The first devices with Intel's latest processors (Panther Lake) are expected to be truly available as early as the end of January, even though some of the total of 14 new CPU models are still in ramp production.
Compared to the predecessor Lunar Lake, the DRAM is no longer located on the package; instead, there is a return to the classic System on a Chip (SoC) design, which offers OEMs more design freedom for their devices.
The Intel Core Ultra 300 comes in 14 variants
The design is equipped with a maximum of two CPU tiles and two GPU tiles, supplemented by a customizable I/O tile. The LPE cores, memory controller, and the 50 TOPS NPU are located in the CPU tile, both of which are manufactured again by Intel (on the 18A process). At least one GPU tile and the I/O tile continue to come from TSMC.
The biggest surprise is likely the Arc B390 graphics unit with 12 Xe cores. Compared to AMD's Strix Point flagship, the new integrated GPU (iGPU) is said to offer over 70 percent more performance at comparable power consumption—thus operating on par with a dedicated, mobile RTX 4050. This is a surprising claim for an iGPU and should now put pressure on AMD to step up its integrated GPU offerings after years.
Intel's Core Ultra X9 388H is expected to compete with a mobile RTX 4050 in performance.
This integrated Arc (Pro) B390 unit performs best with the corresponding LPDDR5X-9600 memory and will initially only be available in three of the 14 presented models: the Core Ultra X7 358H, the Core Ultra X7 368H, and the Core Ultra X9 388H.
Interestingly, Intel also plans to release some low-power Panther Lake processors that could be interesting for AI edge applications such as robotics. Here, they even see a clear advantage over Nvidia's Jetson Orin platform.
And this shows that even at Intel, CPU performance is increasingly taking a back seat, while the modular tile structure of the SoCs simultaneously creates more flexible application possibilities. What this specifically means for creators and video editors in the future is also interesting.
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