At the consumer electronics show CES 2026, Intel announced the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processor series (codename Panther Lake).
The new processors are positioned as the first PC platforms with integrated artificial intelligence, created using Intel's advanced 18A (2 nm) process technology. Intel says the processor will be used in a variety of laptops, including high-end and mid-range devices, with more than 200 different models in development.
Specific
The Intel Core Ultra mobile processor family includes the new Core Ultra X9 and X7 models, which feature powerful integrated Intel Arc graphics and are aimed at power users who need to handle complex tasks like gaming, media editing and productivity.
The highest-end instances can include up to 16 processing cores, up to 12 Xe graphics cores, and up to 50 TOPS of neural processing unit (NPU) compute performance. According to Intel, it is expected to increase performance in multi-threaded tasks by up to 60%, improve gaming experience by 77% and significantly increase battery life – up to 27 hours.
In addition to high-end options, Intel also offers Core processors based on the same architecture but optimized for more affordable laptop models. Additionally, the company is introducing certified Core versions for use in embedded systems and industrial applications. They have the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, predictable performance, and several other key characteristics.
Intel is highlighting its competitive advantage in artificial intelligence, claiming up to 1.9x performance gains for large language models, 2.3x performance gains for video analytics, and 4.5x throughput for visual-language-action models.
Release date
Pre-orders for the new laptop with Core Ultra Series 3 processors open today, January 6, 2026, but the start of global sales is expected on January 27. Additionally, additional device variants are expected to be released in the first half of the year. Peripheral and embedded systems based on the Series 3 platform are expected to be released by the end of Q2 2026.
