Intel Panther Lake Debuts with Strong Early Reviews at CES 2026

Intel unveiled its latest Panther Lake processors at CES 2026, promising significant advances in performance and efficiency for laptops and compact PCs. Early reviews of devices equipped with the flagship Core Ultra X9 388H chip, including the Asus Zenbook Duo, confirm that the processor delivers strong results in multitasking, gaming, and battery life, positioning Intel as a more competitive player against rivals like AMD and Apple.

The Core Ultra X9 388H features 16 cores, a maximum turbo frequency of 5.1 GHz, and 18 MB of L3 cache. It powers slim, dual-screen laptops like the Asus Zenbook Duo, as well as 16-inch models such as the Lenovo IdeaPad and the MSI Prestige 14 Flip. Independent benchmarks highlight its capabilities in real-world scenarios. In Cinebench 24 tests, the chip shows impressive single-core performance, though it trails Apple's M-series processors in that metric. Multicore scores place it slightly behind the base M5 but ahead of the M4 found in current MacBook Air models.

Gaming performance stands out for an integrated graphics solution. The built-in Arc B390 iGPU, with 12 Xe3 cores, handles 1080p titles effectively on non-gaming laptops. In Call of Duty:...