Intel boosts chip speed by 40 per cent

Chip giant to roll out eighth generation of chips from next month

Intel says its eighth generation of chips will be 40 per cent speedier than their predecessors, but the channel will have to wait for several months to get their paws on enterprise devices that contain them.

The first wave of eighth-generation Intel Core processor-powered devices featuring i5/i7 processors will come to market in September, with an expected 145-plus designs to choose from, the chip giant confirmed today.

These will have a 40 per cent speed boost over Intel's seventh-generation 'Kaby Lake' chips, Intel promised, even faster than some were anticipating.

This is due to the fact it has squashed four CPU cores into its U-Series chips.

The new processors are designed to make new innovations such as 4K and virtual reality more accessible to the wider public.

The eighth-gen i7/i5 processors launched today are designed to power two-in-ones and ultra-thin notebooks for consumers and small businesses.

However, the eighth-generation processors will continue to roll out "through the coming months", with the first desktop processors slated for autumn. This will be followed by processors for enterprise customers and a broad range of other options purpose-built for different segments, Intel said.

As well as being 40 per cent faster gen over gen, the new mobile family of chips are twice as fast as a five-year-old machine, Intel claimed, adding that this hasn't come at the cost of battery life.

"This is all thanks to the new quad-core configuration, power-efficient microarchitecture, advanced process technology and a huge range of silicon optimisations," said Gregory Bryant, senior vice president of Intel's Client Computing Group.

"These improvements also open the door to richer, more immersive entertainment, and an experience that is optimised for simplicity. The best part? We've been able to do all this without compromising battery life. In fact, you will be able to get up to 10 hours of 4K UHD local video playback on a single charge.^"