Intel Confirms Panther Lake "Core Ultra 300" CPU Platform for 2H 2025 Launch, Volume Supply Set for Early 2026
Intel has officially reaffirmed the roadmap for its next-generation client CPU family, codenamed Panther Lake, during its recent press briefing, revealing that the platform will debut in the second half of 2025, with volume supply expected to commence in early 2026. This milestone marks Intel's aggressive push toward reclaiming process leadership with the introduction of its cutting-edge 18A process node, a pivotal technology in the company’s foundry and client computing resurgence.
Panther Lake: Intel’s First 18A-Based Consumer Platform
Panther Lake CPUs will serve as the flagship client platform to pioneer the 18A node, which leverages advanced packaging technologies such as PowerVia and RibbonFET. According to Intel, high-volume production for Panther Lake chips is scheduled to begin later in 2024, setting the stage for broad platform availability and ecosystem support in early 2026.
The Panther Lake lineup will succeed the dual-tier strategy of Arrow Lake (performance-focused) and Lunar Lake (efficiency-focused), unifying their strengths into a single offering. This hybrid architecture will feature:
Cougar Cove performance (P) cores
Skymont efficiency (E) cores
A configuration of 6 P-Cores + 8 E-Cores for the mobile SKUs
TDPs ranging from 15W to 45W
In terms of graphics, Panther Lake will debut Intel's Xe3 “Celestial” iGPU architecture, boasting up to 12 Xe3 cores and a chiplet design comprising five distinct tiles: compute, GPU, IO, SoC, and a dummy die. This architecture indicates Intel’s deeper commitment to modular design, AI acceleration, and improved graphics compute capability for integrated solutions.
Timeline & Succession Strategy
Intel plans to complete volume production of Panther Lake processors by the end of 2025, positioning the chips for a commercial launch window starting in 2H 2025, with global volume supply rolling out by Q1 2026. The company will follow up this launch with Nova Lake, which is currently projected for a late 2026 release. Nova Lake is expected to expand on Panther Lake's foundations with increased core counts and further performance scaling.
Strategic Implications
Panther Lake represents not only a technological leap in client computing but also a critical demonstration of the capabilities of Intel’s 18A node. It underscores the company’s broader ambition to deliver advanced computing platforms at scale and reestablish process parity with — or leadership over — TSMC and Samsung.
What do you think about Intel's aggressive push with Panther Lake and its 18A process node? Will this be enough to catch up with AMD and Apple? Let us know your thoughts below!
