audiences with groundbreaking product designs and innovative technologies, showcasing the immense potential of next-generation computing devices. As a technology brand dedicated to addressing diverse user needs, Khadas delivered an impressive display of cutting-edge solutions that seamlessly blend innovation with practicality.

Mind 2s: The Modular Mini PC Powered by Arrow Lake
Since the launch of its first Mind series, Khadas has earned widespread recognition for its exceptional craftsmanship and superior performance. To meet the demand for the latest technology, Khadas unveiled Mind 2s, modular mini PC powered by the Intel Arrow Lake platform. Featuring the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, built on the all-new Arrow Lake-H architecture, the Mind 2s offers not only significant performance enhancements but also outstanding energy efficiency, improved integrated graphics, and superior AI processing capabilities.

Thermal Grizzly, a high-performance cooling solutions provider, introduces the Intel 1851 Delid-Die-Mate Heater V1, a tool designed to assist in removing the heat spreader from Intel Core Ultra 200 CPUs using the Intel 1851 Delid-Die-Mate V1. The heater raises the temperature of the CPU and the delidder to the required 165°C for delidding.

Delidding processors based on the Intel Arrow Lake architecture (Core Ultra, Pentium) carries a higher risk compared to older Intel CPUs. This is likely due to structural factors such as the size of the CPU die and the fact that the CPU die consists of multiple smaller dies, known as "tiles." To minimize the risk during delidding, the CPU should be heated to approximately 165°C / 330°F to soften the indium solder.

ASUS at the 2025 International CES showed off some of the first NUC desktops that meet Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC logo requirements. The new ASUS NUC 14 Pro AI measures 130 mm x 130 mm x 34 mm. It runs an Intel Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake" processor. Depending on the processor model, you get 16 GB or 32 GB of hardwired LPDDR5X memory. You also get the processor's Xe2 "Battlemage" iGPU. Its NPU provides up to 45 AI TOPS of performance, meeting Copilot+ requirements. Storage is care of an M.2-2280 slot with NVMe Gen 4 x4 wiring. I/O options include two 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports including DisplayPort passthrough, and networking that includes Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7.

ASUS won't (or probably can't use the "NUC" moniker with AMD processors), and so there's the ExpertCenter PN54 for those who want essentially the same device, but with an AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processor. This mini PC has the same exact dimensions as the NUC 14 Pro AI, and is powered by a Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" processor, with options going all the way up to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. This chip includes the XDNA 2 NPU with 50 AI TOPS on tap, which means it meets Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC logo requirements. It also features the Radeon 870M RDNA 3.5 graphics with 16 CU. The chip uses standard dual-channel DDR5-5600 using SODIMMs. Storage includes an M.2-2280 slot with Gen 4 x4 wiring. In place of Thunderbolt 4, you get a couple of USB4 ports with 40 Gbps bandwidth and DP passthrough. Comms include Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7, just like on its Intel-powered sibling.

GIGABYTE revealed its GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards and new laptops at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. The product line features NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture and includes several GPU models for different market segments. The company's main release, the AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 Master 32G, uses the WINDFORCE cooling system with a new Hawk fan design. The card incorporates server-grade thermal materials and includes an LCD display on its edge. Other models in the lineup include the RTX 5080 Master 16G and RTX 5070 Master 12G, both featuring dual BIOS options for switching between performance and quiet operation. For smaller PC builds, GIGABYTE introduced the RTX 5070 EAGLE OC ICE SFF 12G. The company also showed a water-cooled variant, the AORUS RTX 5090 XTREME WATERFORCE WB 32G, which includes leak detection features.More pictures follow

At CES 2025, GIGABYTE unveiled an impressive lineup of motherboards designed for Intel and AMD platforms for gaming, content creation, and professional use, with support for the latest processors, PCIe 5.0, and Wi-Fi 7. GIGABYTE introduced several Z890 chipset motherboards for Intel's "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200S series. The flagship Z890 AORUS Master offers features like DDR5 memory overclocking, tool-free PCIe and M.2 installation, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. The compact Z890I AORUS Ultra targets Mini-ITX builds with its efficient 8+1+2 VRM solution and AI-enhanced BIOS profiles. Despite its small form factor, it delivers robust performance and thermal management. For those looking for aesthetics and reliability, the Z890 AORUS Elite WiFi 7 ICE impresses with a sleek white design, digital VRM capabilities, and simplified Wi-Fi EZ-Plug installation for improved connectivity. For more budget-friendly options, GIGABYTE showed B860M AORUS Elite WiFi6E ICE motherboard, too.

Intel today launched "locked" 65 W variants of its Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors in the Socket LGA1851 package. The company also announced more affordable motherboard chipset models, namely the Intel B860 mid-range chipset, and the Intel H810 value-ended chipset. The processor lineup is led by the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (8P+16E, up to 5.60 GHz P-core boost), followed by the Core Ultra 7 265 (8P+12E, up to 5.30 GHz P-core boost); and the Core Ultra 5 245 (6P+8E, up to 5.10 GHz P-core boost). All three come with suitable boxed cooling solutions in the retail channel.

The Intel B860 chipset comes with a 4-lane DMI 4.0 chipset bus (half the bandwidth of the 8-lane chipset bus of the Intel Z890). The PCH puts out 14 PCI-Express 4.0 general purpose lanes, exactly half the number put out by the Z890. Storage connectivity, besides the configurability of the PCIe GPP lanes, include four SATA 6 Gbps ports. Networking includes a 1 GbE MAC, and Wi-Fi 6E integrated MAC, with Bluetooth 5.3. You can have up to 16 USB 3.2 lanes (each worth 5 Gbps), which can be configured as 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or 20 Gbps ports. The B860 lacks CPU overclocking support, but retains memory overclocking, including the ability to apply XMP 3.0 profiles.

Intel today hosts the 2025 International CES Keynote address with a slew of announcements from across its consumer and commercial processor product lines. The company is expected to expand its "Arrow Lake" and "Lunar Lake" processor lines that it debuted in 2024, across many new product segments. In particular, "Arrow Lake" is expected to hit critical mass in the mobile and commercial PC spaces. "Lunar Lake" will see many more processor models, letting it power the year's most popular Copilot+ AI PCs. The desktop Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" will enter mainstream segments alongside mid-range motherboard chipsets. Join us, as we blog the very latest from Intel's CES keynote.Update 16:32 UTC: The show is underway.

Update 16:37 UTC: Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Interim co-CEO, is expected to take centerstage.

The Core Ultra 200H series of mobile processors is designed to cover the majority of mobile device use-cases from the next-generation. These chips are very much based on the latest "Arrow Lake" microarchitecture, but with a few clever design changes. This is a tile-based processor, just like the 200HX series; but the various tiles are different. The Compute tile, which packs the main CPU complex, is noticeably smaller, with 6 "Lion Cove" P-cores, and two "Skymont" E-core clusters with 8 E-cores sharing a 24 MB L3 cache, and a ringbus interconnect. Things get interesting with the SoC tile, which now contains two Low-power Island E-cores. At this point, it is unclear if these are "Skymont," or are older generation "Crestmont" cores, which would mean that Intel has carried over the SoC tile from "Meteor Lake-H."

The SoC tile also contains at 13 TOPS-class NPU, which means these chips miss out on Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC logo. The idea behind this could be that Intel is trying to promote the Core Ultra 200V series "Lunar Lake," which comes with a powerful 45 TOPS NPU. The company is announcing several new models of "Lunar Lake" today, including vPro ones. Switching focus back to "Arrow Lake-H," and our attention is drawn back to the SoC and I/O tiles, which miss out on the number of PCIe lanes, particularly Gen 5 ones, which the Core Ultra 200HX chips come with. The game changer for this chip, however, is the large Graphics tile. The iGPU of "Arrow Lake-H" is based on the same Xe-LPG graphics architecture as the one on "Meteor Lake," and not Xe2 "Battlemage" like on "Lunar Lake." However, this iGPU is vastly different from the one the "Arrow Lake-HX" comes with.

Intel kicked off a slew of 2025 International CES announcements with the Core Ultra 200HX series. The HX segment of mobile processors covers a range of premium gaming notebooks and mobile workstations. These chips tend to be essentially the desktop S-segments of processors but redesigned for the mobile BGA package, letting the platform have the highest possible CPU core count from a client architecture. The same is the case with the Core Ultra 200HX series. It is based on the same chiplet based "Arrow Lake" die with a maximum CPU core count of 8P+16E. AI acceleration comes from a 13 TOPS-class NPU—this won't power Copilot+, but is enough for a few entry-level local AI acceleration workloads. The iGPU is the smallest "Arrow Lake" has to offer, but the idea is that its target platform will have discrete graphics.

The series is led by the Core Ultra 9 285HX, with the maximum 8P+16E core count, a maximum P-core boost frequency of 5.50 GHz. Next up, is the Core Ultra 9 275HX. This chip has the same 8P+16E core CPU configuration has the 285HX, but at slightly lower frequencies, with its P-core boost reaching up to 5.40 GHz. After this, is the Core Ultra 7 265HX, featuring an 8P+12E core CPU configuration, and 5.30 GHz maximum P-core boost. Positioned right below is the Core Ultra 7 255HX, with the same core configuration as the 265HX, but with 100 MHz lower clocks. The 275HX and 255HX appear to be designed for greater volumes.

LG Electronics (LG) is set to unveil its 2025 LG gram lineup, the company's first on-device AI-powered laptops, at CES 2025 in January. The new lineup includes innovative models such as the gram Pro, gram Pro 2-in-1, gram and gram Book. Leveraging LG's gram AI technology, the latest grams deliver state-of-the-art capabilities and stellar performance, harnessing large language models and personalized AI features to elevate the user experience - all while preserving the series' iconic slim and lightweight design.

Enhancing Productivity and Personalization with LG gram AI
The 2025 gram laptops present a smarter, more secure and highly-personalized user experience through LG's innovative gram AI. With gram chat On-Device, these laptops utilize AI algorithms to process and analyze data locally without requiring a network connection. At the same time, they provide convenient access to cloud-based AI services via gram chat Cloud, powered by GPT-4o. This subscription-based service, which uses GPT-4o, is offered free of charge for the first year. The integration of on-device and cloud-based AI creates a hybrid AI solution that enhances productivity by delivering personalized insights, a comprehensive knowledge base and an intuitive, ever-evolving experience that adapts to users' needs.

Here are some of the first pictures of ASRock's upcoming Live Mixer series motherboards based on mid-range chipsets from AMD and Intel. The Live Mixer brand of motherboards has a similar positioning in ASRock's product stack as Steel Legend, but with a variation in product design, and a mid-range onboard audio solution that uses audio codecs such as the ALC1200 or ALC4080. There's nothing that particularly stands out in this audio solution (no fancy amp circuits or exotic I/O). The B850 Live Mixer Wi-Fi is an ATX board based on the AMD B850 chipset. This is essentially a re-brand of the popular B650, but with out-of-the-box support for the latest Ryzen 9000 series processors, including the 9000X3D series. The board offers three M.2 NVMe slots, one of which is Gen 5, and the others Gen 4. The WLAN solution is very likely Wi-Fi 6E.

Next up, is the ASRock B860 Live Mixer Wi-Fi. This Socket LGA1851 motherboard is based on Intel's mid-range chipset for its "Arrow Lake" processors, the Intel B860. Much like the previous generation B760, it is expected to lack CPU overclocking support. This board visually looks a lot similar to its AMD B850-based sibling, you could almost confuse the two if you're not looking at the CPU socket. You get three M.2 NVMe slots here, too; one of which is Gen 5, and doesn't eat into the x16 PEG slot. We expect this board to offer Wi-Fi 6E, just like the B850 Live Mixer Wi-Fi. Lastly, there's the B860M Live Mixer Wi-Fi, a Micro-ATX variant of this board, with mostly the same feature-set, it's just that the third M.2 slot is without a heatsink; and the second PCIe slot is physically x8 instead of x16, which shouldn't matter since the slot is likely electrical x4 on both motherboard models. Intel and AMD are expected to debut the B850 and B860 in January.

Intel has officially announced its presence at CES 2025, teasing what appears to be a significant focus on AI capabilities in its upcoming processor lineup. The tech giant shared a preview image featuring their tagline "AI Inside for a New Era." The announcement suggests that the company will be showcasing new developments in AI processing capabilities integrated directly into their consumer processors. Intel's upcoming lineup is expected to feature the mobile-focused "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200H/HX processors alongside the Arrow Lake-based Core Ultra 200S series designed for desktop systems with 35 W and 65 W power configurations. The company is also supposedly introducing new mid-range and workstation-class 800-series processors for desktop platforms.

The "AI Inside" messaging indicates that Intel is positioning itself to compete more aggressively in the AI computing space, particularly as PCs increasingly handle AI workloads locally. While specific details about the presentation remain under wraps, we can anticipate announcements regarding new Arrow Lake configurations, enhanced AI capabilities, and possibly new partnerships or software ecosystems designed to leverage these features. The keynote could also shed light on Intel's strategy for maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly AI-focused computing landscape. Michelle Johnston Holthaus, interim co-CEO, and Jack Weast, an Intel Fellow and VP of Intel Automotive, will deliver the live keynote. Intel's agenda also shows next-generation AI silicon so we can get information on accelerators like Falcon Shores.