Intel to unveil Panther Lake 18A details as 2026 launch nears

Intel will on Thursday disclose technical details for Panther Lake, its next-generation laptop processors built on the companys 18A manufacturing node, the company and people briefed on the plans said, with the chips expected to reach OEMs in early 2026. The briefings and a factory tour in Arizona are intended to show the chip architecture and the 18A process that Intel has spent billions developing, part of an effort to reassure investors and restore competitiveness after prior manufacturing setbacks.

People briefed on the material said Panther Lake is positioned as Intels high-end mobile family and will be the first high-volume product made entirely on 18A. The new generation is expected to use about 30 percent less energy than its predecessor and, in some workloads, deliver as much as a 50 percent improvement in graphics and central processor data throughput, according to those sources. Intel presented redesigned performance and efficiency cores, an updated graphics architecture and an enhanced artificial intelligence engine during the briefings.

The company led attendees on tours of Fab 52 in Arizona, the facility housing the 18A process and a new transistor and...