Intel Launches Core Ultra 200HX, 200H, and 200U Series: Ushering in a New Era of AI PCs and Edge Computing

Introduction: Intel’s Next-Generation Mobile Computing Platform

At the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) on January 6, 2025, Intel officially launched its new generation of mobile processors—the Intel® Core™ Ultra 200HX, 200H, and 200U series, codenamed “Arrow Lake.” These products cover high-end gaming laptops, high-performance ultrabooks, and ultra-portable device markets. With exceptional performance, optimized energy efficiency, and advanced AI capabilities, Intel continues to demonstrate its leadership in the AI PC and edge computing sectors.

Core Ultra 200HX Series: Performance Benchmark for High-End Gaming and Workstations

The Core Ultra 200HX series is designed for premium gaming laptops and mobile workstations, utilizing the same silicon technology as desktop-grade processors to deliver powerful computing capabilities.

Key Features:

Premium Multi-Core Performance: Supports up to 24 cores (8 performance cores + 16 efficiency cores), providing excellent multi-threaded processing capabilities, ideal for running large 3A games and professional workloads.
Graphics Support: Built-in Intel® Xe GPU, primarily used for display drivers, typically paired with discrete graphics cards (such as NVIDIA RTX series) to provide powerful graphics performance for gamers and creators.
AI Acceleration: Integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU), offering approximately 13 TOPS of AI computing power, supporting lightweight AI tasks such as real-time content optimization.
Overclocking Capabilities: Select SKUs offer comprehensive overclocking options including compute overclocking for P-cores and E-cores, Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) support for DDR5 SODIMM overclocking, and new overclocking interfaces with die-to-die and fabric controls.
Connectivity: All 200HX CPUs feature 4 PCIe Gen5 and 4 PCIe Gen4 lanes with dual integrated Thunderbolt 4.0 ports and support for discrete Thunderbolt 5 capabilities.
Memory Support: Standard DDR5-6400 SO-DIMMs with options for faster LPDDR5X or LP5/5x CAMM2 memory modules, supporting up to 192GB of memory.
Performance Improvement: Over 5% single-thread and over 20% multi-thread uplift versus the previous Raptor Lake-H refresh CPUs.

Ultra 200HX Product List:

Product Name	Release Date	Total Cores/Threads	Max Turbo Frequency	Cache	GPU Name	TDP (Base/MTP)
Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 Processor 285HX	Q1’25	24/24	5.5 GHz	36 MB	Intel® Graphics	55/160W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 Processor 275HX	Q1’25	24/24	5.4 GHz	36 MB	Intel® Graphics	55/160W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 265HX	Q1’25	20/20	5.3 GHz	30 MB	Intel® Graphics	55/160W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 255HX	Q1’25	20/20	5.2 GHz	30 MB	Intel® Graphics	55/160W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 Processor 245HX	Q1’25	14/14	5.1 GHz	24 MB	Intel® Graphics	55/160W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 Processor 235HX	Q1’25	14/14	5.1 GHz	24 MB	Intel® Graphics	55/160W

Core Ultra 200H Series: Perfect Balance for High-Performance Ultrabooks

The Core Ultra 200H series targets the mainstream high-performance ultrabook market, focusing on balancing performance and energy efficiency, suitable for users who need both portability and computing power.

Core Features:

Efficient Architecture: Supports up to 16 cores (6 performance cores + 8 efficiency cores + 2 low-power efficiency cores), delivering smooth multitasking and significant power optimization.
Integrated Graphics: Equipped with Intel® Arc™ GPU (up to 8 Xe cores), supporting XeSS 2 technology, providing approximately 15% graphics performance improvement, suitable for light gaming and creative work.
AI Capabilities: Built-in NPU, offering approximately 11 TOPS of AI computing power, supporting intelligent applications such as voice recognition and image processing.
Power Configurations: 28W Processor Base Power (PBP) for most models, with the 258H having 45W PBP. Maximum Turbo Power (MTP) configurations range from 60W to 115W depending on OEM design choices.
Memory Support: Support for faster DDR5-6400 and LPDDR5x-8400 speeds, along with new CAMM2 modules, with maximum memory support of 96GB.
Reduced Package Size: 33% smaller processor package overall, enabling new premium thin-and-light designs without compromising on performance.
Performance Comparison: The Core Ultra 7 265H delivers up to 1.29x improvements over the Core Ultra 7 165H in Geekbench benchmarks and outperforms competitors like AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 by up to 15% in various benchmarks.

Ultra 200H Product List:

Product Name	Release Date	Total Cores/Threads	Max Turbo Frequency	Cache	GPU Name	GPU Cores	GPU TOPS	TDP (Base/MTP)
Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 Processor 285H	Q1’25	16/16	5.4 GHz	24 MB	Intel® Arc™ 140T GPU	8	77	28/115W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 265H	Q1’25	16/16	5.3 GHz	24 MB	Intel® Arc™ 140T GPU	8	75	45/115W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 255H	Q1’25	16/16	5.1 GHz	24 MB	Intel® Arc™ 140T GPU	8	74	28/115W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 Processor 235H	Q1’25	14/14	5.0 GHz	18 MB	Intel® Arc™ 140T GPU	8	74	28/115W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 Processor 225H	Q1’25	14/14	4.9 GHz	18 MB	Intel® Iris™ 130T GPU	7	63	28/115W

Core Ultra 200U Series: Energy Efficiency Pioneer for Ultra-Portable Devices

The Core Ultra 200U series is designed for ultra-thin laptops and low-power devices, focusing on energy efficiency and lightweight design, ideal for users seeking long battery life.

Main Features:

Ultra-Low Power Consumption: Supports up to 12 cores (2 performance cores + 8 efficiency cores + 2 low-power efficiency cores), with a base power consumption of only 15W and MTP of 57W, providing all-day battery life.
Lightweight Graphics: Equipped with Intel® Xe LPG GPU, suitable for daily office work and media streaming, meeting basic graphics requirements.
AI Optimization: Integrated NPU, offering approximately 11 TOPS of AI computing power, supporting basic AI functions such as smart meeting optimization.
Performance Improvement: The Core Ultra 265U offers up to 1.13x improvements over the Core Ultra 7 165U in Geekbench benchmarks, with all-round performance gains in multiple areas.

Ultra 200U Product List:

Product Name	Release Date	Total Cores/Threads	Max Turbo Frequency	Cache	GPU Name	TDP (Base/MTP)
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 265U	Q1’25	12/14	5.3 GHz	12 MB	Intel® Graphics	15/57W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 255U	Q1’25	12/14	5.2 GHz	12 MB	Intel® Graphics	15/57W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 Processor 235U	Q1’25	12/14	4.9 GHz	12 MB	Intel® Graphics	15/57W
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 Processor 225U	Q1’25	12/14	4.8 GHz	12 MB	Intel® Graphics	15/57W

Technical Highlights: Architectural Upgrades and Ecosystem Integration

Advanced Microarchitectures

The Arrow Lake processors utilize Intel’s latest microarchitectures:

Lion Cove P-cores: Enhanced performance cores delivering improved IPC (Instructions Per Clock) over previous generations
Skymont E-cores: Next-generation efficiency cores providing better performance-per-watt
Low-Power Efficiency cores (LPE-cores): Ultra-efficient cores for background tasks that barely impact battery life

This heterogeneous architecture enables smarter power distribution, significantly improving multi-threading efficiency and overall system responsiveness.

Neural Processing Unit (NPU)

The integrated NPU enhances AI task processing capabilities, covering multiple scenarios:

Voice Recognition and Natural Language Processing: Enables more accurate and energy-efficient voice assistants
Image and Video Processing: Supports real-time filters, background blur, and noise reduction
Content Creation: Accelerates AI-based photo and video editing tasks
Security: Powers biometric authentication and threat detection

Graphics Capabilities

Intel® Arc™ GPUin the 200H series brings near-discrete graphics performance to ultrabooks with up to 8 Xe cores
XeSS 2 Technology: Advanced AI-based upscaling for improved gaming performance
DirectX 12 Ultimate Support: Enabling modern gaming features like ray tracing
Content Creation Acceleration: Hardware encoding and decoding for popular video formats

Connectivity and I/O

PCIe Support: PCIe Gen5 and Gen4 lanes for high-speed peripheral connectivity
Thunderbolt: Integrated Thunderbolt 4.0 ports with support for discrete Thunderbolt 5 capabilities
Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4: Next-generation wireless connectivity for faster and more reliable networking
Memory Support: Enhanced support for DDR5, LPDDR5X, and CAMM2 memory technologies

Market Availability and OEM Adoption

The Intel Core Ultra 200H and Core Ultra 200U “Arrow Lake” platforms became available starting February 2025, while the Core Ultra 200HX platforms followed in late Q1 2025, aligning with the release timing of new families of discrete GPUs.

Intel has partnered with major OEM brands including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and more, with over 150 design wins across various form factors:

Gaming Laptops: High-performance systems with discrete graphics featuring the 200HX series
Creator Notebooks: Design-focused machines with color-accurate displays and 200H processors
Business Ultrabooks: Professional systems with vPro technology and enhanced security features
Ultra-portable Devices: Lightweight systems with all-day battery life using the 200U series

Performance Benchmarks and Comparisons

Generational Improvements

Core Ultra 7 265H vs. Intel Core i7-1185G7 (11th Gen): 84x higher multicore performance in Cinebench 2024
39x faster performance in Procyon office productivity tests
Up to 1.97x faster video editing performance

Competitive Positioning

Core Ultra 7 265H vs. AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360: Up to 15% faster in benchmarks including Cinebench and Geekbench 6.3
Superior performance in creative workloads

Core Ultra Series vs. Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite:

Competitive performance across a wide range of benchmarks
Better compatibility with x86 applications

Intel vPro Integration and Business Features

Intel Core Ultra 200V and other series processors with Intel vPro support, available as of March 2025, provide enhanced features for enterprise environments:

Hardware-Based Security: Advanced threat detection and protection
Remote Management: Simplified IT management for distributed workforces
Stability and Reliability: Extended validation and testing for business-critical applications
Enhanced Performance: Optimized for business productivity applications and multitasking

Future Roadmap and Evolution

Intel’s processor roadmap continues to evolve with upcoming architectures:

Panther Lake: Next-generation mobile processors expected to further enhance both performance and efficiency
Nova Lake: Future architecture aimed at doubling PC performance
Continued AI Integration: Enhanced NPU capabilities in upcoming generations

Overall: Intel Drives a New Chapter in Mobile Computing

With the release of the Core Ultra 200HX, 200H, and 200U series, Intel further consolidates its leading position in the mobile computing field. These processors combine powerful performance, high energy efficiency, and intelligent AI technology to deliver an exceptional user experience. Their appearance at CES 2025 is not only a milestone in Intel’s innovation but also indicates the broad prospects of AI PCs and edge computing.

The variety of configurations across the Ultra 200 series ensures that users from different segments—from hardcore gamers to business professionals and everyday consumers—can find the right balance of performance, efficiency, and features to meet their specific needs. As the PC refresh cycle accelerates in 2025, Intel’s new processors are positioned to power the next generation of innovative laptop designs.