Intel’s new naming scheme explained

With the announcement of Intel’s new 200-Series processors, we've also been treated to an overhaul of the naming scheme. A somewhat historical one at that, as Intel is shedding the “i” prefix they've been using for over a decade. Here’s how the new naming scheme works and how to interpret it.

Luckily for us, Intel has provided handy infographics that explain the structure of the new Ultra Core processors alongside the previous generation, making it easier to compare and make a rough translation.

This is useful information. That being said, knowing that “Intel®” is technically the “Corporate Brand” and “Core™ Ultra” is the “Product brand” is probably not what you’re here for.

Luckily for us, as is often the case in the world of computer components, the higher the number, the better the performance. This applies to both the “Performance Tier” and the “SKU” sections indicated by Intel’s infographic

Additionally, Intel has retained the numbered performance tiers of 3, 5, 7, and 9. Again, the higher this number, the better the performance, and, of course, the price. To complicate matters, the numbers 5 and 7 are used in both the Intel Core Ultra series and the regular Intel Core Series.

So, remember: the Intel Core 7 CPUs will not perform as well as the Intel Core Ultra 7 CPUs. The same goes for processors in performance tier 5. But what does “Ultra” mean?

The “i” is gone now. This is okay, though, as it didn’t mean anything in particular. Now, however, “Ultra” has been added to the mix. If the CPU has an “Ultra” prefix, it means it’s part of the premium range of Intel processors. These are higher performance, more expensive, and, of course, better for gaming.

These letters, or suffixes as they’re known in more learned circles, indicate features or limitations of the processor in question. It is vital to know what these letters mean; otherwise, you might end up buying a CPU that is entirely unsuited to your intended application. Take a look at the table below to see what they mean, or head over to our article explaining what K, KF, KS etc means. The suffixes still mean the same as they used to, so if you're already fluent in Intel-speak, then you'll understand the new stuff.

If you want to know more, especially concerning mobile CPUs and other less gaming focused processors, Intel’s website has a page that explains most of it for you.