Intel’s Panther Lake CPUs are finally ready for the market. The new Core Ultra Series 3 chips were first introduced in October last year and were recently unveiled at CES 2026. The company confirmed pre-order and retail launch plans for the first laptops with the new processors.
In its announcement, Intel reiterated that the new Core Ultra Series 3 processors are the company’s first AI PC platform based on Intel 18A process technology. The company says the chips will support over 200 designs from global partners, making the Series 3 the “most widely deployed and globally available AI PC platform that Intel has ever delivered.”
The Core Ultra Series 3 introduces a new line of X9 and X7 SKUs that feature the most powerful integrated Intel Arc graphics. The top models feature up to 16 CPU cores, 12 Xe cores and 50 NPU TOPS, offering up to 60% better multi-threaded performance and over 77% faster gaming performance compared to Lunar Lake.
Battery life has also increased significantly: Intel claims to enable up to 27.1 hours of Netflix streaming on a Lenovo IdeaPad reference design with Core Ultra X9 388H. The Series 3 lineup will also include Intel Core processors, using the same architecture as the Core Ultra models, enabling more powerful and energy-efficient systems at lower prices.
Panther Lake laptops will go on sale later this month
According to Intel, pre-orders for the first consumer laptops with Core Ultra Series 3 processors will begin on January 6th. These laptops will go on sale worldwide starting January 27th.
Further models with the new processors are expected to come onto the market during the first half of the year. Details on pricing, regional availability and configurations are expected to be announced closer to launch as partners begin unveiling their Panther Lake laptops.
