Intel unveiled its third-generation Core Ultra mobile processors, codenamed Panther Lake, at CES 2026. This launch marks the debut of Intel’s 18A process technology, making it the first compute platform fully designed and manufactured in the US using 18A silicon. The company asserts significant performance gains, including a 76% increase in gaming performance and a 60% boost in multithreaded performance compared to the previous generation.
The Core Ultra Series 3 introduces a revised naming scheme. Flagship models like the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and Ultra X7 feature an “X” prefix, indicating the inclusion of the new Arc B-series integrated GPU. This iGPU is based on the Xe3 architecture, derived from the upcoming Battlemage desktop series. The high-end B390 iGPU reportedly contains 12 Xe-cores and is said to deliver performance comparable to a discrete Nvidia RTX 4050 laptop GPU. To further enhance frame rates, these integrated graphics support XeSS 3, which incorporates AI-powered multi-frame generation, similar to DLSS 4.
Architecturally, Panther Lake employs a multi-tile design. The compute tile, built on the 18A node, features a new core configuration with up to four Cougar Cove P-cores, eight Darkmont E-cores, and four low-power Darkmont E-cores. Despite a reduced P-core count compared to its predecessor, Intel claims that architectural enhancements and the die shrink result in a 60% improvement in multithreaded performance at 25W. The Neural Processing Unit (NPU) has also been upgraded to the NPU 5 architecture, providing 50 standalone TOPS for local AI tasks and fulfilling the requirements for Microsoft’s latest Copilot+ PC standards.
These processors are certified for 24/7 reliability across a wide temperature range, from -40°C to 100°C, a first for the series. For robotics and video analytics applications, the integrated AI acceleration is said to offer a significant total cost of ownership advantage, delivering up to 4.5 times higher throughput on vision language models (VLMs) compared to traditional CPU-plus-discrete-GPU setups. Additionally, the chips are claimed to provide up to 27 hours of battery life.
Laptops featuring the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 are currently available for pre-order. Global retail availability is set for January 27th, 2026, with more than 200 designs from partners such as MSI, Lenovo, and ASUS anticipated to enter the market during the first half of the year.
