Intel Panther Lake is Almost Here
Intel’s next generation mobile chips, code named Panther Lake, are starting to look very real. Even though the official launch is planned for CES in January, multiple retailers have already listed laptops powered by these new CPUs. Some of these listings were clearly not meant to be public yet, but they give us a useful early look at what gamers and power users can expect.
After a few years of mixed CPU launches and confusing GPU branding, Panther Lake could mark an important turning point for Intel. It brings new CPU cores, a new integrated GPU based on Arc technology, and it is built on Intel’s ambitious 18A manufacturing node that the company has heavily bet its future on.
Leaked Laptops and Panther Lake X Variants
Several MSI Prestige laptops showed up on a French retailer, in both 14 inch and 16 inch formats. Prices ranged from roughly 2,000 to 2,500 Euros which translates to about 2,300 to 3,000 dollars. It is not clear if those prices are final, but the specs tell an interesting story.
All of the listed models came with 32 gigabytes of RAM. Given the current memory and SSD supply issues and rising prices, that is notable. These configurations are clearly aimed at creators, professionals and demanding users rather than basic office machines.
The real eye catchers though are the versions using Panther Lake chips with an X in the name. Examples include:
- Intel Core Ultra X7 358H
- Intel Core Ultra X9 388H
Both of these X series processors use the larger Panther Lake CPU die, which combines:
- Four Performance cores for heavy single thread and gaming workloads
- Eight Efficient cores for background tasks and multi thread scaling
- Four low power Efficient cores for very light and always on tasks
This mix is designed to balance performance and battery life in thin and light laptops, while still offering enough grunt for demanding work and play.
The X prefix is the especially interesting part for gamers. It is believed to mark chips that carry Intel’s larger integrated GPU chiplet, which includes 12 Xe3 GPU cores. Non X Panther Lake models are expected to have a smaller GPU chiplet with just four Xe3 cores. In practice, that should mean noticeably better integrated graphics performance on the X versions, especially at 1080p with low to medium settings in popular games.
Arc B390 Graphics and Confusing Branding
According to the latest leaks, the full 12 core integrated GPU in Panther Lake X chips will be branded Intel Arc B390. The B stands for the Battlemage family, which is Intel’s second generation discrete GPU line. Things get weird here because the Xe3 architecture inside Panther Lake is technically a third generation design, but Intel’s branding does not line up cleanly with that.
As it stands, the internal tech and the product names do not completely match. Even Intel’s messaging has been a bit fuzzy about how these integrated GPUs relate to its standalone Arc cards and its new partnership with Nvidia. For gamers this mostly means you should focus less on the labels and more on the concrete specs like number of Xe cores and expected performance tiers.
What matters is that a 12 core Xe3 based GPU branded as Arc B390 should be a major step up over past Intel integrated graphics. For lighter esports titles, indie games and cloud gaming clients, that could make thin and light laptops far more capable without requiring a separate discrete GPU.
More Mainstream Panther Lake Options
Panther Lake will not only target premium laptops. In the United States, Walmart briefly listed an HP Omnibook X Flip 16 that uses a lower end Panther Lake chip. The listing has been pulled, but while it was live it showed a price of 999 dollars, making it a much more mainstream option.
This HP model featured:
- Intel Ultra 7 355 processor
- Four Performance cores and four low power Efficient cores
- 16 gigabytes of RAM
- 512 gigabyte SSD
- 16 inch 2K display
That spec sheet paints Panther Lake as a broad family that will scale from high end creator and gaming capable machines down to more affordable everyday laptops. The integrated graphics on this lower tier chip will not match the X series, but should still benefit from the new architecture.
Cougar Cove Cores and Intel’s 18A Gamble
Under the hood, Panther Lake introduces Intel’s Cougar Cove Performance cores. Details from Intel’s architecture presentations suggest that Cougar Cove is designed to improve both raw performance and efficiency compared to the cores used in Lunar Lake and previous generations. For gamers this matters for higher frame rates on CPU heavy titles and smoother multitasking while streaming, recording or running background apps.
Just as important is the manufacturing node these chips rely on. Panther Lake is built on Intel’s 18A process, a new production technology that former CEO Pat Gelsinger has openly said he bet the entire company on. If 18A delivers as promised, it could help Intel catch up to or even leapfrog rivals in performance per watt and transistor density.
However hardware history shows that a first launch on a new node is only the beginning. Intel’s old 10 nanometer process for example took years before it became fully mature and was later rebranded as Intel 7. The appearance of Panther Lake laptops at retailers strongly suggests Intel is on track for a CES launch, but it does not automatically guarantee instant volume or flawless chips.
Still, the signs are encouraging. Early listings with powerful X series integrated graphics, decent RAM configurations and a range of price points mean gamers and power users should keep an eye on CES. Panther Lake looks set to bring noticeably better integrated graphics, new CPU cores and the first real test of Intel’s 18A node, all wrapped into the next wave of thin and light gaming capable laptops.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/processors/intel-panther-lake-laptops-leak-early-onto-retailer-sites-so-it-looks-like-18a-really-is-ready-to-roll/
