The CES (Consumer Electronics Show) has long been an important venue for the launch of new laptops. It also plays an important role in signaling broader industry trends and providing guidance for the coming months. CES 2026 aims to continue this tradition.
Early indications suggest that next year’s laptops will focus on performance improvements spread across multiple platforms, form factors and price tiers. The focus is on new mobile CPUs, including Intel’s upcoming Core Ultra Series 3 codenamed Panther Lake, AMD’s Gorgon Point including the new Ryzen AI 400 series and Qualcomm’s second generation Snapdragon X2.
But all of this progress also faces an obstacle – rising storage prices. Even as CPUs continue to get faster and more efficient, RAM could quietly become a factor that changes prices, configurations and value in 2026.
Panther Lake and Intel’s reset moment
After a long period of disparate mobile generations, Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake is a chance for the company to redefine expectations. It is the first client platform based on the advanced Intel 18A manufacturing process and is expected to combine the power efficiency of the Lunar Lake architecture with the computing power of Arrow Lake.
Panther Lake will feature new Intel Arc Xe3 (Celestial) graphics, offering up to 50% better performance than previous generations. Intel also claims that power consumption is more than 30% lower compared to Arrow Lake at comparable performance levels. As for AI improvements, the included NPU 5 is rated for up to 50 TOPS (trillion operations per second), a small jump compared to Lunar Lake.
Lenovo is rumored to be unveiling new laptops powered by Intel’s Panther Lake platform, including the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14, ThinkPad X9 15p Aura Edition, and a unique 1-liter cylindrical Yoga mini PC. Even MSI has confirmed that its new Prestige laptop range will feature Intel’s new chips.
Thunderobot, a new Chinese OEM known for its mini gaming PCs, will launch the Zero Air gaming laptop, combining Panther Lake with Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 50 series mobile GPUs in a lightweight 16-inch chassis. Weighing in at around 1.6kg, this suggests that Intel’s new platform could enable thinner gaming laptops without having to make dramatic compromises on thermals or battery life.
That’s important because Intel’s biggest weakness in recent years hasn’t been sheer performance, but efficiency under real-world workloads. If Panther Lake can deliver consistent performance while keeping power consumption under control, it could finally restore the confidence of OEMs who are increasingly relying on AMD and Qualcomm for thinner designs.
AMD Gorgon Point shows off its strengths
Expect AMD to repeat what it has been doing in mobile for the past few years – refining rather than reinventing. The Ryzen AI 400 series, known internally as Gorgon Point, is set to debut at CES 2026 and represents a gentle refresh of Strix Point and Krackan Point rather than a pure redesign.
The new lineup is expected to retain Zen 5 and Zen 5c CPU cores paired with integrated RDNA 3.5 graphics while increasing clock speeds and strengthening AI performance. The biggest architectural update appears to be the improved XDNA 2 NPU, which is said to deliver 55 AI TOPS, up from 50 TOPS on current Ryzen AI 300 chips. On paper, this keeps AMD competitive in a market that is increasingly placing emphasis on local AI acceleration, even as real-world use cases are still catching up.
For everyday laptops, such incremental progress might be more important than a dramatic leap. Ryzen-based systems have earned a reputation for strong multi-core performance, capable integrated graphics, and good efficiency, especially on machines that don’t rely on a discrete GPU. With Gorgon Point, AMD could expand that balance and make these chips particularly attractive to creators, developers and power users who want powerful performance in thinner, quieter designs.
Laptops with Gorgon Point, including models like the Lenovo Legion 7a, Legion 5a and updated Asus Vivobook systems, are expected to debut at the show. If AMD appears in a wider range of form factors and price points, particularly in premium ultrabooks, it would signal growing confidence among OEMs.
Snapdragon X2 and the arm question
With the announcement of Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme, Qualcomm made its intentions clear long before CES 2026. But at CES, these chips will finally have to prove themselves in real laptops.
The first wave of Snapdragon X laptops showed what Arm for Windows can do in terms of battery life and everyday responsiveness. They were quiet, efficient, and surprisingly smooth for basic productivity. At the same time, they still felt like early adopter machines. App compatibility gaps, inconsistent gaming performance, and premium pricing prevented them from feeling like true mainstream alternatives to x86 laptops.
The Snapdragon X2 generation appears to be Qualcomm’s attempt to overcome these limitations. The X2 series is based on a 3nm process and powered by third-generation Oryon CPU cores. It ranges from 8 and 12 cores in standard Elite models to 18 high-performance cores in the X2 Elite Extreme. On paper, Qualcomm is firmly in the high-end range, with boost clock speeds reportedly reaching up to 5 GHz for the Extreme variant.
AI once again plays a central role on the field, but this time the numbers are harder to ignore. The X2 series integrates an improved Hexagon NPU capable of delivering up to 80 TOPS, significantly exceeding current Copilot+ requirements and positioning these chips as some of the most AI-ready laptop processors in 2026. For Qualcomm, it’s not just about benchmarks, but about enabling constant inference, local AI tools, and background workloads that don’t destroy battery life.
The graphics are also more important this time. Qualcomm has promised significant GPU upgrades with the X2 generation, aimed at better gaming performance and smoother creative workloads in thin and light designs. It’s unlikely that these laptops will suddenly be able to compete with discrete GPUs, but the goal seems to be to eliminate the feeling that Arm laptops are only suitable for office work and web browsing.
CES 2026 should therefore showcase more ambitious Snapdragon-based designs. Expect thinner laptops, fanless or near-silent systems, and battery life claims that extend to multiple days rather than just the entire day. Support for modern standards such as PCIe 5, UFS 4 and optional 5G connectivity further strengthens Qualcomm’s commitment to always-connected and ready-to-use PCs.
Laptops themselves are becoming more and more experimental
Beyond new chips, CES 2026 is expected to showcase a wide range of laptop designs and form factors, as in previous years. While many products will remain evolutionary, early teasers suggest that manufacturers will also highlight more experimental ideas, some of which may go beyond mere concept demos.
Asus is a good example. The company has already hinted at a new ProArt laptop that’s inspired by GoPro’s action cameras and leans more toward rugged design features than traditional premium aesthetics. Based on early details, this ProArt model appears to be aimed squarely at developers working in unpredictable environments, combining portability with durability and unique physical controls. A built-in dial for adjusting creative tools, a reinforced construction, and a design language that prioritizes function over thinness suggest this is a laptop designed for on-location work, not just studio desks.
On the other end of the spectrum, Asus has also announced a new dual-screen ROG gaming laptop. Dual display designs have been around for years, but at CES 2026 they might finally feel practical rather than experimental. As more efficient CPUs and GPUs free up thermal headroom, these systems can afford the additional displays without having to make the serious performance or battery compromises that previously limited their appeal. For streamers, multitaskers, and developers juggling chat, timelines, and gameplay simultaneously, this type of design speaks directly to modern workflows.
Lenovo may be preparing a unique form factor at the show. Leaks suggest a new Legion Pro laptop that will feature a rollable OLED display that can expand from 16 inches to 24 inches. If it comes to fruition as described, it would represent a dramatic rethinking of what a portable gaming laptop can be. Instead of forcing users to choose between screen size and portability, a rollable panel could offer both – compact when traveling and spacious when docked at a desk. It’s a niche approach that’s potentially expensive, but it’s also exactly the kind of idea CES wants to showcase.
CES 2026 will likely bring more dual-screen laptops, more hybrids, and more machines designed for specific use cases rather than broad appeal. What ties all of these designs together is timing. Efficiency improvements in upcoming CPUs could give OEMs more freedom to rethink layouts, cooling and interaction without exceeding thermal or performance limits.
The unpleasant reality of rising RAM prices
All this progress comes with a catch. Memory prices are rising sharply, and these pressures are expected to impact laptops in 2026, regardless of how compelling the new CPUs may be.
According to a recent TrendForce report, PC manufacturers are already responding. Dell has reportedly increased laptop prices by 15-20% starting in mid-December 2025, while Lenovo is expected to make similar increases starting in January 2026. These increases are largely driven by rising DRAM and NAND costs, which manufacturers are struggling to absorb.
To keep entry-level prices under control, some OEMs may reduce base specifications instead. There is a real risk that 8GB of RAM will become the standard for mid-range laptops again, pushing 16GB and 32GB configurations into significantly higher price ranges, while modern operating systems, browsers and AI capabilities increasingly require more memory. Industry reports also suggest that some OEMs may delay launches until supply and pricing stabilize, while others may offer notebooks as barebones, leaving memory and storage issues entirely to consumers.
This could cause disruption for buyers. A laptop with a brand new chip may look impressive on the CES stage, but feel constrained by RAM limits or excessive upgrade costs once it goes on sale. The CES announcements highlight performance improvements and AI features, but memory prices could end up being the biggest factor in determining how attractive these next-generation laptops really are in 2026.
