Intel Panther Lake CPUs Showcased at Computex: Detailed Die Shots, Engineering Sample Specifications & Consumer Launch Expected in Early 2026

At Computex, Intel unveiled its next-generation Panther Lake CPU architecture, revealing early silicon samples and various platform demonstrations in anticipation of a comprehensive launch slated for 2026.

Intel Showcases Panther Lake CPUs Powered by 18A Technology: Launch Anticipated for Early 2026

Intel has progressively shared insights regarding its Panther Lake CPUs, designed to serve as the flagship client processor utilizing 18A process technology. This architecture introduces significant advancements over both the Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake series. Panther Lake creatively fuses the outstanding power efficiency of Lunar Lake with the high-performance core design showcased in Arrow Lake, all on a single chip.

In addition to promising new CPU core technologies, Panther Lake will provide enhanced GPU and NPU capabilities via the Xe3 “Celestial”architecture. This new family of processors ensures broader scalability, supporting a range of consumer, gaming, and commercial products that will be compatible with LP5 and DDR5 memory.

Production for the Panther Lake CPUs is projected to commence in the latter half of 2025, with consumer-ready variants expected to debut alongside OEM partners in early 2026.

During the presentation at Computex, Intel showcased the actual Panther Lake silicon, which features five distinct chip tiles. The Compute Tile comprises the majority of the setup, integrating Cougar Cove Performance Cores (P-Cores) and Darkmont Efficiency Cores (E-Cores).The anticipated “Core Ultra 300″product family will feature three different WeUs designed for varied applications. Additional components include the GPU, system-on-a-chip (SoC), and I/O tile, along with a smaller filler tile.

Intel also demonstrated early engineering models of laptops powered by Panther Lake CPUs. These prototypes were utilized for various demos, highlighting a performance leap in AI capabilities compared to the previous Lunar Lake generation. Façade insights from former CEO Pat Gelsinger suggested that the Panther Lake chips would deliver a remarkable 2x increase in AI performance.

An RVP (Reference Validation Platform) accompanied by a development kit, similar to those seen in the previous year’s Lunar Lake demonstrations, was also on display. This RVP consisted of numerous LPDDR5x memory chips and featured a copper heatsink with an active cooling solution to manage performance effectively.

Spec-wise, one of the showcased CPUs within the Panther Lake series included 16 cores and 16 threads, confirming that simultaneous multithreading (SMT) will not be part of this architecture, similar to existing Intel offerings. Though details like core configuration and specific core arrangements remain undisclosed, early indications suggest this WeU will be high-end. The base clock speed recorded was 2.0 GHz, with real-time operation around 3.0 GHz, and while these figures apply to early silicon, final versions could surpass 5 GHz. For cache, the CPU is expected to come with 1.6 MB L1, 24 MB L2, and 18 MB L3 caches.

While these updates are significant, they represent only the tip of the iceberg concerning Panther Lake’s full potential. Intel is scheduled to provide more details during future events, including the upcoming Tech Tour, ensuring tech enthusiasts can anticipate exciting developments leading up to the highly-awaited official launch of these groundbreaking CPUs.