Intel Draws Retail Buzz After Launching Its Most Advanced, Locally-Produced ‘Panther Lake’ Laptop Chips

• Intel unveiled its Core Ultra Series 3 processors at CES on Monday.
• Laptops built on the new chipset will be available this month.
• The development marks a boost for Intel’s foundry business, which has weighed on the company in recent years.

Intel Corp. on Monday unveiled its latest laptop processors, the Core Ultra Series 3, which are set to roll out in new computers later this month.

The processors, codenamed “Panther Lake,” are built on Intel’s 18A process – roughly equivalent to a 2-nanometer-class node – which the company calls the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing process ever developed and produced in the United States. 

Intel said the chipset would deliver 60% better performance than the prior-generation Lunar Lake Series 2.
 

Retail Reaction

The launch – at CES 2026 – drew significant buzz for Intel on Stocktwits, with the retail sentiment for the ticker shifting to ‘bullish’ as of late Monday from ‘bearish’ the previous day. Intel shares rose 0.2% in the after-market, following a flat close in the regular session.

“Panther Lake is now going to set the standard and everyone is going to be piling in now,” said a user, while another said, “Intel’s fab has proven to be successful, (and) new customers will be coming at any time.”

Major Development For Intel

The development is a major one for Intel, which has struggled in recent years. Unlike Nvidia and AMD, which focus solely on design, Intel handles its own manufacturing. 

While once a competitive edge, this vertical integration had become a drag on the company, slowing its ability to keep pace with the rapid speed of chip development.

Last year, Intel appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its CEO, and the U.S. government announced that it was acquiring a 10% stake in the chipmaker. That, along with an improving financial profile, drove the stock up by a whopping 84% last year.

Core Ultra Series 3 Specs

Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 is said to be proficient for AI-related tasks. Intel claims it offers 1.9 times higher large language model (LLM) performance, 2.3 times higher performance per watt per dollar for end-to-end video analytics, and 4.5 times higher throughput for vision-language action (VLA) models.

The first consumer laptops powered by the chipset are available for pre-order from Tuesday, with full availability starting Jan. 27. Edge laptops built on Core Ultra Series 3 will be available in the second quarter of the year, while the core chips will receive upgrades throughout the year.

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