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Intel’s new laptop processors hit the 5GHz mark

Intel’s new laptop processors hit the 5GHz mark

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Plus, new 9th Gen chips for desktops

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Image: Intel

Intel has announced a new suite of processors for high-end laptops that offer faster speeds and better connectivity options than prior chips. The new 9th Gen H-series processors, which have 45W power draws, compared to the 15W chips in thinner and lighter laptops, are available in Core i5, i7, and i9 versions and are designed for demanding uses such as gaming or content creation.

The star of the new chips is the Core i9-9980HK, which has a new top turbo speed of 5GHz, which is a rate that was previously unattainable in a laptop chip. It’s also unlocked, which means that it can be overclocked for even more speed. Like prior Core i9 chips, the 9980HK has eight cores and 16 threads and comes with 16MB of cache. In addition, the new chips support Intel’s latest Wi-Fi 6 networking cards, which can hit speeds of 2.4 Gbps.

5GHz speeds in a laptop

Intel says the new processors provide up to 54 percent faster 4K video editing and a 56 percent improvement in gameplay compared to a three-year-old computer. The new chips are available in machines from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Razer, Lenovo, and MSI starting today.

Intel has also expanded its range of 9th Gen chips for desktops to more than 25 different CPU options across the Celeron, Pentium Gold, Core i3, i5, i7, and i9 lineups. The new Celeron and Pentium Gold designs are the first 9th Gen chips in those families and should give a boost to low-end, entry-level computers.

All of these new chips are still using the 14nm process, which Intel has been stuck on for a few generations. Theoretically, the company is expected to move to a newer process later this year, which should provide more improvements to performance and efficiency.