14 DAY TRIAL // While Core-M was the first step on the 14nm processor market for Intel, it was ultimately a product with a fairly specific and (at least for now) restricted customer base. The Core vPro processor family, however, is a different matter.
Chipzilla has just launched the CPU family, and while there is some overlap in customers, the new line has a fairly broad reach in comparison.
That is to say, while the fifth generation Intel Core vPro CPUs can be used in 2-in-1 PCs just fine, they are even better suited for business laptops, ultrabooks, ultrathin clamshells, and mini PCs.
What this new CPU line won't do is establish a presence on the mobile and wearable fronts. Its performance and TDP (thermal design power) are too high for that, 14nm efficiency or no.
The benefits of Intel Core vPro CPUs
The basics are these: the processors allow for portable miniature PCs, be they laptops or box-shaped, to reach double the battery life and twice the performance of current configurations.
All the while, those computers can be designed in form factors smaller than ever. Laptops in particular can be a third of the thickness and 50% lighter than products of four years ago.
That means that the comparison to systems launched in 2015 or 2014 won't be as flattering, but customers who bought a laptop in such recent years aren't likely to want to upgrade so soon anyway, so the comparison is kind of moot.
We suppose it's the same reason why NVIDIA launched the GeForce GTX 960 and compared it primarily with the GTX 660, but we digress.
With Intel’s fifth generation Core vPro comes Intel Wireless Docking, based on Intel Wireless Gigabit technology. It automatically links systems to monitors, keyboards, mice and USB accessories without any cables or mechanical docking stations.
Intel Pro Wireless Display (Intel Pro WiDi) also figures into this, allowing for cable-free movie nights and conference room presentations.
Availability
The new Intel CPUs will be sold mostly as part of the computer types we listed above, with or without the Intel Solid-State Drive Pro 2500 Series (high security, hardware-based encryption and password protection).
When specific models get detailed, we'll see what information we can synthesize from what will surely be expansive product pages and spec sheets.
"Our goal is to enable all users to simply work better by offsetting the growing challenges of today's businesses," said Tom Garrison, vice president and general manager of Intel's Business Client Platforms. "With new devices based on 5th generation Intel Core vPro processors, we aim to transform the user experience by helping them compute from virtually anywhere without the clutter and burden of wires."