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Ultra Intel Inside Intel’s central processing units (CPUs) power many laptops, and the most powerful of its crop is the Intel Core Ultra series. These are made using the Intel 4 process, meaning they cram more transistors into their chips for a 20% boost in clock speed for the same energy, compared to the previous generation. Three different types of cores handle specific tasks, so the whole system is way more efficient. All that power means the Intel Core Ultra lineup is perfect for AI tasks. Integrated AI engines and accelerators can tap into this versatile new tech to better distribute tasks to improve performance, as well as generate images, video, text, music, or whatever you can imagine. The Intel Arc graphics processing unit (GPU) also speeds this up, as well as games performance. There are a few main models in the H series. The Intel Core Ultra 5 runs 14 cores – four performance cores, eight efficiency cores and two low-power efficiency cores. The Intel Core Ultra 7, meanwhile, adds an extra two performance cores, with all 16 total cores running on higher clock speeds. If your job involves churning through huge amounts of data, using intensive creative apps for image or video editing, or harnessing the

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power of AI – or you’re a gamer in your down time – it might be a good idea to look out for the Intel Core Ultra label on any laptop or 2-in-1 that you’re considering.

LAPTOPS

Dell Inspiron 14 5440 14" Full HD+ LED display Intel Core 5-120U 5GHz processor 1TB SSD storage 16GB RAM

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16" Full HD+ IPS display Intel Core Ultra 5-125H 4.5GHz processor 512GB SSD storage 16GB RAM a 14-core Intel Ultra processor and 16GB of RAM, along with integrated Intel Arc graphics. That combo should help chew through more demanding tasks (or games after hours – we’ll never tell), all displayed on the 16-inch wider screen Full HD+ screen. It comes with a wide range of port options, so you can plug into a workstation basically anywhere. For workers who need a bit more grunt under the hood, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is running

MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo 14" Full HD+ 144Hz display Intel Core Ultra 5-125H 4.5GHz processor 512GB SSD storage 16GB RAM

This no-nonsense workhorse is ready when you are. Inside the compact, lightweight frame is a capable 10-core Intel processor, providing clock speeds of up to 5GHz, backed with a generous 16GB of RAM and a roomy 1TB of storage. The 14-inch LED screen displays in a better-than Full HD widescreen format, allowing plenty of space for multitasking. Adaptive thermals keep the laptop running cool whether it’s on a table or your lap, and the long-lasting battery can be fast-charged 80% in one hour, so you can get back to it quick.

On the higher end is the MSI Prestige 14, powered by an Intel Evo Edition processor that’s specially designed with AI to help on a variety of tasks. Productivity apps and creative suites alike will be no match for this machine. The flexible spine allows it to fold all the way flat, making it easier to share works-in-progress

with colleagues. And to cap it off, it’s even compatible with the latest, greatest wireless comm technology, Wi-Fi 7,

which only launched a few months ago.

40 JUNE 2024

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