Intel apparently isn’t ready to let go of P-cores and E-cores, despite a surprise interest in returning to unified core designs. Instead, the brand reportedly plans to condense the number of architectures in play within its Core Ultra chips, with an E-core-first approach.
For those out of the loop, an Intel job listing for a Senior CPU Verification Engineer to join its ‘Unified Core Team’ was posted recently. This unified approach is quite different from the hybrid designs Intel has pursued since 2021 with the 12th Gen Core series, a decision that carries forward to its current desktop (Arrow Lake) and mobile (Panther Lake) stock.
Think of it like Zen Classic/Dense, or Oryon L/M
— Gray (@Olrak29_) February 24, 2026
While many believe this role signals the demise of P-cores and E-cores, hardware leaker Olrak29_ is keen to put such ideas to rest. According to the X user, Intel’s unified core design will be similar to AMD’s Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, using the same core architecture but with different cache capacities, frequencies, power curves, and surface areas.
This would greatly simplify the design of Intel CPUs, which marry separate core architectures. The Core Ultra 9 285K, for example, sports eight Lion Cove P-Cores and 16 Skymont E-Cores. In theory, this switch would remove the need for previously bothersome thread directors, while reducing manufacturing overheads and troubleshooting worries.
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— Gray (@Olrak29_) February 24, 2026
Curiously, Olrak29_ also claims that Intel will primarily derive its unified core design from its efficient cores. It’s unclear which core architecture would serve as the base, as we’re likely talking about processors that are far into the future, well beyond the likes of Nova Lake.
Nonetheless, if true, it suggests that Intel has little desire to return to the power-hungry, thermally unhinged days of the Core i9-14900K. Doing so would only make its continued success in the mobile space, across handhelds and laptops, more difficult.
I’m curious to see what becomes of Intel’s unified core design, whatever shape it takes, just as I’m keen to see Zen 5c (or 6c) materialise on the desktop. Mobile platforms can’t have all the fun and interesting CPU designs, after all.
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