Intel on Sunday unveiled new AI-focused chips built on a revamped design and advanced manufacturing process, a key step in the chipmaker’s efforts to regain competitiveness.
At CES 2026, the company introduced the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors based on its Panther Lake architecture, which it said were designed and manufactured in the U.S.
At its core, Panther Lake represents a reset moment for Intel’s PC chips. It is the first client processor family built on Intel’s 18A manufacturing process, the company’s most advanced node to date, and a key test of Intel’s effort to bring leading-edge chip production back in-house.
The new processors will power more than 200 laptop designs from global partners, with preorders beginning Jan. 6 and worldwide availability starting Jan. 27. Intel said the Series 3 lineup delivers gains in CPU performance, integrated graphics, AI acceleration and battery life, positioning it as the company’s most broadly adopted AI PC platform to date.
For the first time, Intel is also extending the platform beyond PCs. Series 3 processors are certified for embedded and industrial use cases at the edge, including robotics, automation, health care and smart cities.
“With Series 3, we are laser focused on improving power efficiency, adding more CPU performance, a bigger GPU in a class of its own, more AI compute and app compatibility you can count on with x86,” said Jim Johnson, a senior vice president at Intel, in a statement.