Intel to introduce 8th Gen Core CPUs later today, mobile comes first

Within six hours Intel will be showing off its new 8th Gen Core family via a Facebook livestream. Intel claims its new processors deliver a performance boost of up to 40 percent versus 7th Gen Kaby Lake. Most of this extra performance is delivered by packing two more cores, but there are also architecture optimizations and higher Turbo frequencies. More details will follow later today, here's a preview of what Intel has to say about its 8th Gen:

This is what inspired us to push the limits with our 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processors. We wanted to deliver the platform-wide improvements that embrace and enhance all of the incredible innovation around us – from 4K to VR and beyond – and make them more accessible to everyone. With that in mind, I'm excited to share the first details on how we are bringing this to life with our new 8th Gen Intel Core processors. We will start rolling out our 8th Gen family today, beginning with a range of mobile processors designed specifically for sleek thin and light notebooks and 2 in 1s.

This new mobile family sets the bar for outstanding performance, including a boost of up to 40 percent gen over gen, and that jumps to 2x if you compare it with a 5-year-old machine. This is all thanks to the new quad-core configuration, power-efficient microarchitecture, advanced process technology and a huge range of silicon optimizations. These improvements also open the door to richer, more immersive entertainment, and an experience that is optimized for simplicity. The best part? We've been able to do all of this without compromising battery life. In fact, you will be able to get up to 10 hours of 4K UHD local video playback on a single charge.



A few other examples of the profound impact this performance leap will have:

Editing photos or creating a slideshow? That's up to 48 percent faster on 8th Gen vs. devices powered by the processor we released last year. Now imagine that compared to a 5-year-old device.

Editing video footage is now up to 14.7x faster, so rendering what used to take 45 minutes on a 5-year-old PC, now takes three minutes.

It's easier than ever to enjoy your favorite shows in 4K UHD, including new content coming soon from Amazon Prime Video and Vudu, as well as everything already available from Netflix, Sony Pictures ULTRA and iQiyi.

You can try out new advancements like Windows Mixed Reality or go even more immersive with Thunderbolt 3 external graphics (up to 4K) for enhanced gaming and VR.

The first wave of 8th Gen Intel Core processor-powered devices featuring i5/i7 processors will come to market beginning in September, and we expect more than 145 designs to choose from. But that's just the beginning. 8th Gen Intel Core processors will continue to roll out through the coming months, with the first desktop processors coming in the fall, followed by processors for enterprise customers and a broad range of other options purpose-built for different segments. The 8th Gen family will even include some of our first 10 nm products.

The Core i5 and Core i7 U-series for laptops will be first to market, with devices from OEMs hitting the market in September. What is pretty weird here is that the first 8th Gen parts are not Coffee Lake based as expected, but a Kaby Lake Refresh. Coffee Lake will follow in Fall and beyond and Intel implied the 8th Gen will also include some 10nm Cannonlake chips.