Intel has unveiled its Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs, utilizing the long-awaited 18A process and a chiplet-based design that combines multiple silicon tiles on a foundational base tile via Intel's Foveros packaging technology. The compute tile, built using the 18A process, houses both the CPU cores and the neural processing unit (NPU), with configurations offering up to 16 CPU cores. The platform controller and high-end graphics tiles are produced at TSMC, while a simpler graphics version is made using Intel's older 3 process. These chips boast significant performance improvements, with claims of up to 60% faster multi-core CPU performance and 77% faster integrated GPU performance compared to previous models. Additionally, all Panther Lake chips include an NPU capable of up to 50 trillion operations per second, supporting advanced AI tasks and connectivity features like Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. This launch marks a potential turning point for Intel, indicating progress in its 18A facilities and opening opportunities for third-party chip manufacturing. This matters because it showcases Intel's advancements in chip technology, potentially enhancing computing performance and efficiency across various devices, while also indicating a strategic shift in its manufacturing capabilities.
