The new PC chip Panther Lake is Intel’s first product built on the 18A manufacturing process.
Yesterday (9 October), Intel showcased two new chips built using its 18A production process at its facility in Arizona, US.
The display holds massive importance for the struggling chipmaker, which is trying to prove that an expensive turnaround plan under the new CEO will restore its leadership in semiconductor manufacturing.
The new Intel Core Ultra series 3 processor – also called Panther Lake – will power commercial and consumer PCs and gaming devices.
With up to 16 new performance-cores and efficient-cores, Intel says the chip will be more than 50pc faster compared to its previous generation Lunar Lake, which was largely produced by competitor Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Panther Lake, the company’s first product built on 18A, will be produced in high volumes, with shipping set to begin before the end of the year. The chip will be available to market starting January 2026.
Codenamed Clearwater Forest, Intel also previewed Xeon 6+, the company’s “most efficient server processor” yet, and the first to be produced on 18A. The product is set for launch in the first half of 2026.
Intel 18A is the first two-nanometre class node developed and manufactured in the US, and according to the company, delivers 15pc better performance per watt and 30pc improved chip density compared to Intel 3.
The process includes the company’s first new transistor architecture in more than a decade and will be used for at least three of its upcoming generations of products, the company said.
The node began early production at Intel’s Oregon location, and has now started production at the Fab 52 facility in Arizona – a part of Intel’s $100bn investment to expand domestic operations.
“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 US 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,” he added.
The chipmaker has been seeking investments from competing tech giants to help aid in its comeback plan. Bloomberg reported in September that the company was attempting to woo Apple for an investment.
And it succeeded in getting Nvidia to invest $5bn, shortly after the US government purchased an $8.9bn stake and SoftBank invested $2bn into the company.
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