Intel debuts first AI PC platform using advanced 18A process

Intel has introduced its Panther Lake AI processors at CES, marking the company’s first high-volume product built on the 18A manufacturing process, a key step in boosting performance, regaining market share, and restoring investor confidence.

Intel has taken the wraps off Panther Lake, its latest AI-focused processor platform for laptops, at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. The launch marks the company’s first commercial rollout based on its next-generation 18A manufacturing technology, a development Intel sees as critical to its long-term turnaround strategy.

Speaking at the event, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the company has delivered on its commitment to ship products built on the 18A process in 2025. The new chips, branded as Intel Core Ultra Series 3, are designed to showcase advances in transistor architecture and power delivery enabled by the new manufacturing node.

Jim Johnson, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s PC group, said Panther Lake represents a major architectural shift. The processors feature a modular design, including a separate graphics chiplet that is combined with other components to form a complete system-on-chip. Intel claims the new platform delivers up to 60% better performance compared with its previous-generation Lunar Lake processors.

Competition, expansion and market pressure

Unlike Lunar Lake, which relied heavily on manufacturing partner TSMC, Panther Lake is Intel’s first high-volume product built largely using its own advanced process. The move carries high stakes as Intel seeks to recover market share lost to rivals such as Advanced Micro Devices.

Intel also plans to extend Panther Lake into new form factors, including a dedicated platform for handheld gaming devices, a segment that has seen rising demand in recent years. Company executives acknowledged past challenges with manufacturing yields but said output quality has been improving steadily.

The launch comes amid intense competition in the AI chip market. AMD recently announced a multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI for its upcoming MI400 accelerators, while Nvidia said its next-generation AI chips are already in full production, promising major gains in computing performance. Against this backdrop, Panther Lake is positioned as Intel’s bid to reassert itself in AI-driven personal computing.