With today’s announcement of the 14th-gen Intel Core CPU, Intel is also formally ending the Core “i” branding. While it was already announced during Meteor Lake’s launch, Intel has never talked about this year’s desktop CPU generation and their potential naming up until the official announcement.
Raptor Lake Refresh aka Intel 14th-gen Core CPUs will be the last CPU generation to use the Core “i” branding. I am personally guilty of assuming Intel would also be using the Intel Core Ultra branding for the Raptor Lake Refresh line-up which is not the case.
That said, Intel has now made it public that they are ending the branding wiith a statement on their website. While its not a grand reveal, potentially saving the clamor for the eventual marketing run of the new CPU line-up, an FAQ entry in their processor page includes the following:
What is Intel Core Ultra? Why the New Brand?
Intel’s client technology roadmap is entering a new era, beginning with Meteor Lake, and the new Intel Core/Core Ultra brand helps emphasize this while simplifying the selection process for users. PC users will be able to easily identify the right processor for their daily compute needs, with Core Ultra processors representing Intel’s latest architecture and features for enthusiasts while the Core processors are designed more for our mainstream audience.
What does the new Intel Core/Core Ultra brand scheme mean for Raptor Lake Refresh?
Raptor Lake Refresh will be the last processor family to use the old brand scheme – officially known as 14th Gen Intel Core processors. The new brand scheme with Intel Core/Core Ultra will begin with Meteor Lake.
This means that only Meteor Lake products will be using the Intel Core/Core Ultra naming and eventual products like rumored HX-series CPUs for laptops based off Raptor Lake Refresh will still go by Intel Core “i” naming. The same will also apply for the the of the desktop CPUs that will arrive later on with mostly non-K CPUs and more.
