The Core Ultra 7 155H SoC – Processor

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, part of the Meteor Lake series, is a high-performance laptop processor with a 16-core configuration consisting of 6 performance cores, 8 efficient main cores, and 2 efficient cores. additional located in a low-consumption island. This first generation Core Ultra chip succeeds the 13th generation Core processors and thus offers a total of 22 threads. Performance cores run at speeds of up to 4.8 GHz, while efficient cores reach up to 3.8 GHz. The processor integrates an 8-core Arc GPU running at a maximum of 2.30 GHz, serving as the primary graphics adapter. Additionally, the Core Ultra 7 155H features an AI Boost Neural Processing Unit (NPU) equipped with dual Gen 3 engines, facilitating hardware acceleration for AI workloads. The architecture uses Redwood P and Crestwood E cores, both improved over their predecessors, Raptor Cove and Gracemont, to deliver improved performance per clock cycle. Notably, the efficient cores are split, with two of them residing on a separate “low-power island”, allowing these cores to remain active independently while other parts of the chip enter low-power states to optimize energy efficiency. The Meteor Lake architecture aims to improve CPU and GPU performance while extending battery life compared to the previous Raptor Lake series. Intel is working with Microsoft and other partners to more deeply integrate AI capabilities into system operations. For example, Windows Defender now leverages the Intel NPU to offload tasks from the main CPU cores, improving overall system efficiency. The processor also introduces Intel Device Discovery technology, which enables advanced hardware remote management for laptops. Additionally, Intel offers a dedicated Arc Pro graphics driver, suitable for workstation environments, ensuring stable and optimized performance for professional applications. Meteor Lake processors use Foveros technology, which stacks multiple chips vertically. This method reduces manufacturing costs by allowing smaller dies produced by different processes to be combined, thereby mitigating the risk of defects that could arise when producing a single large die. The Core Ultra 7 155H includes 24MB of L3 cache and supports a handful of PCIe 5 and PCIe 4 lanes, enabling NVMe SSD speeds of up to 15.7 GB/s. Memory support extends up to 7,467 MHz in various DDR5 and LPDDR5 configurations, comparable to AMD’s Ryzen 8040 series. Additionally, the processor retains native support for SATA III, a feature omitted in AMD’s Ryzen processors, and includes built-in support for Thunderbolt 4 and Intel CNVi Wi-Fi. Compatibility extends to 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and 11, as well as many Linux distributions.

The integrated Arc GPU is designed to compete with mid-range discrete GPUs like the GTX 1650 and RTX 2050 found in laptops, offering support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, ray tracing and frame generation technologies based on AI such as XeSS. The GPU can handle up to four 4320p SUHD monitors and efficiently encode and decode popular video codecs including AVC, HEVC and AV1. Optimal GPU performance relies on multi-channel RAM configurations and high-speed memory, as Intel emphasizes. The Core Ultra 7 155H’s power consumption is rated at a base 28 watts, with turbo power not exceeding 115 watts. Although base power is estimated at around 64 watts in practical applications, laptop manufacturers can adjust power settings to achieve higher clock speeds and better performance, requiring cooling solutions. robust to manage thermal power. The CPU design features five interconnected tiles using Intel Foveros technology, with the main CPU cores manufactured on the advanced Intel 4 in 7nm process, while other components such as the integrated GPU and I/O die use TSMC’s N5 and N6 processes. The base panel uses the older Intel 22FFL process, balancing performance and manufacturing efficiency.