As edge computing continues to evolve, hardware requirements are becoming more AI-driven and performance-focused. Modern edge systems no longer rely solely on traditional CPU processing — they now demand integrated AI acceleration, higher memory bandwidth, advanced graphics capabilities, and optimized power efficiency.
Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2), formerly codenamed Arrow Lake H and U, are designed to meet these next-generation edge requirements. By combining hybrid CPU architecture, integrated Intel® Arc™ graphics, and a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU), Arrow Lake delivers up to 36 platform TOPS of AI performance within a scalable and power-efficient design.
Rather than being limited to enthusiast computing, Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) position Arrow Lake as an AI-ready platform for industrial and embedded edge deployments.
Arrow Lake’s Role in the Edge
Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) (Arrow Lake) are built for AI-enhanced edge systems that require both compute power and integrated inference acceleration.
Unlike traditional CPU-only platforms, Arrow Lake distributes workloads across CPU, GPU, and NPU engines, enabling:
- Real-time AI inference at the edge
- Reduced dependency on cloud processing
- Lower system power consumption
- Improved workload balancing
- Higher overall performance-per-watt
This makes Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) well suited for:
- Industrial AI inspection systems
- Machine vision and camera analytics
- Smart manufacturing automation
- Retail analytics and digital signage
- Healthcare imaging platforms
- Edge servers requiring local AI processing
By integrating AI acceleration directly into the processor, Arrow Lake simplifies system design while enabling scalable intelligence at the edge.
Hybrid Architecture with Dedicated AI Acceleration
A key strength of Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) is its multi-engine architecture, combining:
- Performance cores (P-cores)
- Efficient cores (E-cores)
- Integrated Intel® Arc™ GPU
- Dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU)
This architecture allows intelligent workload distribution across compute engines, improving both responsiveness and efficiency.
AI Performance: Up to 36 Platform TOPS
Source: Intel
Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) deliver up to 36 total platform TOPS, distributed across three processing engines:
CPU – Up to 15 TOPS
- Supports AVX and VNNI instruction sets
- Handles latency-sensitive AI workloads
- Ideal for hybrid AI + traditional compute tasks
GPU – Up to 8 TOPS
- Built on Intel® Arc™ architecture
- Features XMX AI acceleration engines
- Optimized for parallel AI and vision workloads
NPU – Up to 13 TOPS
- Dedicated low-power AI inference engine
- Optimized for dense matrix and vector operations
- Improves sustained AI performance-per-watt
Total AI Compute:
Up to 36 platform TOPS
- Intelligent workload distribution across CPU, GPU, and NPU
- Efficient scaling without discrete accelerators in many deployments
Arrow Lake-S SKUs for Edge and Industrial Deployments
For desktop-class and high-performance edge systems, Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake-S) provides multiple SKUs across different core configurations and power envelopes. These processors allow OEMs to scale performance based on thermal design and workload requirements.
Arrow Lake-S SKU Overview
|
Processor |
P + E Cores |
P-Core Base Frequency |
L3 Cache |
Base Power |
|
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 225 |
6P + 4E |
4.90 GHz |
20MB |
65W |
|
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 265T |
8P + 12E |
5.30 GHz |
30MB |
35W |
|
Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 265 |
8P + 12E |
5.30 GHz |
30MB |
65W |
|
Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 285T |
8P + 16E |
5.40 GHz |
36MB |
35W |
|
Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 285 |
8P + 16E |
5.60 GHz |
36MB |
65W |
Key Design Considerations
35W “T” SKUs
- Designed for thermally constrained systems
- Suitable for compact edge appliances
- Lower sustained power consumption
65W Standard SKUs
- Higher sustained performance
- Ideal for edge servers and AI-enabled industrial systems
- Designed for active cooling environments
Core Scaling Options
- 6P + 4E for mainstream industrial computing
- 8P + 12E for multitasking and balanced workloads
- 8P + 16E for maximum parallel processing
This SKU flexibility allows system designers to align performance, power, and thermal targets without changing platform architecture.
AI Workloads Supported by Arrow Lake
With up to 36 TOPS of AI compute, Arrow Lake supports a wide range of edge AI applications, including:
Computer Vision
- Defect detection
- Surface anomaly inspection
- Object classification
- Optical character recognition (OCR)
- Barcode scanning
Industrial Automation
- Predictive maintenance modeling
- Sensor fusion analytics
- Robotic guidance systems
- AI-assisted PLC environments
Video and Retail Analytics
- Facial detection
- Motion tracking
- Behavior analysis
- Smart surveillance
Intelligent HMI Systems
- Gesture recognition
- AI-enhanced operator interfaces
- Voice-based controls
For higher AI scalability, Arrow Lake supports PCIe 5.0 expansion for external accelerators.
Performance and Power Improvements
Compared to previous mobile-edge platforms, Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) introduce:
- Improved hybrid core scheduling
- Higher memory bandwidth
- Enhanced thermal efficiency
- Better sustained multi-thread performance
- Stronger performance-per-watt metrics
Memory support includes:
- LPDDR5x up to 8400 MHz
- DDR5 up to 6400 MHz
These enhancements allow for compact, high-performance industrial systems while maintaining manageable power envelopes.
Advanced Graphics and Media Capabilities
Intel® Arc™ integrated graphics provide:
- Entry-level discrete-class performance
- XMX AI acceleration engines
- Improved media encoding and decoding
- Enhanced image signal processing
- MIPI camera interface support
- Multi-display output capability
These features make Arrow Lake suitable for:
- Digital signage systems
- Control room displays
- Machine vision deployments
- Industrial HMI platforms
Platform Capabilities and High-Speed I/O
Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) (Arrow Lake) support modern connectivity and expansion standards, including:
- PCIe 5.0 x8 (ARL-H only)
- PCIe 4.0
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps)
- Thunderbolt™ 4
- Discrete Wi-Fi 7 support
- In-band ECC (platform dependent)
These capabilities enable:
- High-speed NVMe storage
- AI accelerator expansion
- Multi-camera configurations
- Advanced networking modules
A Future-Ready AI Platform for the Edge
Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) (Arrow Lake) represent a major step toward AI-native edge computing.
Key advantages include:
- Up to 36 platform TOPS
- Dedicated NPU acceleration
- Hybrid P-core and E-core architecture
- Intel® Arc™ AI-enabled graphics
- High-speed memory and PCIe 5.0 support
- Optimized performance-per-watt
For organizations building AI-enabled industrial systems, smart automation platforms, and advanced edge infrastructure, Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) provide a scalable, AI-ready foundation.
As edge workloads continue shifting toward real-time intelligence and AI-driven decision-making, Arrow Lake offers a powerful and forward-looking platform for modern industrial computing.