Intel has unveiled Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors at CES 2026, marking the first PC platform built on Intel 18A, the company’s most advanced semiconductor process developed and manufactured in the United States. The new processors are designed to power the next generation of AI PCs and will be used across more than 200 laptop designs worldwide.
Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is a mobile focused processor family delivering improved CPU performance, stronger integrated graphics and longer battery life. The new Intel Core Ultra X9 and X7 processors feature up to 16 CPU cores, up to 12 Intel Arc Xe cores for graphics, and an integrated NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS of AI performance. These chips deliver up to 60 percent higher multi thread CPU performance, over 77 percent faster gaming performance, and battery life of up to 27 hours on supported systems.
Built on x86 architecture, the platform improves AI app compatibility and supports advanced workloads such as gaming, content creation and productivity. Intel also introduced mainstream Intel Core variants based on the same architecture to support thinner and more affordable laptops.
For the first time, Core Ultra Series 3 processors are certified for edge and industrial use. These variants support extended temperature ranges, 24×7 operation and deterministic performance, enabling use cases in robotics, smart cities, automation and healthcare. At the edge, the platform delivers up to 1.9x higher LLM performance, up to 2.3x better performance per watt per dollar for video analytics, and up to 4.5x higher throughput for vision language action models.
Consumer laptops powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 will be available from late January 2026, with edge systems launching in Q2 2026.
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