Observe ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Intel’s new Core Extremely Collection 3 chips, dubbed “Panther Lake” will hit shopper laptops beginning in early 2026.
- Panther Lake is concentrated on improved efficiency and energy effectivity, with spectacular uncooked numbers.
- A number of the extra impactful options aren’t as flashy, however translate to raised connectivity and enhancements for avid gamers.
Intel lately hosted its Tech Tour 2025 occasion in Arizona, exhibiting off the following technology of processor know-how to press and analysts, codenamed “Panther Lake”. The brand new line of chips is slated to energy a variety of upcoming laptop computer fashions with improved battery effectivity and efficiency with the brand new A18 course of know-how.
Additionally: I saw Intel’s new ‘Panther Lake’ chip first-hand, and it could be a turning point
I had the chance to attend the occasion in Arizona, a brief distance from the corporate’s manufacturing plant, and what actually impressed me wasn’t simply the efficiency upgrades. A number of the less-discussed know-how may very well be game-changers once they lastly land on laptops early subsequent 12 months.
Listed here are a couple of applied sciences I believe will likely be vital for the on a regular basis person.
Higher, sooner Wi-Fi
I did not anticipate to stroll away excited by Panther Lake’s enhancements to wi-fi connectivity, however that is precisely what occurred. First off, the chip will introduce assist for 6GHz band to laptops. According to Intel, a 6GHz band is twice as quick as a 5GHz channel, with a bandwidth spectrum as much as 1,200 MHz huge.
Laptops operating the brand new {hardware} will assist a brand new flagship Wi-Fi 7 characteristic referred to as Multi-Hyperlink Operation (MLO), which permits units to hook up with a entry level throughout a number of channels, hopping between bands with a view to guarantee the most effective connection.
Additionally: What Nvidia’s stunning $5 billion Intel bet means for enterprise AI and next-gen laptops
For instance, as an example you are making an attempt to transmit an enormous video file throughout a 5GHz channel, nevertheless it’s congested as a result of numerous different units are on the identical band. MLO will mechanically transfer you to the 6GHz channel, which, on this state of affairs, is congestion-free, enhancing connection speeds.
Panther Lake may also add assist for Wi-Fi 7 Launch 2 (R2), which helps Multi-Hyperlink Configuration. This permits entry factors to detect if a Wi-Fi channel is being underutilized, and if that’s the case, will transfer all consumer units over to a special channel, shutting down the earlier band right down to preserve vitality.
Huge energy to avid gamers
Panther Lake guarantees a significant leap ahead in gaming efficiency with Intel’s new Xe3 GPU structure. In comparison with the older Xe2 design, Xe3 boasts 25% extra threads, upgraded 12-bit vector engines, and an enhanced ray tracing unit to ship real looking lighting.
“These micro-architectural enhancements translate into real-world efficiency,” Intel Fellow Tom Peterson mentioned through the gaming know-how session. It is a frequent theme, with the improved A18 course of know-how leading to higher efficiency and effectivity.
Additionally: Firefox just made it easier to separate your work and personal browsing – here’s how
Intel carried out early benchmarks with Panther Lake, and the outcomes have been spectacular. A single body was rendered in simply 22.84 milliseconds on the brand new {hardware}, in comparison with 45.44 milliseconds on the earlier Lunar Lake structure, so it is a vital leap in velocity. These efficiency beneficial properties come from exact optimizations, equivalent to a bigger L1 cache plus variable register allocation.
Panther Lake advances Intel’s method to graphical rendering through a brand new software program know-how referred to as XeSS Multi-Body Era (or MFG for brief). The chip creates a base picture through rasterization strategies after which makes use of AI to generate as much as three further frames per native body, leading to ultra-smooth gameplay that feels just like the body fee is way increased.
In the course of the occasion, we noticed Panther Lake operating the sport “Dying Mild: The Beast” natively at round 30 FPS, however because of all the additional frames from XeSS MFG, the FPS introduced itself to be a lot increased — at over 130FPS. It maintained persistently {smooth} gameplay with none tearing or different graphical artifacts.
Whether or not or not this implies Intel will surpass AMD within the gaming stays to be seen and relies on loads of different components. The primary laptops with Panther Lake chips will arrive within the first months of 2026, at which period we’ll be going palms on to see what they’ll do.
