Security has been a big topic for computers in recent years, largely thanks to big stories about hackers taking computers hostage via ransomware (WannaCry being a particularly infamous example). Although many hacks are carried out through good old social engineering, malware is ultimately software and the ideal protection against it is within the computer itself, even within the hardware. Hardware-based security is exactly what Intel is claiming its 13th-generation CPUs with vPro are capable of.

Intel vPro is best described as a security platform that's primarily marketed to businesses. It's only available for systems that fulfill specific CPU and motherboard requirements, which naturally leads to OEM-built machines being the most reliable way to obtain vPro compatibility. Unlike AMD with its Ryzen Pro APUs, Intel hasn't created specific chips for vPro; rather, the existing hardware features on its CPUs are enabled or enhanced by software and firmware features granted by vPro. This technology is now available for 13th-generation CPUs, about half a year after they first launched.

The latest generation of vPro appears to be successful, as Intel says its vPro PC portfolio for 2023 will include more than 170 PCs from several of its partners, many of which have already been announced. New features available for vPro CPUs running Windows 11 include encryption for virtualized operations and kernel protections for Windows virtualization-based security (to be added in a future Windows update). Some features are only supported in Intel vPro Enterprise-enabled processors, while some of the more basic features are also available in Intel vPro Essentials, which most of the 13th-gen Intel Core lineup is eligible for.

It wouldn't be Intel marketing without a couple of commissioned studies, however. In one white paper done by IDC Research, the ultimate conclusion is that Intel PCs are 14% cheaper than "other PCs" (read: AMD PCs) in the long run. The other, done by SE Labs, tested the security abilities of Intel and AMD CPUs and determined that Intel had a significant advantage, primarily because Intel CPUs could detect malware better than AMD chips. SE Labs even gave Intel an award for its achievement, though Intel's sponsorship of the study cheapens the award just a bit.