Intel is continuing to adjust strategies following a change in leadership, as well as multiple setbacks resulting in massive layoffs. One might wonder exactly who is still left at Intel after annual layoffs in 2023 (then rumored to be ~20%), 2024 (15%), and now in 2025, another 20% (per Bloomberg). Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan sent a letter to all company employees detailing the upcoming changes, which include getting “back to our roots and empower our engineers”, although at this point its difficult to say if “engineers” should still be considered plural given that nearly half of it staff will have been let go of in just three years now. Meanwhile, it can’t all be bad news for the chip manufacturer, right? There is some light at the end of the tunnel, and here’s a news roundup for this week.
Intel 200S Boost Warranty Coverage
Motherboard BIOS have begun rolling out, adding a new overclocking profile for Intel Core Ultra 200-series processors for select Intel Z890 chipset motherboards. The profile is called 200S Boost and can provide significant overclocking potential for Core Ultra 9 285K, 7 265K/265KF, 5 245K/245KF CPUs. According to HotHardware, Intel has said that its warranties will cover processors using the new profile.
Grizzly Lake for Cars!
A part of Intel’s new strategies involves increasing its presence in the automotive industry. According to a new report (via 3elife), the chip manufacturer is preparing Grizzly Lake for a 2027 release. The 32-core processor, codenamed “Monument Peak”, will feature Nova Lake Efficient cores only.
Intel Arc 32.0.101.6739 Driver
A new Intel Arc driver was released a couple of days ago, featuring support for the newly launched Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered titles. Further Arc refinements include up to 7% (@ 1080p) / 5% (@ 1440p) on Arc B-series graphics cards. There are still numerous known issues waiting to be resolved, so be sure to read the release notes here, and it can be downloaded directly from Intel here.
A Raptor resurrection?
Despite being packaged into many laptops and prebuilt desktops, Intel’s AI PC offerings seem to be lagging in demand from consumers. Ironically enough, folks are snatching up older Raptor Lake processors, causing a shortage of the lower-cost N-1 and N-2 CPUs. Intel has indicated (via Tom’s Hardware) that consumer uncertainty regarding tariffs and other economic concerns has led to increased interest in the former product line, while the higher-priced Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake are facing challenges for OEMs.
“What we’re really seeing is much greater demand from our customers for n-1 and n-2 products so that they can continue to deliver system price points that consumers are really demanding”
Michelle Johnston Holthaus – CEO Intel Products
A message from Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan
Last but not least, by any measure, is a letter from Intel’s newest CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, who replaced Pat Gelsinger five weeks ago. In it, employees have been given notice that as part of ongoing changes, Intel will now require, as of September 1, to go to a 4-day in-office/1-day home work schedule. Lip-Bu Tan reiterates how Intel must continue its path forward to build on progress.
“We need to build on this progress — and it won’t be easy. We are navigating an increasingly volatile and uncertain macroeconomic environment, which is reflected in our Q2 outlook. On top of that, there are many areas where we must improve. We need to confront our challenges head-on and take swift actions to get back on track.”
Lip-Bu Tan – Intel CEO
Tan has already begun laying off staff, including executives, in an ongoing company-wide restructuring that also includes mandates to managers to reduce staff meetings and attendees. Meanwhile, its core engineering functions have been moved to its executive team in order to reprioritize its role. Tan stated that bureaucracy is to be greatly reduced, with some levels currently sitting at 8 layers or more deep, and streamlining is a top priority.