Intel Launches Core Ultra and Arc GPU, Bringing AI to PC

As expected, Intel has announced the release of AI PCs, aiming to build and run AI on every PC. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced the company's partnerships with Dell, HP, Lenovo, Supermicro, and Microsoft to install chips in their devices at the "AI Everywhere" event.

This is made possible by the newly announced Intel Core Ultra chip and Intel Arc GPU at the event. These chips feature up to 8 XE GPU cores, which perform similarly to having an integrated Intel Arc 370M discrete GPU in the processor, although without dedicated video memory.

This news was first revealed at Intel's innovation event a few months ago, emphasizing that these processors are the company's first attempt to integrate Neural Processing Units (NPUs) into chips.

Gelsinger added that Intel is committed to developing technology that enables seamless integration and efficient operation of AI in various applications, whether in the cloud or gradually on local devices such as PCs and edge devices.

"We believe that 2024 will mark the era of PC AI, which will be the star of next year's exhibitions," Gelsinger said.

The concept of AIPC aims to directly bring AI capabilities to PCs, allowing users to locally run generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT without relying on cloud data centers, and even use inference models like Llama 2. This development is crucial for enhancing data security, which is a key aspect for business and enterprise users.

Intel's goal is to deliver 100 million client processors, which is more than five times that of any competitor.

In addition, the Core Ultra processors introduce three major architectural features to Intel's laptop product portfolio. Firstly, they transition from traditional single-die designs to multi-chip module (MCM) designs. This novel approach involves bundling multiple smaller silicon chips together to create a single chip, providing greater chip functionality flexibility compared to previous processor generations.

AMD also announced its AI PC concept at its Advancing AI event, collaborating with Microsoft, Meta, and several OEM companies. At the AMD Advancing AI event, the company unveiled various AI offerings for device computing, including the Instinct MI300X AI accelerator competing with Nvidia H100, ROCm updates, and Ryzen AI PCs.