Intel outlines details of first PC chip made on its new manufacturing tech

(Reuters) -Intel on Thursday unveiled key details of its upcoming Panther Lake laptop processor, the first chip built on its next-generation 18A production process, aiming to convince investors its costly turnaround plan can restore its manufacturing edge. The rollout of Panther Lake, aimed at high-end, artificial intelligence-enabled laptops, is a major test of Intel's ability to scale its 18A manufacturing technology and reclaim PC market share lost to rival AMD. Intel said graphics and central processors integrated in Panther Lake deliver 50% faster performance than its previous generation of chips, Lunar Lake, which was largely made by rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The 18A process includes a new transistor design and a method of delivering energy to the chip more efficiently. The Panther Lake uses a 'system-on-chip' design that usually integrates various components such as a graphic processor and a central processing unit on to a single circuit. The processor will begin ramping up production this year, with the first unit slated to ship before 2025 end. It will be broadly available from January 2026. Reuters had on Tuesday reported details about the chip's specifications and availability. HIGH STAKES "Panther Lake is extremely important to Intel on many different levels," said Bob O'Donnell, chief analyst at Technalysis Research. It could serve as a "confirmation of the company's continued advancements in semiconductor manufacturing and show the kind of chips that their fabs can produce", he said. New CEO Lip-Bu Tan has in the recent months sharply scaled back the massive manufacturing expansion pushed by his predecessor Pat Gelsinger. In July, Intel warned it would halt the development of its future 14A process unless it gets a customer. After U.S. President Donald Trump called for Tan's resignation in August, Intel drew new investments from SoftBank Group and Nvidia. Following Tan's meeting with Trump and White House officials, the administration converted a planned CHIPS Act grant into a 9.9% equity stake in the company. CATALYSTS FOR INNOVATION The new technologies "are catalysts for innovation across our business as we build a new Intel", Tan said on Thursday. The company's chip manufacturing facility in Arizona, known as Fab 52, is now fully operational and set to reach high-volume production using 18A later this year. Intel's new server processor Clearwater Forest, which will be launched in the first half of 2026, is also being made at Fab 52. While Intel has yet to gain traction in the AI graphics processor market dominated by Nvidia, it expects Clearwater Forest will help it grab a share in AI data centers thanks to its power efficiency. (Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

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