An Intel manufacturing technician holds a Panther Lake chip inside the cleanroom of Intel’s new Fab 52. | Source: Intel
Intel Corp. this week revealed the architectural details for its client processor Intel Core Ultra Series 3, otherwise known as Panther Lake. These details included Panther Lakes’ extended edge applications, which include robotics.
The company said it built a new Intel Robotics AI software suite and reference board. These enable customers with sophisticated AI capabilities to rapidly innovate and develop cost-effective robots using Panther Lake for controls, AI, and perception.
Panther Lake plans to begin ramping up high-volume production this year. Intel has slated the first SKU to ship before the end of the year, with broad market availability starting January 2026. The company will manufacture the processor at Fab 52, its new factory in Chandler, Arizona
“We are entering an exciting new era of computing, made possible by great leaps forward in semiconductor technology that will shape the future for decades to come,” said Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. “Our next-gen compute platforms, combined with our leading-edge process technology, manufacturing, and advanced packaging capabilities, are catalysts for innovation across our business as we build a new Intel. The United States has always been home to Intel’s most advanced R&D, product design, and manufacturing — and we are proud to build on this legacy as we expand our domestic operations and bring new innovations to the market.”
Panther Lake is Intel’s first 18A-based product
A manufacturing technician holds an Intel Core Ultra series 3 processor built on Intel 18A. | Source: Intel
Intel built Panther Lake on Intel 18A, marking a first for the company. The company claimed that 18A is the most advanced semiconductor process ever developed and manufactured in the U.S. It introduces a scalable, multi-chiplet architecture that offers partners flexibility across form factors, segments, and price points.
Intel listed its features:
- Lunar Lake-level power efficiency and Arrow Lake-class performance.
- Up to 16 new performance-cores (P-cores) and efficient-cores (E-cores) delivering more than 50% faster CPU performance compared with the previous generation.
- New Intel Arc GPU with up to 12 Xe cores delivering more than 50% faster graphics performance compared to the previous generation.
- Balanced XPU design for next-level AI acceleration with up to 180 Platform TOPS (trillions of operations per second).
Intel 18A is a 2-nanometer class node developed and manufactured in the U.S. It delivers up to 15% better performance per watt and 30% improved chip density compared with Intel 35. The node was developed, qualified for manufacturing, and began early production at the company’s Oregon location, and it is now ramping toward high-volume production in Arizona.
Key innovations on Intel 18A include:
- RibbonFET: Intel’s first new transistor architecture in over a decade, enabling greater scaling and more efficient switching for improved performance and energy efficiency.
- PowerVia: A backside power delivery system, enhancing power flow and signal delivery.
In addition, Intel said its Foveros advanced packaging and 3D chip stacking technology enables the stacking and integration of multiple chiplets into advanced SoC designs. This enables it to deliver flexibility, scalability, and performance at the system level, Intel claimed.
Intel previews Clearwater Forest server processor
A manufacturing technician holds a Clearwater Forest chip inside the cleanroom of Intel’s Fab 52 in Chandler, Ariz. | Source: Intel
Intel also previewed Xeon 6+, also called Clearwater Forest, its first Intel 18A-based server processor. The company expects to launch this processor in the first half of 2026. Clearwater Forest is Intel’s next-generation E-core processor. Branded Intel Xeon 6+, this processor is the most efficient server processor the company has ever created and is built on Intel 18A.
Highlights include:
- Up to 288 E-cores.
- 17% Instructions Per Cycle (IPC) uplift over prior generation.
- Considerable gains in density, throughput, and power efficiency.
Tailored for hyperscale data centers, cloud providers, and telcos, Clearwater Forest enables organizations to scale workloads, reduce energy costs, and power more intelligent services, the company said.
Intel invests in U.S. manufacturing
Fab 52 is Intel’s fifth high-volume fab at its Ocotillo campus in Chandler, Ariz. This facility produces some of the most advanced logic chips in the U.S. It is part of the $100 billion Intel is investing to expand its domestic operations.
With advanced R&D and production in Oregon, high-volume fabrication in Arizona, and packaging operations in New Mexico, Intel said it’s positioned to support key national priorities and provide strategic capacity for Intel Foundry customers.
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