Intel unveils Panther Lake architecture, its first AI PC platform built on 18A
Intel doubles down on AI-driven computing with its most advanced semiconductor yet.
- Oct 10, 2025,
- Updated Oct 10, 2025 9:45 AM IST
Intel has announced Panther Lake, the first AI PC platform powered by its Intel 18A process technology, during the Intel Tech Tour 2025. The new architecture, part of the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 line, marks a major step forward for AI-enhanced computing and domestic chip manufacturing in the United States.
Intel said that Panther Lake is already in production and will enter high-volume manufacturing later this year at the company’s new Fab 52 facility in Chandler, Arizona. This fab, built under Intel’s $100 billion U.S. investment plan, represents a significant milestone in strengthening the country’s technology and semiconductor supply chain.
“We are entering an exciting new era of computing, made possible by great leaps forward in semiconductor technology that will shape the future for decades to come,” said Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. “Our next-gen compute platforms, combined with our leading-edge process technology, manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities, are catalysts for innovation across our business as we build a new Intel.”
Panther Lake will power a wide range of AI PCs, gaming devices, and edge solutions. Built on a scalable, multi-chiplet architecture, the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors combine flexibility with performance across different form factors and price points. Intel claims that the processors offer more than 50 percent faster CPU and GPU performance than the previous generation, while achieving Lunar Lake-level efficiency.
The platform also delivers up to 180 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI acceleration, alongside a new Intel Arc GPU with up to 12 Xe cores. Panther Lake will be available in the market from January 2026, with the first units shipping before the end of this year.
Alongside Panther Lake, Intel also previewed its upcoming Xeon 6+ processors, code-named Clearwater Forest. Expected to launch in the first half of 2026, Clearwater Forest will bring improved density, throughput, and power efficiency to modern data centres. It features up to 288 efficiency cores (E-cores) and promises a 17 percent increase in Instructions Per Cycle (IPC) over the prior generation.
Intel 18A, the 2-nanometre-class node underpinning both platforms, introduces two key technologies - RibbonFET and PowerVia - designed to enhance performance and energy efficiency. Compared with the Intel 3 node, Intel 18A delivers up to 15 percent better performance per watt and 30 percent improved chip density.
Fab 52 will serve as the main manufacturing site for these chips, joining Intel’s Oregon research hub and New Mexico packaging operations in forming a robust U.S. semiconductor ecosystem. The company said the site underscores its 56-year legacy of innovation and its vision of becoming a trusted foundry for the AI era.
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Intel has announced Panther Lake, the first AI PC platform powered by its Intel 18A process technology, during the Intel Tech Tour 2025. The new architecture, part of the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 line, marks a major step forward for AI-enhanced computing and domestic chip manufacturing in the United States.
Intel said that Panther Lake is already in production and will enter high-volume manufacturing later this year at the company’s new Fab 52 facility in Chandler, Arizona. This fab, built under Intel’s $100 billion U.S. investment plan, represents a significant milestone in strengthening the country’s technology and semiconductor supply chain.
“We are entering an exciting new era of computing, made possible by great leaps forward in semiconductor technology that will shape the future for decades to come,” said Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. “Our next-gen compute platforms, combined with our leading-edge process technology, manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities, are catalysts for innovation across our business as we build a new Intel.”
Panther Lake will power a wide range of AI PCs, gaming devices, and edge solutions. Built on a scalable, multi-chiplet architecture, the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors combine flexibility with performance across different form factors and price points. Intel claims that the processors offer more than 50 percent faster CPU and GPU performance than the previous generation, while achieving Lunar Lake-level efficiency.
The platform also delivers up to 180 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI acceleration, alongside a new Intel Arc GPU with up to 12 Xe cores. Panther Lake will be available in the market from January 2026, with the first units shipping before the end of this year.
Alongside Panther Lake, Intel also previewed its upcoming Xeon 6+ processors, code-named Clearwater Forest. Expected to launch in the first half of 2026, Clearwater Forest will bring improved density, throughput, and power efficiency to modern data centres. It features up to 288 efficiency cores (E-cores) and promises a 17 percent increase in Instructions Per Cycle (IPC) over the prior generation.
Intel 18A, the 2-nanometre-class node underpinning both platforms, introduces two key technologies - RibbonFET and PowerVia - designed to enhance performance and energy efficiency. Compared with the Intel 3 node, Intel 18A delivers up to 15 percent better performance per watt and 30 percent improved chip density.
Fab 52 will serve as the main manufacturing site for these chips, joining Intel’s Oregon research hub and New Mexico packaging operations in forming a robust U.S. semiconductor ecosystem. The company said the site underscores its 56-year legacy of innovation and its vision of becoming a trusted foundry for the AI era.
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