CES: Intel shows off 7th-gen Xeon and Core chips

Desktop and mobile devices said to benefit from latest offerings

Intel has launched its much-delayed 7th-generation Core and Xeon processors at CES with the promise of major performance improvements, combined with energy efficient options for mobile devices.

The company also claims that its Core processors with H/S series integrated graphics will comfortably be able to handle 4K video streaming.

The 7th-generation Intel Core processor family, which had been slated to ship before the end of last year, is based on Intel's 14nm process chip manufacturing technology and range in terms of power consumption from 4.5-watts for the Core vPro processors, to 65w and 95w in the S-series Core processors for proper, big-box desktop PCs.

The full line-up is as follows:

• 4.5W Intel Core vPro processors (Y-series) for 2-in-1 detachables;
• 15W Intel Core vPro, 15W and 28W Intel Core processors (U-series) for 2-in-1 convertibles and thin and light clamshells;
• 45W Intel Core vPro processors (H-series) for large screen clamshells and premium notebooks;
• 45W Intel Core mobile processor (H-series), unlocked and intended for enthusiasts and to power VR-capable notebooks;
• 45W Intel Xeon processors for mobile workstations;
• 65W Intel Core and Intel Core vPro processors (S-series) for mainstream desktopPCs;
• 65W and 35W Intel Core and Intel Core vPro processors (S-series) for all-in-ones and mini PCs;
• 95W and 65W Intel Core processors (S-series) for tower PCs, including unlocked parts.

The devices will support Thunderbolt 3, bringing a doubling of bandwidth compared to the previous generation, and eight times faster transfer speeds compare to USB 3.0. Thunderbolt 3 means that a single cable can support up to 40 Gbps transfer speeds, two 4K ultra-high definition displays, system charging at up to 100W, external graphics, and Thunderbolt networking.

7th-generation Intel Core and Xeon microprocessors will also support Gen 3 PCIe, supporting up to 8 gigatransfers (GT/s) per second.

Alongside the new microprocessors, Intel has also launched new chipsets to go with them.

These include the Q270 and Q250 chipsets intended to improve manageability and security for large organisations; the Z270 for to support unlocked Intel Core microprocessors; an H270 chipset for media and games; and the B250 to provide easier manageability for small and medium size businesses.

The new devices also support a number of security initiatives, including Fingerprint Touch for secure e-commerce, hardened password managers and built-in two-factor authentication for online services, as well as Intel Secure Key, Intel Authenticate Device Guard and Windows Hello for Business.

Also on the chip front this week, Intel rival AMD is expected to (finally) lift the curtain on its answer to Nvidia's 10-series GPUs, with the formal unveiling of its Vega GPU architecture at the CES trade show on Thursday.

Later in the year, AMD will also launch devices intended to compete squarely with Intel's Skylake and Kaby Lake devices, when it unveils its Zen microarchitecture, which will feature desktop versions with as many as 32 cores.