In November 2008, Intel introduced the Core i3/i5/i7 branding and later in May 2017, Core i9. After more than 15 years of using the Core iX branding, Intel is finally ready to drop it and also introduces a new branding for their higher-end processors.
Intel is embarking on a branding transformation, starting with its upcoming Meteor Lake chips. Going forward, the chip company has decided to remove the “i” from its mainstream processors, resulting in the tiers being referred to as 3, 5, 7, and 9.
Similarly, the X-series designation for its most advanced processors will be replaced with “Ultra.” For instance, an Intel Core i5 will now be referred to as an Intel Core 5, and an Intel Core i9 X-series will become an Intel Core 9 Ultra.
Not only the processors, but other products will also undergo branding changes. Intel has announced that its Evo-certified systems will now be known as Intel Evo Edition. Simultaneously, the company’s commercial systems will be designated as either Intel vPro Enterprise or vPro Essentials.
Intel says:
These changes make it easier for customers to identify the right client solutions from Intel’s industry-leading partner ecosystem for their compute needs.
At the time of writing, Intel didn’t say when Meteor Lake is going to come out, but it is most likely going to be this year.
Meteor Lake holds immense significance for Intel as it signifies several groundbreaking milestones for the company. Notably, it will mark Intel’s inaugural client CPU implementation of chiplets, introducing a novel heterogenous chiplet CPU approach. This approach involves utilising distinct chiplets for various functions such as I/O, CPU cores, graphics, and more.
From a manufacturing perspective, Meteor Lake will take the lead as Intel’s flagship product for the next-generation EUV-based Intel 4 process node. Additionally, it will represent Intel’s most extensive utilisation of Foveros 3D die stacking technology to date, aiming to achieve this feat for a cost-effective, mass-market processor. It will also be the first Intel client processor to feature a dedicated AI engine: Intel AI Boost.
