When I wrote the Year 2025 in review post, I expected an announcement for the Wildcat Lake CPUs at CES 2026, but instead, Intel initially introduced the high-end Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” family.
I assumed the Wildcat Lake announcement was postponed, but some users’ reports on X indicate the company did demonstrate the new Core Series 3 (no “Ultra” there) “Wildcat Lake” processors as lower-end Core Series 3 “Panther Lake” SKUs.
Intel has yet to disclose part names, and there’s nothing about the Wildcat Lake on Intel Ark at the time of writing. However, some information was shared through slides and X users.
Intel Core Series 3 “Wildcat Lake” key features and specifications:
- CPU – Hexa-core processor with 2x Cougar Cover P-cores (Performance cores), 4x Darkmont LPE-cores (Low-Power Efficient cores)
- GPU – 2x Xe-core Intel Xe3 graphics (no ray tracing, not designed for gaming)
- AI accelerator – Intel NPU 5; combined CPU+GPU+NPU AI performance: up to 40 TOPS
- System Memory
- Up to 7467 MT/s LPDDR5x
- Up to 6400 MT/s DDR5
- Connectivity (diagram implies on the “Platform controller tile”, likely just the interfaces TBC)
- Intel Wi-Fi 7 (R2)
- Intel Bluetooth Core 6.0
- USB/Thunderbolt
- Up to 2x Thunderbolt 4
- 2x USB 3.2
- 8x USB 2.0
- PCIe – 6 lanes PCIe Gen4
- Power Usage (or is it TDP/PBP?) – 9 to 25W
- Manufacturing Process – Intel 18A
Like the Alder Lake-N and Twin Lake family, the new Intel Core Series 3/300 mobile SoCs will be found in budget laptops, Chromebooks, mini PCs, and likely some single board computers and embedded devices.
While the new Wildcat Lake family was announced at CES 2026, Intel did so discreetly, and X users were told the Wildcat Lake devices are “expected to launch during 2026”, so it does not look imminent. I previously read user comments on CNX Software that the family might not be that inexpensive, but Patrick Moore notes they look cost-effective on X (linked above):
Based on the packaging, looks like a very cost-effective solution. And with the Panther Lake architecture. Not full PTL but that misses the point as it’s cost-optimized. This squares right up against Apple’s cost-reduced Macs rumored to use a smartphone processor.
Let’s wait and see. We’ll revisit the family once details are published on Ark, and the first laptops or mini PCs are announced.
Via Liliputing and Hardwareluxx.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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