Intel Launches Breakthrough 18A PC Chip to Beat Competition

Intel has revealed new details about its upcoming Panther Lake processor, the company’s first PC chip built on its next-generation 18A manufacturing process.

Intel said the new chip delivers up to 50% faster performance compared with its current Lunar Lake processors. (Photo: Intel)

The launch marks a major step in Intel’s effort to regain ground in chip performance and manufacturing leadership, Faizan Farooque reported for GuruFocus.com.

Targeted at high-end laptops with built-in AI features, Panther Lake combines graphics and CPU functions into one system-on-chip design.

Intel said the new chip delivers up to 50% faster performance compared with its current Lunar Lake processors, which were largely produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC).

Production at Intel’s Arizona Fab 52 facility will ramp up by year-end, with the first shipments expected before the end of 2025 and wider availability in early 2026.

CEO Lip-Bu Tan called the technology a catalyst for innovation, noting that the new process brings more efficient energy delivery and faster computing power. The company’s next server chip, Clearwater Forest, will also be built on the same 18A process and is set to debut in 2026.