Intel has made a gigantic change in its product naming for next-gen desktop CPUs where it will be dropping the "i" from its Core brand. This means in the future, "Core i9", "Core i7", "Core i5", and "Core i3" will all be retired. In the future, there'll be: Intel, Intel Core, and Intel Core Ultra.

• Read more: Intel 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" CPUs Coming in October
• Read more: Intel Core i9-14900K is the Next Flagship CPU, Coming Soon

Intel branding experts think that the word "Intel" was getting lost in all the noise and that internal research conducted by the company showed that people associated "Core" with Intel and not "i5" or "i7". The upcoming Core 5, Core 7, and Core 9 processors will be launched in the Mainstream and Premium variants, while the highest-end CPU offerings will feature the "Ultra" branding. In the rebranding, it looks like Intel is slicing the "3" out of the situation altogether.

Nothing is set in stone just yet, but Intel won't be renaming its upcoming 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" CPUs -- more on that here -- but with the next-gen 15th Gen Core "Meteor Lake" CPUs that are now coming in the last three months of 2024. Intel vice president and general manager of Client Computing Group Sales, Caitlin Anderson, explained: "Our client roadmap demonstrates how Intel is prioritizing innovation and technology leadership with products like Meteor Lake, focused on power efficiency and AI at scale. To better align with our product strategies, we are introducing a branding structure that will help PC buyers better differentiate the best of our latest technology and our mainstream offerings".

What this means: Intel's new Core i9-14900K should be the new flagship CPU of 2023 under the new "Raptor Lake Refresh" while the Core Ultra 9 15900K, right? 

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