Intel introduces new 10th Gen Intel Core Processors and Project Athena

Intel made a sweeping set of product and technology announcements, spanning the hottest segments of the PC industry. From new 10th Gen Intel Core processors and new details on Intel’s innovation program (code-named “Project Athena”) that will take mobile computing to an entirely new level, to the first-ever gaming processor with an all-core turbo of 5 GHz, Intel again raised the bar for PC experiences.

“No one wants to compromise; people want it all: battery life, performance, responsiveness, connectivity and slick form factors. Our job is to come together as an industry and deliver incredible and differentiated PCs, purpose built to what real people want. 10th Gen Intel Core processors – our most integrated CPU – and Project Athena are great examples of how our deep investments at a platform level will help fuel innovation across the industry,” said Gregory Bryant, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group.

Intel announced the first 10th Gen Intel Core processors, bringing high-performance AI to the PC at scale with Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost). The processors are built on the company’s 10nm process technology, new “Sunny Cove” core architecture and new Gen11 graphics engine. 10th Gen Intel Core processors will range from Intel Core i3 to Intel Core i7, with up to 4 cores and 8 threads, up to 4.1 max turbo frequency and up to 1.1 GHz graphics frequency.

10th Gen Intel Core processors will take thin-and-light laptops and 2 in 1s to the next level, offering:

• Intelligent performance: Intel’s first processors designed to enable high-performance AI on the laptop, delivering approximately 2.5x AI performance with Intel DL Boost for low latency workloads. The new graphics architecture delivers up to 1 teraflop of vector compute for heavy duty inference workloads to enhance creativity, productivity and entertainment on highly mobile, thin-and-light laptops. For low-power AI usages on the PC, Intel Gaussian Network Accelerator (GNA) is built into the SoC.
• A leap in graphics capabilities: New Intel Iris Plus graphics, based on the Gen11 graphics architecture, nearly doubles performance for stunning visual experiences. Reach pro-level content creation capabilities on the go with approximately 2x HEVC encode; watch 4K HDR in a billion colors; game with up to 2x faster FPS and play thousands of popular titles in 1080p.
• Best-in-class connectivity: Delivering both integrated Thunderbolt 3 and integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) for the first time to enable nearly 3x faster wireless speeds alongside the fastest and most versatile port available. Intel’s Gig+ implementation of Wi-Fi 6 connectivity delivers greater than 1 Gbps wireless speeds with enhanced reliability and performance.

Intel’s highly integrated 10th Gen Intel Core processors give OEM partners the freedom to innovate on design and aesthetic by reducing the silicon footprint while still delivering the latest and greatest standards and world-class performance. The new 10th Gen Intel Core processors are now shipping, with OEM systems expected to be available for holiday 2019.

Intel also shared more details on its innovation program code-named “Project Athena,” including the 1.0 target specification that will usher in the first wave of laptops in the second half of this year. The company also previewed some of the first designs to come from partners spanning consumer and commercial including Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo.

Based on years of research to understand people’s needs, challenges and expectations of the laptop, the program prioritises enabling experiences that are reflective of real-world conditions as measured by “key experience indicators” (KEI).

Intel developed the new KEI engineering metrics, used during the program’s verification process, to test and drive consistent experiences on the laptop. Metrics are based on day-in-the-life research of laptop users at home or at work under real-world conditions. Intel’s goal for the new metrics is to work with the ecosystem to drive innovation that noticeably impacts people’s experiences on the laptop and evolve those capabilities year over year. The first wave of KEI targets includes:

• Consistent responsiveness on battery
• 16 or more hours of battery life in local video playback mode and 9 or more hours of battery life under real-world performance conditions
• System wake from sleep in less than 1 second

The specification that will enable these experiences includes platform-level requirements – such as Thunderbolt 3, Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), OpenVINO AI on PC compatibility and modern connected standby – across six areas: instant action, performance and responsiveness, intelligence, battery life, connectivity and form factor.

As part of Project Athena, Intel is providing co-engineering support across the ecosystem – with more than 100 companies signed on – and new tools and Open Labs facilities to support verification and testing of laptops.

Project Athena is a multi-year journey, with today’s announcement on the 1.0 target specifications and design previews representing just the beginning.

Intel made several more disclosures, including the announcement of the special edition 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900KS processor, which has been fine-tuned to deliver 5 GHz all-core turbo, making the world’s best gaming desktop processor even better. It is expected to be available by holiday 2019.

For the first time, the company also showed the new Intel Performance Maximizer (IPM), an automated overclocking tool that brings overclocking to the masses by making it easy to dynamically and reliably custom-tune unlocked 9th Gen Intel Core desktop processors based upon their individual performance DNA. IPM will be free and is part of the Intel Adaptix Technologies toolkit, a collection of advanced software technology tools that helps OEMs and consumers maximise platform-level performance and experience. The toolkit also includes Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology, Intel Extreme Tuning Utility and Intel Graphics Command Center.

Finally, the company shared updates on three more product lines:

• Intel launched 14 new 9th Gen Intel Core vPro processors for high-performance mobile (H-series) and desktop (S-series) PCs, the highest performing business processors. Intel Core i9 vPro processors – with up to 8 cores and 16 threads reaching up to 5 GHz on desktop and up to 4.8 GHz on mobile – join the best-for-business Intel vPro platform for the first time, delivering superior performance on demanding workloads for an exceptional business user experience, built-in security features, remote manageability and stability.
• Intel launched 14 new Intel Xeon E processors for mobile and desktop workstations that are purpose-built with professional-grade performance, real-time data analytics capabilities, built-in platform security features, and remote manageability features as part of the Intel vPro platform. For the first time, Intel Xeon E processors include: up to 8 cores, 16 threads, 5 GHz turbo frequency, Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), Intel Optane Memory H10 and 128 GB DDR4-2666 ECC memory support.
• Plus, Intel announced that the new Intel Core X-series family of processors for premium creators will come this fall. These processors will bring frequency improvements, increased memory speed and updated Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0.