Intel used its CES 2026 keynote in Las Vegas to introduce Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, describing the chips as part of the “Panther Lake” family and the company’s first client processor with a compute tile built on its Intel 18A node. Senior leaders on stage framed the launch as a major step for Intel’s manufacturing and PC roadmap, with the keynote outlining new CPU, graphics, and AI platform goals tied to Series 3.
During the event, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Intel is “delivering on its commitment to ship its first 18A products by the end of 2025,” and added that Intel is “ramping all Core Ultra Series 3 die packages as we speak.” Tan also said Core Ultra Series 3 will drive the “next evolution of the PC.”
Intel spotlights 18A and new architecture claims
On stage, Intel executives described 18A as central to the company’s manufacturing push and said it is in high-volume production. The keynote also discussed RibbonFET and characterized it as Intel’s first “gate all around (GAA) transistors,” while noting Intel has also discussed PowerVia for years as part of its future process plans.
Intel positioned Panther Lake as a platform meant to blend power efficiency and performance scaling, combining ideas it linked to Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake. The package includes P-cores labeled Cougar Cove, E-cores labeled Darkmont, and an iGPU based on Xe3.
Performance, power, and chiplet changes
Intel said Core Ultra Series 3 processors are expected to deliver a 50% performance uplift compared with the Lunar Lake family while keeping a similar power profile. Intel also said it moved the GPU tile to its own chiplet, a design change the company linked to greater flexibility.
The keynote highlighted a redesigned “low-power island” that includes dedicated cache and its own power rail, with web browsing cited as a key workload. Intel also pointed to features such as IPU, Intel’s Wi‑Fi solution, and adaptive charging as part of its efficiency messaging.
Intel pushes Xe3 graphics and gaming
Graphics were a major theme, with Intel highlighting ray tracing capabilities on Panther Lake’s iGPU and saying it had “nailed its goals” for the platform. Intel also claimed that streaming 4K video can require one-third the power of previous generations, presenting that as part of its broader efficiency pitch.
Intel announced an “Intel Arc B390 iGP,” and also made claims about performance versus AMD in select game titles and on average. Intel described the result as “discrete-class gaming performance” for laptops, while noting expectations around 1080p gaming and the use of technologies like XeSS.
Battlefield 6, handheld plans, and AI platform messaging
The keynote included a segment involving EA and Battlefield 6, with Intel describing “up to 145 fps” performance using XeSS with 4X frame generation, while also referencing a base frame rate around 35 fps in that same context. Intel also described this as the first integrated graphics to ship with multi-frame generation.
Intel teased a full handheld gaming platform built around Panther Lake and said it would share more details later this year. On the AI side, Intel showcased on-device generative AI examples, referenced running a “70B model in a 32K context,” and introduced an “AI Super Builder” platform framed as connecting local and cloud AI.
Perplexity’s CEO appeared on stage and discussed why local AI can feel faster than sending every query to a data center, while also making an economic argument for local compute. Intel closed the keynote by saying Series 3 will be “the most broadly adopted AI PC platform Intel has ever shipped,” referenced “over 200 designs” from partners, and said preorders start tomorrow with global availability on January 27.
