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Intel has officially launched its third-generation Core Ultra mobile processors at CES 2026, marking the long-awaited debut of its Intel 18A process technology. Also known as Panther Lake, the Core Ultra Series 3 is the first compute platform designed and manufactured entirely in the US using 18A silicon. With a focus on mobile efficiency and integrated graphics, Intel is claiming a 76% uplift in gaming performance and a 60% improvement in multithreaded performance over the previous generation.
The Core Ultra Series 3 lineup introduces a new naming convention. The flagship Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and Ultra X7 models feature a dedicated “X” prefix, denoting the inclusion of the new Arc B‑series integrated GPU. Built on the Xe3 architecture (derived from the upcoming Battlemage desktop series), the top-tier B390 iGPU includes 12 Xe-cores and is reportedly capable of matching the performance of a discrete Nvidia RTX 4050 laptop GPU. To further boost frame rates, these integrated graphics support XeSS 3, which incorporates AI-driven multi-frame generation similar to DLSS 4.
Architecturally, Panther Lake features a multi-tile design. The compute tile, built on the 18A node, introduces 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 lower P-core count than the previous generation, Intel claims that architectural refinements and the die shrink deliver a 60% improvement in multithreaded performance at 25W. The NPU has also been upgraded to the NPU 5 architecture, delivering 50 standalone TOPS for local AI tasks and meeting the requirements of Microsoft’s latest Copilot+ PC standards.
For the first time, these processors are certified for 24/7 reliability across a temperature range from -40°C to 100°C. In robotics and video analytics workloads, Intel says the integrated AI acceleration offers a significant total cost of ownership (TCO) advantage, delivering up to 4.5× higher throughput on vision language models (VLMs) compared to traditional CPU-plus-discrete-GPU configurations. Intel also claims these chips can offer up to 27 hours of battery life.
Laptops powered by the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 are available for pre-order now. Global retail availability is scheduled for January 27th, 2026, with more than 200 designs from partners including MSI, Lenovo, and ASUS expected to reach the market in the first half of the year.
KitGuru says: Intel's 18A node is finally here, and on paper, Panther Lake looks very competitive. It will be interesting to put these chips to the test in the months ahead.
