Intel has formally launched its Haswell family of processors, BBC News reported.
The firm says the chips offer improved battery life and a leap in graphics power over the previous generation.
Intel is the leading PC chip-maker and its product refreshes typically spur on new laptop and desktop sales. Computers using the chips have already been unveiled at the Computex tech show.
However, studies suggest the market is in decline because of competition from smartphones and tablets.
Most smart devices are powered by chips based on designs by the British firm ARM rather than the x86 architecture used by Intel.
Even so, Intel said Haswell would allow laptops and two-in-one devices – offering both a laptop and tablet experience – to become thinner and last longer between charges, increasing their appeal.
It added that one version of the new chips featured CPU (central processing unit) cores which used just six watts of scenario design power – its power usage during "regular" tasks.
Intel said this was low enough for Haswell to be used in "cooler, quieter, fanless designs".
The amount of heat given off by the previous generation, Ivy Bridge, had meant that two fans needed to be included in the design of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet.
