What is Intel Evo? Everything you need to know

If you’re shopping around for a new laptop, you may have come across Intel’s Evo badge – but do you know what it means? 

We’ve compiled this guide to explain everything you need to know about Intel Evo, including its benefits, and where you can find an Intel Evo laptop. 

What is Intel Evo? 

Intel Evo is a certification process created by Intel. The Evo badge lets buyers know that a laptop has passed tests to prove it meets certain standards and criteria. These include a great battery life, lightweight design and consistent performance. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Evo laptops are the best of the best in terms of performance. Rather, Evo highlights laptops that offer top usability and battery life over a powerful GPU. 

This makes Evo-certified laptops ideal for students, office workers and everyday users, as opposed to content creators and hardcore gamers who require high-end performance specs. 

What are the benefits of Intel Evo? 

The Evo platform first launched in September 2020 as a replacement for 2019’s Project Athena. However, the specifications have grown over the years. 

Intel also offers several Evo badges, with the requirements varying depending on the badge. This means that not all of the following criteria will apply to every Evo laptop. 

As of the latest update to Intel’s Evo platform overview which was last reviewed in January 2024, Intel Evo laptops should wake from sleep in less than one second, and offer biometric login options, such as a fingerprint sensor, face recognition or Bluetooth phone proximity. 

Laptops should feature some form of AI noise suppression. Devices might also support Wake On Approach, Gaze-Based Dimming, or Walk-Away Lock if they’re fitted with the right sensors. 

Evo-certified laptops should offer at least 9.5 hours of battery life with a full HD display. They should also deliver fast charging capabilities via USB-C. 

Wireless connectivity should be fast and consistent with Wi-Fi 6E and 6 GHz support, along with Wi-Fi connection management from the Intel Connectivity Performance Suite 2.0. The laptop should also offer universal cable connectivity over USB-C with Thunderbolt 4. 

The hardware should also be up to date with a Full HD display, backlit keyboard, and precision touchpad. The laptop should have a thin and light chassis and the webcam should feature a resolution of at least 1080p at 30fps. The device should offer immersive audio and microphone tuning. 

Finally, the laptop should be powered by one of the following processors: 

• Selected 11th through 13th Generation of Intel® Core™ i9, i7, and i5 mobile processors (laptop processors) with Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
• Selected Intel® Core™ Ultra processor
• Selected Intel® Core™ processors (series 1)
• Optional Intel® Arc™ or third-party discreet graphics 

You can find a full list of the laptops that carry the Intel Evo branding in our guide to which laptops are Intel Evo. This includes models from leading brands, including HP, Samsung, LG, Razer, and many more. 

Why is Intel Evo important?

It’s interesting that Intel has put so much effort into creating Intel Evo, which is why we asked Melissa Gregg, Head of User Experience Research at Intel.

Gregg explained that Intel Evo will “allow computing to be accessible, understandable and relevant” for people who may not be as fluent in the technical specs of laptops. This means people can check for the Intel Evo badge instead of needing to dig into the specific specs.

Gregg also mentioned that Intel has done significant research to narrow down the requirements for Intel Evo. After testing user behaviour and looking into the software that people most often use, as well as what locations people use their laptops, the criteria were set.

In short, Intel Evo is a badge that is awarded to laptops that pass Intel’s own strict requirements, and these specifications have been specifically made for ultrabooks that prioritise on-the-go productivity.