At CES 2026, Intel unveiled the Core Ultra Series 3, the first AI PC platform built with 18A technology, which Intel says is the best process in the world.
The Series 3 will offer a new class of Intel Core Ultra X9 and X7 processors, according to the company. Flagship Ultra Series 3 devices will provide up to 16 CPU cores, 12 efficiency cores and 50 NPU tops, offering up to 60 per cent better multithread performance, more than 77 per cent faster gaming performance and up to 27 hours of battery life.
This is a comparison to Lunar Lake with an Intel Core Ultra X9 388H vs. Intel Core Ultra 9 288V using Cinebench, Geomean and more. If you’re confused about the SKUs, you’re not the only one. In a Q&A with journalists, Intel provided more details about the different SKUs. While Lunar Lake uses the ‘V’ SKU, and Arrow Lake provides the H and X SKU, 2026’s Panther Lake will use the H SKU for 10-core devices and 6-core devices will not have any of the lettered SKUs. For the comparison, Intel says that the Intel Core X9 388H was set to similar watts as the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V, so that the comparison was more apples to apples.
This SOC also provides up to 80 total TOPS, up to 120 GPU TOPS, and up to 95GB RAM.
Pre-orders for the first laptops powered by the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 start tomorrow, January 6, with additional designs coming throughout the first quarter of the year. The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 will be adopted by more than 200 designs from partners globally.
Update:01/05/26: In a Q&A with journalists, Intel provided more details about the comparison between Lunar Lake and Panther Lake.
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