Intel unveiled its next generation of mobile processors at CES, teh Panther Lake series, signaling a notable step forward in laptop performance and efficiency. Built on Intel’s new 18A process technology alongside TSMC manufacturing for key components, the chips promise considerable gains in speed and power consumption for a range of notebooks expected to ship beginning January 27th. The new Core Ultra 300 processors feature a hybrid architecture with redesigned cores and enhanced graphics,positioning Intel to compete aggressively in the evolving laptop market.
Intel unveiled its next generation of mobile processors at CES, rolling out the Panther Lake chips in a phased approach. The company initially detailed architectural innovations in the fall, and now has revealed key specifications, with a full product reveal scheduled for January 27th – the date when notebooks featuring the new processors will begin to ship.
The Core Ultra 300, based on the Panther Lake architecture, represents changes across the board, as previously outlined in a detailed overview. Intel is continuing with a chiplet-based design. The processor core tile is manufactured using the new Intel 18A process, while the I/O tile handling connectivity is produced by TSMC (N6). The graphics tile, featuring 12 and 10 core Xe architectures, is handled by TSMC (N3E), with 4 or 2 core versions manufactured by Intel (Intel 3).
New CPUs and GPUs
Panther Lake integrates new high-performance cores (P-cores) called Cougar Cove, with up to four cores per chiplet. These are paired with up to eight efficient cores (E-cores) dubbed Darkmont, and further supplemented by up to four even more efficient Darkmont (LPE-cores) running at lower frequencies. A key improvement over previous generations is the ability for these most energy-efficient cores to operate in conjunction with other core clusters, boosting overall multi-core performance.
Intel claims Panther Lake will deliver a 10% performance increase at the same power consumption as previous Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake processors in single-core workloads. Alternatively, it can achieve the same performance while consuming 40% less energy. In multi-core tasks, the new chips are expected to offer a 50% performance boost at the same power level, or a 30% reduction in power consumption at equivalent performance to Arrow Lake.
| 6 & 8 Cores | 16 Cores + 12 Xe | 16 Cores | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Up to 8 cores (Intel 18A) | Up to 16 cores (Intel 18A) | Up to 16 cores (Intel 18A) |
| GPU | Up to 4 Xe3 cores (Intel 3) | Up to 12 Xe3 cores (TSMC N3E) | Up to 4 Xe3 cores (Intel 3) |
| NPU | Up to 50 TOPS | Up to 50 TOPS | Up to 50 TOPS |
| RAM | LPDDR5X-6800, DDR5-6400 | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X-8533, DDR5-7200 |
| PCIe | 8x 4.0, 4x 5.0 | 8x 4.0, 4x 5.0 | 8x 4.0, 12x 5.0 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, up to 4x Thunderbolt 4/5, 2x USB 3.2, 8x USB 2.0 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, up to 4x Thunderbolt 4/5, 2x USB 3.2, 8x USB 2.0 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, up to 4x Thunderbolt 4/5, 2x USB 3.2, 8x USB 2.0 |
Panther Lake also introduces new graphics cores, designated Xe3, effectively placing them in the third generation. While not a completely new architecture like the forthcoming Celestial, it builds upon the Battlemage architecture used in previous mobile chips and Intel B500 dedicated graphics cards. Intel has refined the architecture for improved performance and efficiency, adding a larger cache, faster ray tracing units, and new support for multi-frame rendering, similar to Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series.
14 Mobile Chips
The initial launch will include 14 chips divided into three categories. Core Ultra X 300H models will feature 16 processor cores and more powerful graphics with 12 Xe units, alongside support for faster memory. The Core Ultra 300H will offer 12 processor cores and a 4-core GPU, but also includes 8 PCIe 5.0 lanes for dedicated graphics card connectivity. These “H-series” models are targeted at notebooks with a TDP of up to 65 or 80 watts.
Alongside these, more power-efficient Core Ultra 300 chips will be available with six or eight CPU cores, a four-core GPU, and a TDP of up to 55W. Notably, these models omit the energy-efficient E-cores, relying solely on performance P-cores and super-efficient LP-E cores running at restricted frequencies. Intel has not yet specified those frequencies, only providing maximum turbo frequencies for the main P-cores.
Intel also compared the new processors to competitors. The Core Ultra X9 388H is approximately 10% faster than the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in applications, which features only 12 cores compared to Intel’s 16. In the Procyon video editing benchmark, Intel demonstrated a 57% speed advantage, though this also reflects differences in GPU and RAM performance, as the Ryzen comparison lacks a graphics solution geared towards those scenarios – a niche filled by AMD’s Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max+ 300) processors. The Intel chip is also more power efficient, with a TDP of 15–54W compared to the Ryzen’s.
| Processor | Cores | Turbo | Intel Smart Cache | NPU | GPU | Xe Cores | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra X9 388H | 4+8+4 | 5.1 GHz | 18 MB | 50 TOPS | Arc B390 | 12 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra 9 386H | 4+8+4 | 4.9 GHz | 18 MB | 50 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra X7 368H | 4+8+4 | 5.0 GHz | 18 MB | 50 TOPS | Arc B390 | 12 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra 7 366H | 4+8+4 | 4.8 GHz | 18 MB | 50 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra 7 365 | 4+0+4 | 4.8 GHz | 12 MB | 49 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–55 W |
| Ultra X7 358H | 4+8+4 | 4.8 GHz | 18 MB | 50 TOPS | Arc B390 | 12 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra 7 356H | 4+8+4 | 4.7 GHz | 18 MB | 50 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra 7 355 | 4+0+4 | 4.7 GHz | 12 MB | 49 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–55 W |
| Ultra 5 338H | 4+4+4 | 4.7 GHz | 18 MB | 47 TOPS | Arc B370 | 10 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra 5 336H | 4+4+4 | 4.6 GHz | 18 MB | 47 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–65/80 W |
| Ultra 5 335 | 4+0+4 | 4.6 GHz | 12 MB | 47 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–55 W |
| Ultra 5 325 | 2+0+4 | 4.5 GHz | 12 MB | 47 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 4 | 25–55 W |
| Ultra 5 332 | 4+0+4 | 4.4 GHz | 12 MB | 46 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 2 | 25–55 W |
| Ultra 5 322 | 2+0+4 | 4.4 GHz | 12 MB | 46 TOPS | Intel Graphics | 2 | 25–55 W |
Intel also highlighted gaming performance, reporting an average of 80% faster performance compared to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 across several dozen titles. The company suggests the new processors can compete with a GeForce RTX 4050 in gaming scenarios, noting that the graphics are also manufactured by TSMC.
Battery life is also a key focus for the Panther Lake series. Intel anticipates the most powerful chips will perform best with a maximum TDP of 65W, with manufacturers able to reduce this to 45W or increase it to 80W. Previous Arrow Lake-H processors had a maximum of 115W, and Arrow Lake-HX reached 160W.
Intel confidently asserts that Panther Lake is designed for notebooks capable of all-day use. A prototype with an Ultra X7 358H chip, a 68Wh battery, and a 2.8K OLED display achieved up to 7.5 hours of work and 16.5 hours of video playback. An AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with a larger 74Wh battery achieved 7.3 and 12.6 hours respectively, according to Intel’s testing.
Panther Lake appears promising. Increased CPU and GPU performance, lower power consumption, support for Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6, and an improved video processor are all welcome additions to mid- and high-end notebooks. Intel will now need to validate these claims through independent testing.
