The cores in computer CPUs have been evolving at a steady pace for years. We initially had single-core CPUs but quickly moved to multi-threading and then multi-core setups from there, starting with dual-core designs and then rolling out quad-core, eight-core and so on.
Intel's 12th generation CPU brings us an unexpected surprise: two different cores in one CPU package: E-Cores and P-Cores. But what exactly are Intel E-Core and P-Core? More importantly, why do we need such a design?
Why do Intel CPUs have different cores now?
Until now, the core layout used by x86 computers consisted of cores that were in most cases identical to each other. Each core has the same processing power and clock speed. Since the purpose of multi-core design is to distribute tasks among all the cores to process things faster, this is a design that makes sense.
However, on the ARM side, they decided to shake things up a bit with the so-called big.LITTLE architecture. Basically, you now have two sets of cores performing different tasks. The larger, performance-focused cores handle heavier tasks, while the smaller, efficiency-oriented cores take care of background tasks while consuming less energy. This combination enables ARM to increase the performance of its chips while maintaining low power consumption. That's exactly what Intel has done here.
What is Intel P-Core?
Let us first introduce what P-Core is. Of Intel's two different core layouts, P-Core is the strongest core on the chip. These will consume the most energy, run at the highest clock speeds, and shred through instructions and tasks overall. These are the "main" cores in the chip and do most of the heavy lifting, lifting the heavier weight. On Intel's 12th generation CPUs, PP-Core is based on Intel's Golden Cove microarchitecture, inheriting the older Cypress Cove cores used in Rocket Lake (11th generation) chips. P-Core will typically handle heavier tasks such as gaming or heavier processing loads, as well as other workloads that typically benefit from single-core performance. In the past, when the cores on Intel chips were all identical, all instructions for a PC were distributed equally among all the cores. Additionally, P-Core offers hyper-threading, which means there will be two processing threads per core to better handle the load.
What is Intel E-Core?
P-Core is the same core we've known for years. The real star here, though, is the Intel E-Cores, the truly new thing in Alder Lake. While the P core grabs all the headlines and all the attention, the E core takes a step back to handle other types of day-to-day tasks.
E-Cores are smaller and weaker than P-Cores, but at the same time, they consume less power. In fact, their entire focus is on power efficiency and achieving the best performance per watt. So, what does E-Core actually do? Well, combined with the P-Core configuration, it can handle multi-core workloads and other types of background tasks, while also leaving the P-Core mostly unoccupied for heavier workloads. On Intel's 12th generation chips, E-Cores are based on Intel's Gracemont microarchitecture. It's the successor to the Tremont, which powers some Pentium Gold and Celeron laptop chips. They are primarily low-power cores that run at low clock speeds (as low as 700 MHz in some mobile chips).
How do the P core and E core work together?
According to Intel, the P-Core in the 12th generation chips provides 19% higher performance than the cores on Intel's 11th generation chips. Furthermore, E-Core is no slouch either. They offer a 40% performance improvement at the same power as Skylake chips. The Skylake architecture was introduced in 2015, but it's still widely used in some of today's older gaming computers, so that's not bad at all for what is supposed to be a low-power core. With Alder Lake and the new hybrid core layout, Intel has successfully repositioned itself at the top of the CPU performance game, a crown that was briefly snatched away by AMD with its Ryzen 5000 series of CPUs. Not only are they great for gaming, but they're also great for productivity, thanks in part to the combination of E-Core and P-Core. In benchmark tests, the new Intel chips not only deliver amazing single-core performance; Multi-core scores, demonstrating their surprising newfound versatility. Intel chips are known for their amazing single-core performance, but are often reviled for lagging behind AMD on multi-core performance. That tide is changing with Alder Lake and its new core layout. 
Hybrid CPU layout is the future
While the concept of P-Cores and E-Cores is not new to the tech world, it is new to the x86 architecture, and Intel is seeing amazing results using it. The number of cores on its chips has increased, and so has its performance.
Even in their initial iterations, they're one of the most significant developments for PCs in years, and we can't wait to see how they improve in the future
Click to read the original text and learn more exciting content~