Intel Challenges AMD Dominance With Panther Lake

Intel introduces Panther Lake CPUs beginning January 2026 and positions them as optimized for gaming handhelds, citing the Core Ultra X7 358H with four performance and twelve efficiency cores and the Arc B390 iGPU. Early tests report the Arc B390 running Cyberpunk 2077 at 1200p ultra with XeSS balanced at 60 fps using a 55 W draw, and Intel executives say the chips will contest AMD's handheld lead.
Key Points
- 1Showcases Panther Lake: Core Ultra X7 358H has 4 performance and 12 efficiency cores.
- 2Highlights performance: Arc B390 runs Cyberpunk 2077 at 1200p ultra, XeSS balanced, 60 fps at 55W.
- 3Prompts OEM shift: Panther Lake's efficiency and iGPU performance may change handheld platform choices.
Scoring Rationale
New hardware and benchmark claims offer notable platform implications, but impact limited to handheld and gaming segments.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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