Intel shares jumped 8% on Wednesday after the chipmaker unveiled a new generation of laptops powered by its advanced Panther Lake processors at the CES technology show in Las Vegas.
Intel said orders for consumer laptops using the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors will open on January 6, with worldwide availability beginning January 27. The chips mark the first computing platform built on Intel’s 18A process technology, which the company describes as the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing process ever developed in the United States.
Jim Johnson, Intel’s senior vice president, said the new laptops are expected to deliver major performance gains, particularly for artificial intelligence workloads. He noted that both the industry and Intel are approaching a strategic turning point in 2026, calling AI a significant growth opportunity.
According to the company, the new processors will be used in more than 200 PC designs from global partners. Flagship models offer up to 16 CPU cores, up to 60% higher multithread performance, more than 77% faster gaming speeds, and battery life of up to 27 hours compared with earlier generations.
Intel also announced plans to introduce a dedicated platform for handheld gaming devices later this year. In addition, the Series 3 processors will be expanded for the first time into embedded and industrial markets, including robotics, smart cities, automation, and healthcare.
The success of these products is seen as central to Intel’s turnaround efforts as it seeks to regain market share under CEO Lip-Bu Tan and demonstrate that its manufacturing capabilities can attract more contract chipmaking business.
