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At a launch event in China, Intel unveiled its latest lineup of high-performance mobile processors—the Core Ultra 200H and 200HX series—marking a significant step toward AI integration in gaming laptops and mobile workstations. While the chips were first previewed at CES 2025, this latest reveal put the spotlight firmly on AI—delivering more than just buzzwords.
In a compelling live demo, Intel showcased how the Core Ultra 9 285HX processor could enhance gaming performance using its built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU). During a test run of the action-RPG title Black Myth: Wukong, Intel demonstrated that when AI processing was shifted from the integrated GPU to the dedicated NPU, framerates climbed from 94 FPS to 108 FPS.
Though the 14-frame improvement may not seem groundbreaking at first glance, it highlighted the potential for NPUs to offload AI-intensive tasks and free up GPU resources, offering smoother gameplay experiences.
The built-in AI Assistant—which can be voice-activated in real time to offer gameplay hints and responses—was also powered by the NPU during the test. This illustrates a future where AI doesn’t just boost performance but becomes a more interactive part of the gaming experience.
Interestingly, Intel’s NPU delivers 13 TOPS (trillions of operations per second), a number that falls short of the 40 TOPS minimum required for Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs. Despite this, Intel proved that even with modest AI power, meaningful improvements can be achieved—especially when optimized for real-time gaming support.
The new Ultra Series 2 processors also boast impressive scores in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks, paired with a power-efficient design and beefed-up integrated graphics. While questions linger about the relatively low AI horsepower, Intel’s showing hints at a new era of hybrid performance where AI plays an active role in boosting gameplay—not just background tasks.