Intel has unveiled its next-generation Panther Lake processors, officially branded as the Intel Core Ultra Series 3, which will power laptops and handhelds starting in 2026. The new chips mark a major milestone for Intel, as their Compute tile is produced using the advanced Intel 18A process node, aimed at reclaiming process leadership in the semiconductor industry.
CPU and GPU Configurations
- Configurations: 8-core + 4 Xe3 GPU, 16-core + 4 Xe3 GPU, and 16-core + 12 Xe3 GPU
- CPU Architecture: Cougar Cove P-cores, Darkmont E-cores, and LP E-cores
- Core Layouts:
- 8-core: 4 P-cores + 4 LP E-cores
- 16-core: 4 P-cores + 8 E-cores + 4 LP E-cores
Panther Lake combines the efficiency of Lunar Lake with the high performance of Arrow Lake-H, offering about 10% better single-threaded and 50% better multi-threaded performance at similar power levels.
Xe3 GPU and AI NPU
The upgraded Xe3 GPU delivers around 50% higher performance compared to Lunar and Arrow Lake chips. The 12 Xe3-core tile uses TSMC’s 3nm (N3E) process, while the 4-core variant is built on Intel 3.
For AI tasks, Intel includes the new NPU 5, rated at up to 50 TOPS, marking a solid upgrade over the NPU 4 found in Lunar Lake. The processor also supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.
Efficiency and Battery Life
Despite removing on-board memory from the chip package, Intel says Panther Lake consumes 10% less power than Lunar Lake, potentially resulting in improved battery life for laptops.