Intel used the CES 2026 stage in Las Vegas to introduce its Core Ultra Series 3 processors, a milestone launch that places a brand-new manufacturing process at the center of its AI PC strategy. The chips arrive this month and signal a clear shift in how Intel plans to compete across consumer PCs, commercial systems, and industrial devices.
The message was straightforward. This is about scale, efficiency, and finally getting advanced silicon made at home into everyday machines.
A Manufacturing Milestone Anchored in the US
At CES, Intel confirmed that Core Ultra Series 3 is the first compute platform built on Intel 18A, the company’s most advanced semiconductor process to date. Importantly, the process was designed and manufactured in the United States, a point Intel emphasized repeatedly during the launch.
For years, Intel has talked about reclaiming leadership in chip fabrication. This launch turns that narrative into shipping product. Series 3 is not a concept or a lab demo. It is headed into real devices, fast.
More than 200 PC designs from global partners are already lined up, according to Intel. That breadth matters. Adoption at launch often decides whether a platform sticks or fades quietly.
Intel executives framed 18A as a foundation rather than a finish line. The process is expected to anchor multiple future platforms, with Core Ultra Series 3 acting as the first public proof that it is ready for prime time.
And yes, the subtext was obvious. Intel wants customers, governments, and partners to see domestic manufacturing as a competitive asset again.
Intel’s Bet on AI PCs Goes Mainstream
Core Ultra Series 3 is being positioned as Intel’s most widely available AI PC platform yet. That phrase came up again and again during CES briefings.
Unlike earlier AI-focused chips that felt niche or experimental, Series 3 is meant to live everywhere. Thin laptops. Business notebooks. Creator machines. Even industrial systems sitting far from a desk.
Jim Johnson, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group, summed it up during the announcement, saying the company is focused on better efficiency, stronger CPU output, larger graphics capability, and AI compute that actually works across apps people use daily.
Basically, Intel is trying to remove friction. No strange software hoops. No exotic requirements. Just x86 compatibility doing its usual thing, but with far more AI muscle behind it.
That matters because AI features are quietly creeping into everything from video calls to photo editing to local assistants. Chips that cannot keep up risk feeling dated far too quickly.
New Ultra X9 and X7 Chips Push the Top End
Within the Series 3 lineup, Intel introduced a new class of processors: Core Ultra X9 and X7. These sit at the top of the mobile stack and are aimed squarely at users who juggle heavy workloads on the move.
Think gaming sessions between meetings. Video edits on a flight. Massive spreadsheets at odd hours.
These chips feature Intel Arc integrated graphics, the most capable integrated graphics Intel has shipped so far. The emphasis here is on balance. Strong visuals, solid CPU output, and long unplugged usage, all in one package.
Key capabilities highlighted by Intel include:
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Up to 16 CPU cores for demanding multitasking
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As many as 12 Xe-cores in the integrated graphics
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Up to 50 TOPS of NPU performance for on-device AI tasks
Intel claims gains of up to 60% in multithread workloads compared with prior generations, alongside major improvements in gaming frame rates and battery longevity that can stretch past a full day in certain use cases.
Those numbers sound bold, sure. But they reflect how competitive this segment has become. Incremental bumps no longer cut it.
Below is a snapshot of what Intel shared for top Series 3 mobile configurations:
| Feature | Core Ultra Series 3 (Top SKUs) |
|---|---|
| CPU cores | Up to 16 |
| Integrated graphics | Intel Arc, up to 12 Xe-cores |
| AI NPU capability | Up to 50 TOPS |
| Claimed battery life | Up to 27 hours |
| Target devices | Premium laptops, creators, gamers |
Intel stressed that actual results will vary by design, which is fair. Still, the direction is clear.
Beyond PCs, Series 3 Moves to the Edge
One of the more interesting twists in this launch was Intel’s push beyond traditional PCs.
For the first time, Core Ultra Series 3 processors are being tested and certified for embedded and industrial use cases. That includes deployments at the edge, such as robotics, smart city infrastructure, automation systems, and healthcare equipment.
This is a meaningful expansion.
Historically, Intel separated consumer chips and industrial silicon into fairly rigid categories. Series 3 blurs that line. A single architecture now spans laptops on café tables and machines bolted to factory floors.
Intel said the decision was driven by customer demand. Companies want flexible compute platforms that can scale from office environments to operational settings without rewriting their entire software stack.
It also reflects where AI workloads are heading. Many tasks are shifting away from centralized data centers and closer to where data is generated. That shift favors chips that can handle inference locally, reliably, and without constant cloud access.
Series 3 is clearly designed with that future in mind.
Competition, Timing, and What Comes Next
CES 2026 was packed with chip announcements, and Intel knows it is operating in a crowded field. Rivals are moving fast, and expectations are high.
What makes this launch different is timing. Series 3 is not a promise for next year. Devices arrive this month. Partners are ready. The ecosystem is already in motion.
Intel executives avoided chest-thumping language. Instead, they focused on consistency, compatibility, and availability. Those may sound boring, but in the PC market, boring often wins.
There is also a quiet confidence around manufacturing. By highlighting that 18A was developed and built in the US, Intel is tying product performance to supply chain stability and national industrial policy. That is a calculated move, especially as governments and enterprises rethink where their technology comes from.
CES attendees left with a simple takeaway. Intel is done talking about turnarounds. It wants to show them, one shipping chip at a time.
