Intel unveils Core 200H line of laptop processors — Raptor Lake returns to budget chips

You can’t just stop reissuing Raptor Lake. This time, the controversial generation of processors manifested in the Intel Core 200H lineup (not Ultra).

Intel confirmed the Core 200H chips on a new table on their site. They will be the budget alternative to the Core Ultra 200H (Arrow Lake) family. Although only H-class variants are mentioned in the Intel table, the Core 200U series is also under development. It uses the same Raptor Lake Refresh architecture with a different power system.

Intel processors without the Ultra prefix do not use the company’s latest architecture. At one time, the Core 100 series was launched along with Meteor Lake to match the main Core 100U segment. Intel discontinued the Core 100H family in favor of the already 13th-generation products. Theoretically, the Core 200H family is the successor to Intel’s 13th-generation H series. Although the underlying architecture remains unchanged, a better process gives the new processors a frequency boost.

The Core 200H/U processor lineup, named “Series 2,” will use Raptor Cove (high-performance) and Gracemont (energy-efficient) cores on the Intel 7 process. Specifications suggest that these processors will have minor updates compared to their predecessors. For example, compatibility with DDR5-5600 memory.

The highest performing processor, the Core 9 270H, has 14 cores and 20 threads, receiving a massive frequency boost from 5.4 GHz to 5.8 GHz. The Core 7 250H turned out to be the successor to the i7-13700H, which has 14 cores, with almost a 10% higher clock frequency for both types of cores. There are several differences in specifications. For example, the Core 5 210H lost the entire E-core cluster compared to the i5-13500H, and therefore has a 33% smaller total L2 cache size.

Intel plans to announce the Core Ultra 200H, Core Ultra 200HX, and Core Ultra 200U processors at CES 2025. Manufacturers may then introduce laptops with them. Rumor has it, the Core Ultra 200U series will not be based on Arrow Lake, but will be created using a modified Meteor Lake architecture on the Intel 3 process. These processors are also expected to appear soon.

Sources: Intel, Tom’s Hardware