The ‘most efficient family of x86 processors ever’ has launched; here’s the best place to buy Intel’s groundbreaking new laptops
The time has come for Intel Core Ultra Series 2.
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What you need to know
Windows laptopspowered by Intel’s next-gen “Lunar Lake” mobile processors (CPU) have now entered the market. The new Core Ultra Series 2 chips had long been rumored before theofficial Lunar Lake announcement on September 3at IFA 2024, but Intel officially unveiled them as the “most efficient family of x86 processors ever.”
With the newfound efficiency — undoubtedly designed to directly compete withQualcomm’s Snapdragon XandAMD’s Ryzen AI 300— comes improved computing performance, better AI efficiency thanks to moreTOPSfor theNeural Processing Unit (NPU), and a huge leap in integrated graphics power.
And with the recent announcement that Core Ultra Series 2 systems are getting Copilot+ access starting in November, you’re no longer forced onto an ARM64 platform forWindows on ARMwith Snapdragon X.
Best Buy isn’t shy about showing off the new Intel laptops. ALunar Lake launch page at Best Buycontains a snazzy product brief and links to currently available Series 2 laptops, including theASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) that Windows Central Editor Ben Wilson is testing for review.
Best Buy is the place to go for new Intel Core Ultra Series 2 laptops
While the new Core Ultra Series 2 laptops are usually available from their respective manufacturer websites, shopping at Best Buy has some distinct perks. That’s especially true if you subscribe to a paid tier of theMy Best Buy membership plan.
The free tier gets you free shipping. Just sign up with an email address and go. But for$49.99 per year, My Best Buy Plus upgrades it to free two-day shipping. You’ll also see exclusive member pricing in some areas, access to otherwise blocked deals, and an extended 60-day return window.
If you find yourself frequently shopping at Best Buy, the My Best Buy Total plan for$179.99 per yearmight be the way to go. It has all of the My Best Buy Plus perks, plus it adds better protection plans, 24/7 tech support, VIP support, and cheaper device repairs.
Here’s a look at the Intel Core Ultra Series 2Copilot+ laptopsnow available at Best Buy, including options fromASUS,Dell,HP,Lenovo, andSamsung.
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ASUS Zenbook S 14 | From $1,399.99 at Best Buy
The ASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5x-8533MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The 14-inch display has a 2880x1800 resolution, with a gorgeous AMOLED panel at a 120Hz refresh rate.
ASUS Vivobook S 14 | From $949.99 at Best Buy
This cheaper ASUS alternative features an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5x-8533MHz RAM, and a 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. It has a 14-inch AMOLED display at a 1920x1200 (FHD+) resolution, with a 60Hz refresh rate and up to 600 nits brightness.
Dell XPS 13 | From $1,399.99 at Best Buy
Dell’s famous XPS 13 (9350) picks up an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and a 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The 13.4-inch LCD display has a 1920x1200 (FHD+) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 500 nits brightness. Check outDell’s official sitefor more configuration options.
HP OmniBook Ultra Flip | From $1,599.99 at Best Buy
The convertible Omnibook Ultra Flip features an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The 14-inch touch OLED display has a dazzling 2880x1800 resolution with up to 500 nits brightness. Head toHP’s official sitefor more configuration options.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition | From $1,299.99 at Best Buy
The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition brings an exclusive collaboration with Intel to make your workday as easy as possible. The laptop has an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The 15.3-inch LCD display boasts a 2880x1800 resolution with 120Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits brightness. Check outLenovo’s official sitefor more configuration options.
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 | From $1,699.99 at Best Buy
The Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is the most expensive option on this list, but it’s a premium convertible with a stunning 16-inch AMOLED display at a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.Samsung’s official sitemight have more configurations to check out.
A look at Intel Core Ultra Series 2 mobile CPUs
There are a total of nine new Core Ultra Series 2 mobile chips, all with eight cores and eight threads. The main differences come in the CPU base power — either 17W or 30W — as well as integrated GPU and CPU clock frequency.
Which chip you need depends on your workflow. Core Ultra 9 and Core Ultra 7 chips are great for multitasking and stronger GPU performance, though they use more power and, of course, cost more. For a lot of people, the Core Ultra 5 Series 2 chips will be more than enough for everyday computing.
Here’s a look at the nine Core Ultra Series 2 mobile chips. It’s worth noting that all chips have eight cores, eight threads, and a 37W maximum TDP, so I’ve omitted those stats from the following chart.
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Our hands-on experience with the ASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX5406)
Windows Central Editor Ben Wilson received theASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) to test and benchmark, and while the full review is still in progress, he wrote about his hands-on experiences with thepremium Copilot+ laptop.
The model he’s testing includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU, 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and a 14-inch OLED display with 3K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It’s shaping up to be anawesome AI PC, with performance and efficiency to compete with Qualcomm and AMD.
Here’s a look at some initial benchmarks collected by Wilson, in comparison to other laptops we’ve recently tested.
The Core Ultra 7 258V sits near the middle of the pack of new Lunar Lake chips, so you can scale performance up or down. As for battery life, here’s what Wilson has to say:
Cutting right to the chase: Yes, the “up to 20 hours of battery life” claim is entirely legitimate. I kept the Zenbook S 14 on the ‘Balanced’ power plan, as it comes out of the box, and left the brightness around a comfortable 40%, which feels like 150 nits, based on my history of testing laptops, but I’ll confirm an exact amount later. Running various battery life benchmark tests in PCMark 10 and performing my own by leaving a 24-hour 4K video streaming via YouTube, a Windows battery report estimates 15 hours and 26 minutes “based on all observed drains since OS install.”
With Copilot+ coming to these new Intel laptops in November (it’s also coming to AMD Ryzen AI 300 laptops), Windows users now have more variety than ever when shopping for anAI PC. Keep an eye out for more Lunar Lake laptop reviews here on Windows Central in the coming weeks.
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Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.
