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Computer techs have been waiting on the Whiskey Lake-U processor for quite some time. Initially announced back in April 2018, we finally got a look at the first iterations of the Whiskey Lake-U – right alongside the Amber Lake-Y – at IFA in August 2018.

Although they still feature the older, slight outdated form factor of 14 nanometers, even at a time when many expected to see a smaller size of 10 nm, there are some noticeable performance improvements with the new CPUs.

Whiskey Lake-U

The Whiskey Lake-U series of CPUs is specifically designed for ultrabooks – include the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo X1 Carbon. Featuring 15 watts of power consumption, they require nearly three times the amount of energy as the Amber Lake-Y – but they do offer superior performance and efficiency.

With a maximum of four cores and eight threads, the Whiskey Lake-U CPUs are drawing many comparisons to their predecessor, the Kaby Lake CPU.

The Whiskey Lake-U line of processors currently comprises three models: a Core i3 with two cores, four threads and a MSRP of $281, a Core i5 with four cores, eight threads and a MSRP of $297 and a Core i7 with four cores, eight threads and a MSRP of $409.

Respectively, the frequencies of the three processors clock in at 2.1 GHz, 1.6 GHz and 1.8 GHz. In turbo, these numbers jump to 3.9 GHz for the Core i3 and Core i5 or 4.6 GHz for the Core i7.

Amber Lake-Y

The Amber Lake-Y series of CPUs work better with thinner, lightweight notebooks. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and the 12-inch MacBook are both excellent examples.

For those who are concerned with power consumption, the Amber Lake-Y only draws 5 watts of power – which is far less than that of the Whiskey Lake-U. However, the added power efficiency means it doesn't fare as well when handling CPU-intensive workloads. This usually isn't an issue for the typical laptop user, but those who plan to use their new laptop professionally might opt for something a little more powerful – like thethe Whiskey Lake-U.

The Amber Lake-Y line of processors also includes three separate models: a Core M3 with two cores, four threads and a MSRP of $281, a Core i5 with two cores, four threads and a MSRP of $291 and a Core i7 with two cores, four threads and a MSRP of $393.

Frequencies of the Amber Lake-Y processors clock in at 1.1 GHz, 1.3 GHz and 1.5 GHz, respectively, which correspond to 3.4 GHz, 3.9 GHz and 4.2 GHz in turbo mode.

How to Find Out More

Although they were just announced an exact shipping date has yet to be given, the fact that we have pricing information means their release isn't far behind. As such, consumers should expect to see the new processors in laptops within the next several weeks or months – and certainly before the onset of the New Year.

To find out more information on the Intel Whiskey Lake-U line of processors or the Amber Lake-Y series, or details on any of their other products or solutions, please visit Intel's official website at {{https://www.intel.com|www.intel.com}}.