If you have been putting off buying a new laptop because the prices are too high, Intel just released something that might help with that.
The company just launched its Intel Core Series 3 processors. These are not the top of the line parts for expensive gaming machines. Instead, Intel built these for regular people: students, small business owners, and schools watching their budgets.
The main takeaway is that you no longer need to spend a fortune to get “AI ready” features. Intel took the technology from its higher end Panther Lake chips and squeezed it down into this more affordable range. These new chips are made in the US using a advanced production method called the Intel 18A process.
If your current computer is about 5 years old, Intel claims you will see a huge jump in speed. The company’s tests show the new chip is 47% faster on single tasks and 41% faster when multitasking compared to older PCs. The part that handles AI work is nearly 3 times faster, or 2.8 times, than what you have now.
Josh Newman from Intel explained that while the cost of everything else is going up, they wanted to make better technology more affordable for families and small shops.
Nobody wants a laptop that dies after two classes, that’s why Intel designed this chip to last all day. Compared to the previous generation Intel Core 7 chips, the new model uses 64% less power. It also handles creative work, like editing photos or videos, more than twice as fast.
For wireless connections, the new processors support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. They can also support up to 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, which are great for plugging in fast storage or extra monitors.
Intel sees these chips working in more than just notebooks. They are also pushing them into “edge” devices. That means things like robots in factories, smart building sensors, checkout terminals at stores, and other electronic devices.