If you're looking for a new laptop, you might have encountered the Intel Evo badge. You'll see this marking on some Intel-powered laptops, but you'll also find other computers with Intel CPUs without it.

So what is Intel Evo? And what makes it different from other laptops with an Intel chip but without this mark?

What Is Intel Evo?

When Intel launched its 11th-Gen Intel Core chips in March 2021, it also announced Intel Evo, its exclusive laptop platform that requires specific metrics. According to Intel, Intel Evo laptops are engineered and verified to give you the best overall laptop experience.

An Intel Evo laptop must sport Intel's latest, most powerful chips while still delivering fantastic battery life, a sleek form factor, and other factors that most laptop users demand. Given these values, the Intel Evo platform is clearly designed to compete against the sleek and lightweight Apple-silicon MacBooks.

So, what should you expect if you see a laptop that sports the Intel Evo badge?

At Least an Intel 11th-Gen Core i5 With Intel Xe Graphics

Intel Core 13th-gen chip hero image
Image Credit: Intel

Intel Evo laptops are expected to perform flawlessly, whether you're using them for office work or more creative tasks that demand more power. So, if a computer carries this moniker, it's bound to have at least an 11th-Generation Intel Core i5 processor.

Aside from that, it must have Intel Iris Xe graphics. This is Intel's premium integrated graphics solution (what's the difference between integrated and dedicated graphics?), with the Intel Iris Xe competing against AMD Ryzen's built-in Radeon graphics. And with the release of the Intel Arc Alchemist GPU, you might soon see Intel Evo laptops with dedicated graphics cards.

Because of this, the expectation is that an Intel Evo-branded laptop is capable of multi-tasking and can even perform well with demanding applications like Adobe Photoshop.

Long Battery Life and Fast Charging

extend laptop battery lifespan using battery charge limiter

Another big issue that Intel Evo addresses is battery life. If you want a high-performance laptop, you usually look at gaming laptops. While a gaming laptop does deliver power, they're also notorious for having a short battery life.

For example, I own an Acer Helios 300 gaming laptop with an Intel Core i7-10870H processor and an RTX 3060 GPU. Even when it was brand new, it would only last two to three hours on a full charge, even if all I ran was Microsoft Word and some browser windows.

On the other hand, I also have an M1 MacBook Air. I've never run out of battery while using this laptop, even if I've been working for over four to five hours straight. That's why I use it whenever I'm outside my office.

Intel wants to address this with the Intel Evo—it wants Windows users who are always on the go to enjoy their laptops without needing to find a nearby power source. So, if your computer has an Intel Evo sticker, it should last at least nine hours on a full charge if you have a 1080p screen.

According to Intel's Product Performance Index, an Intel Evo laptop can run browsers, office suite applications, YouTube, and a video conferencing app during that time, with the screen brightness set to 200 to 250 nits. Although this guarantee falls to seven hours if you have a 4K UHD screen, this is still more than enough for most applications, making the Intel Evo guarantee crucial for digital nomads.

The last point to note is that an Intel Evo laptop is also designed to charge quickly, meaning you could get up to four hours of battery power in just thirty minutes if you use its included charger for some models.

Fast File Transfers

USB-C on a laptop
Image Credit: Maurizio Pesce/Flickr

An Intel Evo laptop must use Intel's Thunderbolt 4 technology. Although Thunderbolt uses the same port as USB-C, it's faster and has more features.

For example, Thunderbolt can transfer data at up to 40Gb/s, much faster than USB 3.2 Gen 2x2's 20GB/s. It can also carry power up to 100W, allowing you to transfer data and recharge on a single cable.

This is perfect for workers with a monitor on their workstations. If their laptop has a Thunderbolt 4 port, they no longer need to use separate cables to charge their computer and attach it to an external screen. Instead, they can use one wire for both, helping them maintain a clean working environment.

Fast Wireless Internet

Wi-Fi symbol on a white paper

A fast internet connection is crucial for all kinds of work today, so Intel knows it's vital that their work-focused Intel Evo laptop must have speedy Wi-Fi. Because of this, all Intel Evo laptops must support the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard along with the new 6GHz Wi-Fi band.

With Intel Wi-Fi 6E, you get more speed, capacity, and power efficiency from your laptop's Wi-Fi. That means you can get network speeds of up to 10Gbps under the right conditions. And since Wi-Fi 6/6E has more channels and can accommodate more devices under a single channel, you can avoid network congestion when too many devices are connected to one router.

Designed for Video Calls

Five People on Video Call on Tablet

Although fast wireless internet is crucial for a great video call experience, Intel Evo goes beyond that. It uses artificial intelligence to help remove background distractions while on a video call.

It has microphone noise cancelation, ensuring that only you are heard during meetings. And it also has camera technologies that blur your background, correct your lightning, and even track your face. With this, you're sure your audience is focused on you, not your surroundings.

Syncs With Your Mobile Devices

Person using a mobile with laptop in the background

Intel knows that we're no longer limited to one electronic device in our lives. Most users have a smartphone, with about half in the US using an iPhone and the other half on an Android. Some of us also have tablets used for work or leisure.

So, to help us live seamlessly, Intel introduced the Intel Unison app for Intel Evo laptops. This app allows you to transfer files and photos, access notifications, and even send text messages from your PC—whether you're an Android or iPhone user. So, you can use Intel Unison to sync your smartphone to your laptop easily.

This app will make it easier for iPhone users to use their Windows laptop, potentially cracking Apple's infamous walled garden.

Available Intel Evo Laptop Models

Given all these advantages of the Intel Evo platform, you might want an Intel Evo laptop. So, if this got you interested, or if you're in the market for a new laptop right now, consider some of these Intel Evo options:

Of course, these aren't the only options—several more laptops have the Intel Evo sticker. If you stick to an Intel Evo computer, you're guaranteed a great experience with your laptop.

Get the Best of Intel With Intel Evo

Although Intel doesn't have complete control over a laptop's components and manufacture like Apple, the Intel Evo platform helps Intel guarantee consumers that a computer with this branding will offer excellent performance for both work and entertainment.

So, if you're looking for a laptop to use professionally and personally, you won't go wrong with the Intel Evo platform. But if you want something more for gaming, you should consider getting a computer with the AMD Advantage guarantee instead.