Intel’s new Laptop CPUs are here: 14th Gen vs. Series 1

January 15, 2024 – Late last year Intel® announced the release of their 14^th generation desktop processors, which are based on a slightly improved Intel’s Raptor Lake CPU architecture named Raptor Lake Refresh (we covered that story here). Recently, also the laptop versions of the same processors have been announced.

This is excellent news of course, but so it happens that the release of the 14th generation of laptop Intel® Core™ processors coincided with the release of a brand new family of Intel® laptop processors, aptly named Series 1 (yes, Intel® reset the counting from 1).

You may now wonder, what’s the difference between the two? Well, the 14th generation of laptop CPUs is, like its desktop counterpart, derived from a refresh (enhancement) of the old Raptor Lake CPU architecture, while Series 1 CPUs are based on a brand new and more powerful architecture named Meteor Lake.

We break down the differences in more detail below.

Intel Core 14th Generation Laptop Processors

Derived from the Raptor Lake Refresh architecture, the 14th generation of laptop CPUs mirrors its desktop counterpart. It includes the Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, the Intel® Core™ i7-14700HX, and the Intel® Core™ i5-14600HX (alongside the less powerful variants Intel® Core™ i7-14650HX and Intel® Core™ i5-14450HX). The flagship, Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, boasts 8 performance cores, 16 efficient cores, speeds up to 5.8 GHz, and support for up to 192 GB of memory (DDR5 5200 Hz) (if unfamiliar with the concepts of cores and clock speed you can read more here). Other notable features include Wi-Fi 7 support and a base power of 55W.

Critiques

When released for desktops, the incremental improvements over the 13th generation faced criticism for not delivering a significant performance leap despite increased power consumption and price. Some even questioned whether these CPUs truly deserved the “new generation” label. We fear that the laptop versions will likely face similar criticism.

Intel Core Series 1 Laptop Processors

Last year, with only preliminary information available, several people expected the new family (Series 1) of Intel® CPUs to also be part of the 14th generation (i.e. 14th gen Meteor Lake as opposed to 14th gen Raptor Lake Refresh). Examples include early articles on WePC, PC World, and digitaltrends, which led to some confusion.

Instead, Intel® decided to make this new family of Meteor Lake laptop CPUs stand out by naming it Series 1. Intel® also introduced a slightly different naming system for these new CPUs. Most notably the traditional “i” in front of 5, 7, or 9 is no longer present, and the Series is divided into Standard (e.g., Intel® Core™ 7) and Ultra versions (e.g., Intel® Core™ Ultra 7), the latter of which provide enhanced performance for tasks like gaming.

Moreover, while the 14th gen laptop CPUs names all end in “HX,” Series 1 processors can end in either “U” or “H”, with the H-series having a higher base power and a built-in Intel Arc GPU.

The U-series targets thin-and-light laptops, while the H-series caters to bulkier laptops capable of handling extra power and cooling requirements.

New Architecture

In contrast to Intel® 14th Gen CPUs, the Series 1 CPUs introduce a fresh architectural approach named Meteor Lake. Several models have been launched, with the flagship being the Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 185H, which offers 6 performance cores, 8 efficient cores, 2 low-power efficient cores for lightweight tasks, speeds up to 5.1 GHz, and supports up to 96 GB of memory (up to DDR5 5600 Hz).

Notably, Series 1 Ultra processors also come equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) dedicated to accelerating AI-related tasks. The NPU provides a dedicated AI engine to offload AI workloads from the main CPU and GPU. We have already seen NPUs in the recently released AMD Ryzen 8040 series mobile CPUs.

Current Market Presence

Major gaming laptop manufacturers are gradually incorporating the new Intel® processors into their models. Here’s a glimpse of what some leading brands are offering:

Acer is preparing to upgrade Ace r Nitro 17 with 14th gen laptop CPUs, while Series 1 CPUs are yet to make an appearance in their gaming laptops.
Asus has listed 14th gen CPUs in some of its new Asus ROG Strix models, while Series 1 processors are available in their new Asus ROG Zephyrus laptops and in the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED.
Dell is currently offering both 14th gen and Series 1 processors in different models of Alienware gaming laptops, namely Alienware m18 R2 (14th Gen Intel® Core™i7 14700HX) and Alienware m16 R2 (Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 155H).
Gigabyte offers two gaming laptops that sport 14th gen CPUs, the Aorus 16X and Aorus 17X. The new Series 1 processors are instead available in the Aorus 15 and Aorus 17.
Lenovo is listing Legion 5i Gen 9 models with 14th gen CPUs (Intel® Core™ i7-14650HX). Series 1 CPUs are yet to debut in their laptops for gaming.
MSI has fully embraced both 14th gen and Series 1 processors, with several models available on their online store.

Choosing Your Next Gaming Laptop CPU

In summary, with several new options available, the choice between Intel® 14th gen and Intel® Series 1 processors for your new gaming laptop will depend on your preferences. While 14th gen CPUs may offer more cores and higher clock speeds, the Series 1 CPUs excel with newer AI-driven technology, providing an optimal balance between performance and power efficiency. Keep an eye on the market for the latest laptop models featuring these cutting-edge processors, we certainly will.